Reference:118138: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 02:37, 29 September 2026

Day-Date › 118138

The 118138 is the yellow-gold, leather-strap Day-Date 36. It uses the fluted case of the 118238 with an alligator strap and gold deployant clasp in place of the President bracelet. Rolex introduced the strap-mounted Day-Dates at Baselworld 2013, with cognac and green among the first dial colours. It uses caliber 3155 in a 36mm case; catalogues place the reference in the 2013–2019 period.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	118138
family	Day-Date (Day-Date 36, 6-digit)
production	2013 to about 2019
movement	caliber 3155, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, ~48h, double quickset, Parachrom hairspring, COSC
case	36mm 18k yellow gold
crystal	sapphire
bezel	fluted
strap	alligator leather strap with an 18k gold Crownclasp deployant
dial	champagne, silver, black, white Roman, green, cognac, mother-of-pearl, diamond-set
crown	Twinlock screw-down
siblings	118238 (President bracelet), 118208 (smooth, President/Oyster); 118139 (white-gold strap), 118135 (Everose strap)
successor	no plain fluted-bezel strap successor documented; later 3255 strap references are gem-set

Where it sits in the line

The 118138 is the yellow-gold strap member of the 6-digit Day-Date 36 line. The 118238 uses the same fluted case on a President bracelet; the 118138 replaces that bracelet with an alligator strap and a gold deployant clasp. The white-gold strap version is 118139 and the Everose version is 118135. Rolex added these strap references at Baselworld 2013, alongside the bracelet references 118238, 118208 and 118235.

Production outline

The 118xxx Day-Date 36 generation began in 2000; the leather-strap references arrived at Baselworld 2013. Archived catalogues and contemporary launch coverage place the 118138 in the 2013–2019 period. The later 3255 generation retained bracelet versions. Rolex brought back strap-mounted Day-Date 36 models in 2021 as the fully gem-set 128158RBR, 128159RBR and 128155RBR. The available sources do not show a plain fluted-bezel strap replacement for 118138, and Rolex has not published a production total.

Movement notes

The 118138 uses caliber 3155, the double-quickset Day-Date movement. Published technical references list 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, about 48 hours of power reserve, COSC certification and a Parachrom hairspring. The day and date set from the crown. The bracelet-mounted 118238 uses the same caliber.

Dial map

Rolex 118138 white Roman dial on green strap — A white Roman dial on a green alligator strap, one of the colour combinations shown for the strap models.

Contemporary 2013 coverage lists cognac and green dials for the yellow-gold strap model, with other catalogued examples in champagne, silver, black and white Roman, mother-of-pearl, and diamond-set configurations. Dial and strap colours were often paired, but a dial or strap seen on one example does not establish the full factory option list. The broader Day-Date dial taxonomy is covered on the 1803 entry.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster of the 6-digit Day-Date, with the broader lugs of that generation, a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown, and the fluted bezel that is the Day-Date signature. It is the same case the President-bracelet 118238 uses, and the only structural difference sits at the lugs, which take a strap instead of an end link and bracelet.

Strap and clasp

The 118138 uses an alligator leather strap with an 18k gold Crownclasp deployant. A replacement strap can change the watch’s appearance and may not preserve the original delivery configuration, so the strap and clasp should be recorded separately when examining a used example. President-bracelet hardware is covered on Reference:Bracelets.

Market

The source set has no headline auction result for the 118138. Dealer and certified-pre-owned listings vary with dial, condition, papers, and whether the strap and clasp are original to the watch. Those listings are useful for current availability, but they do not establish a fixed price band or a universal premium for a particular dial colour.

Related references

Day-Date 118235; 2005–2019
Day-Date 218206; 2008–2015
Day-Date 218238; 2008–2015
Day-Date 118208; 2000–2019
Day-Date 118238; 2000–2019
Day-Date 18208; 1988–2000

Yellow-gold 118138 with cognac dial
118138 white Roman dial with green strap

Sources

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Day-Date 36 118138}}
 {{#seo:
-|title=Rolex Day-Date 36 118138 — The Leather-Strap Gold President
+|title=Rolex Day-Date 36 118138; The Leather-Strap Gold President
-|description=The Rolex 118138 is the yellow-gold fluted-bezel Day-Date 36 on a leather strap (caliber 3155, 2013-2019) — the dressiest, lightest and most affordable gold Day-Date, known for its cognac and green dials.
+|description=The Rolex 118138 is the yellow-gold fluted-bezel Day-Date 36 on an alligator strap, introduced at Baselworld 2013 with caliber 3155 and cognac and green dial options.
 |keywords=Rolex 118138, Day-Date 118138, leather strap Day-Date, yellow gold President, cognac dial, green dial, caliber 3155, strap Day-Date
 |image=Ref 118138 hero.webp
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 |og_type=article
 |published_time=2026-06-23T00:21:10Z
-|modified_time=2026-06-29T01:15:19Z
+|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:07:57Z
 |robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
 |titlemode=replace
 }}
-<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] → '''118138'''</small>
+<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] › '''118138'''</small>
-The 118138 is the leather-strap Day-Date 36, the dressiest and lightest of the 6-digit Presidents. It takes the yellow-gold fluted-bezel case of the [[Reference:118238|118238]] and fits it to an alligator strap with a gold deployant clasp in place of the President bracelet. Rolex introduced the strap-mounted Day-Dates at Baselworld 2013, in a run of warm dial colours chosen to suit the format, cognac and "Rolex Green" among them, and the lighter watch became the most accessible way into a gold Day-Date. Caliber 3155, 36mm, made to about 2019.
+<div class="rp-lead">
+[[File:Ref 118138 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date 118138 with cognac dial and alligator strap|Yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date 118138 with cognac dial and alligator strap]]
+</div>
+The 118138 is the yellow-gold, leather-strap Day-Date 36. It uses the fluted case of the [[Reference:118238|118238]] with an alligator strap and gold deployant clasp in place of the President bracelet. Rolex introduced the strap-mounted Day-Dates at Baselworld 2013, with cognac and green among the first dial colours. It uses caliber 3155 in a 36mm case; catalogues place the reference in the 2013–2019 period.
-[[File:Ref 118138 hero.webp|thumb|right|260px|alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 118138 cognac dial leather strap|Rolex Day-Date 36 118138 in yellow gold — the fluted bezel and cognac dial on a brown alligator strap, the dressier strap-mounted Day-Date.]]
 ==Core facts==
-{| class="wikitable"
+{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
 |-
 ! detail
@@ Line 60: / Line 63: @@
 |-
 | successor
-| none confirmed — a caliber-3255 strap Day-Date 36 is not documented
+| no plain fluted-bezel strap successor documented; later 3255 strap references are gem-set
 |}
 ==Where it sits in the line==
-The 118138 is the strap member of the 6-digit Day-Date 36. The [[Reference:118238|118238]] is the same yellow-gold fluted case on the President bracelet; the 118138 swaps that bracelet for an alligator strap and a gold deployant clasp. The bracelet is the whole difference: a strap Day-Date wears lighter and costs less, because it leaves out the heavy gold President. In white gold the strap reference is the 118139, and in Everose the 118135. Rolex added the strap-mounted Day-Dates to the line at Baselworld 2013, well into the 6-digit run, alongside the bracelet references [[Reference:118238|118238]], [[Reference:118208|118208]] and [[Reference:118235|118235]].
+The 118138 is the yellow-gold strap member of the 6-digit Day-Date 36 line. The [[Reference:118238|118238]] uses the same fluted case on a President bracelet; the 118138 replaces that bracelet with an alligator strap and a gold deployant clasp. The white-gold strap version is 118139 and the Everose version is 118135. Rolex added these strap references at Baselworld 2013, alongside the bracelet references [[Reference:118238|118238]], [[Reference:118208|118208]] and [[Reference:118235|118235]].
 ==Production outline==
-The 118138 dates to 2013, when Rolex extended the 6-digit Day-Date 36 with leather-strap references and a set of warm, strap-friendly dials. The 118xxx case generation itself began in 2000, but the strap variant is a 2013 addition, so an 118138 is a watch of the 2010s. It ran to about 2019. The caliber-3255 Day-Date 36 that followed in 2019 kept the bracelet references; a strap successor is not documented, so the 118138 is the last yellow-gold strap Day-Date of its kind. No Rolex production figure has surfaced.
+The 118xxx Day-Date 36 generation began in 2000; the leather-strap references arrived at Baselworld 2013. Archived catalogues and contemporary launch coverage place the 118138 in the 2013–2019 period. The later 3255 generation retained bracelet versions. Rolex brought back strap-mounted Day-Date 36 models in 2021 as the fully gem-set 128158RBR, 128159RBR and 128155RBR. The available sources do not show a plain fluted-bezel strap replacement for 118138, and Rolex has not published a production total.
 ==Movement notes==
-The 118138 runs the caliber 3155, the double-quickset Day-Date movement: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, a roughly 48-hour reserve and COSC certification, with both the day and the date set from the crown, and the Parachrom hairspring of the period. It is the same movement as the bracelet-mounted [[Reference:118238|118238]]; the strap and the dial are what set the 118138 apart. The [[Reference:Movements]] page holds the caliber lineage, and the [[Reference:118238|118238]] entry covers the 3155 in detail.
+The 118138 uses caliber 3155, the double-quickset Day-Date movement. Published technical references list 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, about 48 hours of power reserve, COSC certification and a Parachrom hairspring. The day and date set from the crown. The bracelet-mounted [[Reference:118238|118238]] uses the same caliber.
 ==Dial map==
-[[File:Ref 118138 green.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 118138 white Roman dial on green strap|A white Roman dial on a green alligator strap — one of the warm dial-and-strap pairings from the 2013 launch.]]
+[[File:Ref 118138 green.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 118138 white Roman dial on green strap|A white Roman dial on a green alligator strap, one of the colour combinations shown for the strap models.]]
+Contemporary 2013 coverage lists cognac and green dials for the yellow-gold strap model, with other catalogued examples in champagne, silver, black and white Roman, mother-of-pearl, and diamond-set configurations. Dial and strap colours were often paired, but a dial or strap seen on one example does not establish the full factory option list. The broader Day-Date dial taxonomy is covered on the [[Reference:1803|1803]] entry.
-The 2013 strap launch came with a set of dial colours chosen to read well on leather. The cognac, a warm copper-brown sunburst, and the "Rolex Green" sunburst are the signature pair, the two faces most associated with the strap Day-Date. Alongside them the 118138 was offered in champagne, silver, black and white Roman, in mother-of-pearl, and in diamond-set and gem-set versions. The strap lets the dial set the watch's character, and the colourful dials are why the reference is collected. The deep dial taxonomy that spans the President line sits on the [[Reference:1803|1803]] entry.
 ==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
-The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster of the 6-digit Day-Date, with the broader lugs of the generation, a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown and a fluted bezel. It is the same case the President-bracelet 118238 uses; the only structural difference is at the lugs, which carry a strap instead of an end-link and bracelet. Earlier sources sometimes describe the strap references as smooth-bezel watches, but the 118138 is fluted, the Day-Date signature, in line with its bracelet sibling.
+The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster of the 6-digit Day-Date, with the broader lugs of that generation, a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown, and the fluted bezel that is the Day-Date signature. It is the same case the President-bracelet 118238 uses, and the only structural difference sits at the lugs, which take a strap instead of an end link and bracelet.
 ==Strap and clasp==
-The 118138 wears an alligator leather strap with an 18k gold Crownclasp deployant, the concealed folding buckle that flips open under a crown medallion. The strap is the reason the reference exists: it makes the watch lighter and less formal than the gold-bracelet Presidents, and an owner can change it for a fresh one. The cross-family bracelet detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]]; the strap Day-Date sits apart from the President-bracelet references covered there.
+The 118138 uses an alligator leather strap with an 18k gold Crownclasp deployant. A replacement strap can change the watch’s appearance and may not preserve the original delivery configuration, so the strap and clasp should be recorded separately when examining a used example. President-bracelet hardware is covered on [[Reference:Bracelets]].
-==Special branches==
-===The 2013 colourful straps===
-Rolex launched the strap Day-Date 36 at Baselworld 2013 with a deliberately warm, colourful set of dials and matching straps, a softer register for a watch usually seen on a heavy gold bracelet. The green and cognac dials are the signature of that launch, and a green-dialled 118138 on a green strap carries a premium over the plainer colours.
-===The value entry into a gold Day-Date===
-A strap 118138 is the most affordable way into a gold Day-Date, because it leaves out the heavy gold President bracelet that makes up much of a bracelet model's price and weight. That positioning, a lighter, dressier, lower-cost gold Day-Date, is the point of the reference and the reason the strap version exists alongside the bracelet ones.
 ==Market==
-The 118138 is a liquid modern reference that trades through the dealer and certified-pre-owned market; no headline auction lots have surfaced, and the major houses handle it as immediate-sale inventory. A standard yellow-gold strap 118138 with a champagne, silver, black or Roman dial sits roughly in the low-to-mid five figures in dollars, below the President-bracelet 118238 on the strength of the missing gold bracelet, the most accessible gold Day-Date in the catalogue. The green dial and the diamond, meteorite and gem-set dials carry premiums above the standard band; the value moves with the dial.
+The source set has no headline auction result for the 118138. Dealer and certified-pre-owned listings vary with dial, condition, papers, and whether the strap and clasp are original to the watch. Those listings are useful for current availability, but they do not establish a fixed price band or a universal premium for a particular dial colour.
 == Related references ==
-* [[Reference:118235|Day-Date 118235]] — 2005–2019
+* [[Reference:118235|Day-Date 118235]]; 2005–2019
-* [[Reference:218206|Day-Date 218206]] — 2008–2015
+* [[Reference:218206|Day-Date 218206]]; 2008–2015
-* [[Reference:218238|Day-Date 218238]] — 2008–2015
+* [[Reference:218238|Day-Date 218238]]; 2008–2015
-* [[Reference:118208|Day-Date 118208]] — 2000–2019
+* [[Reference:118208|Day-Date 118208]]; 2000–2019
-* [[Reference:118238|Day-Date 118238]] — 2000–2019
+* [[Reference:118238|Day-Date 118238]]; 2000–2019
-* [[Reference:18208|Day-Date 18208]] — 1988–2000
+* [[Reference:18208|Day-Date 18208]]; 1988–2000
 See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
-==Sources==
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
+File:Ref 118138 hero.webp|Yellow-gold 118138 with cognac dial
+File:Ref 118138 green.webp|118138 white Roman dial with green strap
+</gallery>
+== Sources ==
-* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
+* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual''; Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
-* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_president-day-date-reference-118138-6c84 Sotheby's, "Rolex President Day-Date Reference 118138, 18k yellow gold with green stick dial on crocodile strap — Sotheby's", Sotheby's, 2016]
+* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_president-day-date-reference-118138-6c84 Sotheby's, "Rolex President Day-Date Reference 118138, 18k yellow gold with green stick dial on crocodile strap; Sotheby's", Sotheby's, 2016]
-* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_rolex-president-day-date-reference-118138-a-yellow-gold-diamond-and-ruby-set-automatic-wristwatch-with-day-and-date-2017-5393 Sotheby's, "Rolex President Day-Date Reference 118138, 18k yellow gold, crocodile strap — Sotheby's", Sotheby's, 2017]
+* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_rolex-president-day-date-reference-118138-a-yellow-gold-diamond-and-ruby-set-automatic-wristwatch-with-day-and-date-2017-5393 Sotheby's, "Rolex President Day-Date Reference 118138, 18k yellow gold, crocodile strap; Sotheby's", Sotheby's, 2017]
 * [https://www.petitegeneve.com/ww-en/our-stories/2018-11-12-rolex-day-date-36-ref-118138 Petite Genève editorial, "Rolex Day-Date 36 Ref. 118138", Petite Genève Petrovic, 2018]
 * [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/3155 WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 3155 (registry page)", WatchBase]
@@ Line 129: / Line 125: @@
 * [https://loupethis.com/auctions/rolex-day-date-118138-copper-dial Loupe This, "Rolex Day-Date 118138, cognac/copper dial, leather strap", Loupe This]
 * [https://www.bobswatches.com/pre-owned-rolex-day-date-118138-green-leather-strap.html Bob's Watches, "Rolex Day-Date 118138, white Roman dial on green leather strap", Bob's Watches]
+* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/day-date/those-who-shape-the-world Rolex Day-Date history]; Rolex, caliber 3155 and 3255 chronology
 [[Category:Day-Date]]
-[[Category:Working Draft]]