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Rolex Day-Date

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Revision as of 19:48, 15 September 2026 by Admin (talk | contribs) (Add 19028 (Oysterquartz Day-Date pyramid Egyptian) to family table and movement progression)
A checked version of this page, approved on 15 September 2026, was based on this revision.


The Day-Date displays the day of the week in full at twelve o'clock and the date at three. Marc Huguenin's patent for the day-and-date wristwatch complication was filed 23 July 1955; Rolex debuted the watch at the Basel Fair in 1956 as the 6510. Rolex dates the President bracelet to the Day-Date launch in 1956 in its Day-Date brochure. The line has been in the catalogue continuously since 1956, with gold and platinum cases in the regular catalogue. Steel test watches need separate documentation; they do not establish a regular steel production model.

The index runs from the 6510 originals era through the 4-digit 1803 era, the 5-digit 18038 / 18028 / 18048 / 18078 cluster, and the modern 6-digit 118238 generation. Rolex's Day-Date chronology dates the Day-Date 40 and caliber 3255 to 2015; the same caliber later reached the 36mm line. Those successors fall outside this index.


Rolex Day-Date 118238 18k yellow gold champagne dial President
Day-Date 118238 with a fluted bezel, President bracelet and champagne dial.

Common entry points

Identifying the original 1956 Day-Date?
6510
The original Day-Date generation, its day-and-date mechanism and the evidence for surviving configurations.
Cross-checking the canonical 4-digit Day-Date?
1803
Eighteen-year run 1959 to 1977-78, cal 1555 then cal 1556, dial variants (Stella, Stern stone, Buckley, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma), Nasser and LBJ provenance.
Researching a modern 36mm Day-Date?
118238
Caliber 3155 with independent day and date correction, in the 36mm generation preceding the 128238.

Originals era (1956–1959)

The 6510 opens the line at Basel 1956 with the cal 1055 — Rolex's first day-and-date caliber. The 6611 follows in 1957 with the upgraded cal 1055 and Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified dial text. The cluster runs through 1959 before the 1803 takes over the 4-digit era.

Reference Production Bezel Bracelet Key distinction
6510 1956–57 smooth / domed Jubilee The original Day-Date — cal 1055, single-year run, Italian-delivered case 134,636 is the earliest documented serial.
6511 1956–57 fluted Jubilee Parallel launch with the 6510. Introduces the fluted bezel that becomes the Day-Date signature.
6611 1957–59 fluted President Upgraded cal 1055 with Microstella and SCOC dial.
6612 1957–59 smooth President Smooth-bezel sibling of the 6611.
6613 1957–59 gem-set President Factory diamond-set bezel sub-reference.
6611B 1958–59 fluted President Late variant of the 6611.
6612B 1958–59 smooth President Late variant of the 6612.

4-digit era (1959–1977/78)

The 1803 is the fluted-bezel model. Related references offer different bezel finishes and gem settings.

Reference Production Movement Bezel Key distinction
1803 1959 to 1977-78 cal 1555 → cal 1556 fluted The dial-variant-densest reference in the modern Rolex catalogue — Stella, Stern stone, Buckley Roman, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma, Khanjar, Tiffany double-signed, Nasser/Sadat provenance.
1804 1959 to 1977-78 cal 1555 / 1556 gem-set Factory diamond-set bezel in gold and platinum; the platinum Eastern-Arabic examples (Scheherazade) are among the most valuable 4-digit Day-Dates.
1806 1959 to 1977-78 cal 1555 / 1556 Florentine Florentine finish on case, bezel and lugs; often on the rare brick bracelet.
1807 1959 to 1977-78 cal 1555 / 1556 bark Full bark coverage on bezel + center links.
1811 1959 to 1977-78 cal 1555 / 1556 Morellis Morellis (moiré) finish on bezel and bracelet center links.
1831 c.1977 (special order) cal 1556 / 1566 diamond (integrated case) The platinum "Emperor" — special-order integrated-bracelet case (1530 / 1630 / Oysterquartz idiom), about eight numbered examples for the household of the Shah of Iran plus the Omani Khanjar No. 9. Not a round President.

5-digit era (1977–1988)

Sapphire crystal arrives with this generation, and caliber 3055 brings the first quickset date. The 18038 is the volume reference; its siblings differ by bezel and material.

Reference Production Material Bezel Key distinction
18038 1977–1988 18k yellow gold fluted First sapphire-crystal Day-Date. Stella third-series dials (T SWISS MADE T marking), Stern stone-dial 1980–1990 expansion, wood-burl revival, the uncatalogued Pleiade diamond-pattern sub-variant (~7,000 CHF factory surcharge).
18028 1977–1988 18k yellow gold smooth Rare smooth-bezel President — the dressy outlier; value lives in the dial (stone/Stella).
18048 1977–1988 18k yellow gold gem-set Factory diamond bezel with 44 round brilliants.
18078 1977–1988 18k yellow gold bark Bark-finish bezel and bark center links. Limited production.
18039 1977–1988 18k white gold fluted White-gold equivalent of the 18038.
18049 1977–1988 18k white gold gem-set White-gold equivalent of the 18048.
18079 1977–1988 18k white gold bark White-gold equivalent of the 18078.
18026 1977–1988 platinum smooth Extremely rare platinum 5-digit Day-Date.

Late 5-digit era (1988–2000)

Caliber 3155 introduces double quickset (day and date both indexed from the crown). The 18238 takes the 36mm Day-Date through the 1990s.

Reference Production Movement Material Key distinction
18238 1988–2000 cal 3155 18k yellow gold Double quickset on the 36mm President. Transition reference before the 118238 takes the case forward into the 6-digit era.
18239 1988–2000 cal 3155 18k white gold White-gold sibling.
18248 / 18249 1988–2000 cal 3155 bark Bark-finish (écorce) bezel and bark center links — the cal-3155 successor to the 18078. The diamond-bezel cal-3155 references are the 18348 / 18349.
18348 / 18349 1988–2000 cal 3155 diamond Factory diamond-set bezel; white gold 18349 (often Tridor), platinum 18346.
18208 / 18209 1988–2000 cal 3155 smooth Plain polished bezel, the understated outlier; the platinum smooth is the ice-blue 18206.
18078 / 18079 carryover — — — Bark-finish siblings continued from the 5-digit era.

6-digit era (2000–2019)

The 118 generation refines the case and bracelet — broader lugs, solid centre links, concealed Crownclasp. Published accounts differ on when caliber 3155 adopted Parachrom; see the movement entry. Engraved rehauts appear during this generation. The 118238 closes the 36mm Day-Date era in 2019 before the 128238 takes over with the cal 3255.

Reference Production Material Key distinction
118238 2000–2019 18k yellow gold Volume reference of the 6-digit generation. Cal 3155, fluted bezel, President. The last 36mm yellow-gold Day-Date before the 128238.
118239 2000–2019 18k white gold White-gold sibling on the President.
118208 2000–2019 18k yellow gold Smooth/domed bezel; offered on President or Oyster bracelet. The understated sleeper; value in the dial (stone dials).
118138 2013–2019 18k yellow gold Fluted bezel on a leather strap (gold deployant) — the dressiest, lightest and most affordable gold Day-Date; cognac/green dials.
118235 2005–2019 18k Everose Everose launches 2005; the 118235 carries it on the President, best known for the chocolate dial.
118205 2005–2019 18k Everose Smooth bezel + Oyster bracelet — the casual-aesthetic outlier in the President family.
118206 2000–2019 950 platinum Smooth domed bezel, President. Ice-blue dial is the platinum signature.
118138 / 118135 / 118139 2013–2019 gold Basel 2013 leather-strap subset (yellow / Everose / white).

Day-Date II (2008–2015)

The Day-Date II increased the case diameter to 41mm and ran alongside the 36mm models. Caliber 3156 scales the day-and-date module for the wider case.

Reference Production Material Notes
218238 2008–2015 18k yellow gold Day-Date II yellow gold, cal 3156, 41mm.
218239 2008–2015 18k white gold White-gold sibling.
218235 2008–2015 18k Everose Everose Day-Date II.
218206 2008–2015 950 platinum Platinum Day-Date II — the ice-blue "President's President"; smooth bezel only.

Oysterquartz Day-Date (1977–2001)

The quartz outlier: cal 5055 in the integrated-bracelet Oysterquartz case, the only quartz Day-Date Rolex built.

Reference Production Material Notes
19018 1977–2001 18k yellow gold Oysterquartz Day-Date, cal 5055, integrated Oyster bracelet.
19019 1977–2001 18k white gold White-gold Oysterquartz Day-Date.
19028 documented 1985–2001 18k yellow gold Pyramid-bezel Oysterquartz Day-Date, the "Egyptian" — same platform as the 19018/19019 with a faceted bezel and bracelet in place of the fluted finish.

Movement progression

Caliber Era Frequency Quickset Used in Notes
1055 (original) 1956–57 18,000 vph none 6510, 6511 First day-and-date caliber. Gradual changeover at midnight. No Microstella balance; no SCOC.
1055 (upgraded) 1957–59 18,000 vph none 6611, 6612, 6613, 6611B, 6612B Free-sprung Microstella balance and SCOC certification added. Same caliber number.
1555 1959 to c. 1965 18,000 vph none 1803, 1804, 1806, 1807, 1811 (early) Cal 1055-derived. Day-and-date complication carried forward.
1556 c. 1965 to 1977-78 19,800 vph none 1803, 1804, 1806, 1807, 1811 (mid-and-late) Higher frequency. Hacking seconds added 1972 (mid-production, not at caliber change).
3055 1977–1988 28,800 vph single (date only) 18038 and siblings First Day-Date with quickset. Sapphire crystal era. Day still requires running hands through midnight.
3155 1988–2019 28,800 vph double (day + date) 18238, 118238 and siblings Double quickset — both day and date indexed independently from the crown. The longest-running Day-Date caliber.
3156 2008–2015 28,800 vph double 218238 Day-Date II 41mm scaled version of the 3155.
5055 1977–2001 quartz 32,768 Hz double 19018, 19019, 19028 Oysterquartz Quartz caliber, integrated-case Oysterquartz.

Special branches

Retailer signatures, commissioned dials and documented ownership distinguish some examples from standard production.

The Omani Khanjar dials carry crossed sheathed khanjar daggers, sometimes under a kuma hat, printed in red, white, green, or gold, the Omani flag colours. They were commissioned through Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who reigned from 1970 to 2020, and they surface on the 1803 and later references, frequently alongside Asprey crossed-swords retailer marks and Khimji Ramdas (KR) Muscat distribution.

Tiffany & Co. double-signed dials ran through the late 1970s on the 1803 and into the 1980s and 1990s on subsequent references.

Auction record

Documented ownership can affect an individual result. Sotheby's New York Important Watches in December 2024 sold Gamal Abdel Nasser's 1803 for USD 840,000 against a USD 30,000–60,000 estimate: yellow gold, champagne "claw" dial with Arabic day-and-date discs, caseback engraved "Mr Anwar El Sadat 26-9-1963" for a gift from Sadat to Nasser. Sotheby's collector guide also documents Lyndon B. Johnson, the president behind the line's "President" advertising nickname from 1966 onward, along with Tom Landry, Jack Nicklaus, Chris Evert, and Andy Warhol.

Notable misattributions

The Marlon Brando "Apocalypse Now" Rolex is a GMT-Master 1675, not a Day-Date. Phillips sold it at the New York "Game Changers" auction on 10 December 2019, with the bezel removed and "M. Brando" engraved on the caseback.

The Eisenhower-and-Day-Date claim in casual press is similarly misattributed. Eisenhower's documented Rolex is a yellow-gold Datejust ref 6305, gifted to him in 1951 — five years before the Day-Date even existed.

Related families

  • Submariner — the dive line. Shares 1500-family movement architecture with the early Day-Date through the cal 1556 era; diverges at the cal 30xx generation.
  • GMT-Master — the pilot line. The 1675 carries the same cal 1575 base movement as the early Sea-Dweller and shares 1500-family lineage with the early Day-Date.
  • Bubbleback — the parent Oyster Perpetual line, source of the rotor automatic the Day-Date carries.

Shared references

Sources

Primary and specialist

Editorial and market

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