ROLEX DAY-DATE PRESIDENT WATCHES

A Review of the Rolex Day-Date: Info, History, Reference Numbers, and Nicknames

The quintessential status watch, the Rolex Day-Date made its debut in 1956 as the first watch to indicate the day of the week displayed in full, in addition to the date. Along with the new functions, Rolex also released a brand new style of bracelet, which they dubbed the President bracelet featuring semi-circular three-piece links. Today, the Day-Date is more commonly referred to by its famous nicknames—the Rolex President or the Presidential watch.

Always crafted in precious metals, the 36mm Oyster cases of gold President watches typically sport a fluted bezel while platinum versions have smooth ones. Of course, there are diamond bezel options too. The Rolex President has undergone several technical modifications during the course of its history. For instance, vintage Day-Date ref. 1803 watches from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s do not include the quickset feature.

In the late 1970s however, Rolex introduced the Day-Date President ref. 18038 with the single quickset date function, thereby allowing the setting of the date independently from the hour hands. In the 1980s, the Day-Date ref. 18238 models included the double quickset date feature and as a result, the setting of the day and date were now independent of the center hour hands.

Current versions of the Rolex President originally came out in 2000 with an improved bracelet and clasp. There’s the full yellow gold Day-Date 36 ref. 118238 or the Day-Date 36 ref. 118138 with the leather bracelet. Furthermore, there’s the full white gold Day-Date 36 ref. 118239 or the Day-Date 36 ref. 118239 with a leather strap. Also, there’s the full Everose gold Day-Date 36 ref. 118235 or the Day-Date ref. 118135 with a leather strap. Finally, for the ultimate Rolex President, there’s the full platinum Day-Date 36 ref. 118206 with a smooth bezel.