At its launch in 1956, the Day-Date was a major innovation: it was the first calendar wristwatch to indicate, in addition to the date, the day of the week spelt out in full in a window on the dial – a technical feat at the time. Rolex’s most prestigious watch, the Day-Date has only ever been made from precious metals – 18 ct gold or 950 platinum.

THE ‘PRESIDENTS’ WATCH’
Worn by many of the world’s political figures, directors and visionaries, the Day-Date is instantly recognizable, in particular thanks to its emblematic President bracelet, whose evocative name, together with the eminent figures who have worn the timepiece, ensured it became known as the ‘presidents’ watch’.

INSTANTANEOUS DAY AND DATE
The Day-Date’s calendar displays the day of the week spelt out in full in an arc-shaped window at 12 o’clock in addition to the date in a separate window at 3 o’clock. This display relies on disc mechanisms; the day and date change simultaneously and instantaneously. The indication of the day of the week is available in a choice of 26 languages.

THE OYSTER CASE, SYMBOL OF WATERPROOFNESS
The Day-Date’s Oyster case, 36 or 40 mm in diameter and guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), is a paragon of robustness and elegance. The middle case is crafted from a solid block of 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, 18 ct Jubilee Gold or 950 platinum. The case back, edged with fine fluting, is hermetically screwed down with a special tool employed by approved watchmakers. The Twinlock winding crown, fitted with a double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. The bezel can be fluted or set with diamonds. The date display at 3 o’clock is magnified by a Cyclops lens on the crystal, which is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire and benefits from an anti-reflective coating. The waterproof Oyster case provides optimal protection for the movement it houses.

THE PRESIDENT BRACELET
Created specially for the Day-Date and unveiled in 1956 at the model’s launch, the elegant and imposing President bracelet is inherent to the standing of the watch. Immediately recognizable, this solid 18 ct gold or 950 platinum bracelet with three semi-circular links provides complete reliability and comfort.

The President bracelet is fitted with a concealed Crownclasp, developed by Rolex, which opens with a hinged Rolex crown, providing a final aesthetic and functional touch. The bracelet includes ceramic inserts – designed by the brand and patented – around the pins inside the links to help prevent premature wear and to enhance its flexibility on the wrist.

CALIBRE 3255
The Day-Date 36 and Day-Date 40 are equipped with calibre 3255, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. A distillation of technology, this movement carries a number of patents. It offers outstanding performance, particularly in terms of precision, power reserve, convenience and reliability.

Calibre 3255 incorporates the patented Chronergy escapement, made of nickel-phosphorus, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability and is resistant to strong magnetic fields.

The movement is additionally fitted with the blue Parachrom hairspring. Manufactured in a paramagnetic alloy enabling it to withstand strong magnetic fields, this hairspring also offers great stability in the face of temperature variations as well as high resistance to shocks. It is equipped with a Rolex overcoil, ensuring the calibre’s regularity in any position.

The oscillator of calibre 3255 has a large balance wheel with variable inertia regulated extremely precisely via gold Microstella nuts. It is held firmly in place by a height-adjustable traversing bridge enabling very stable positioning to increase shock resistance. The oscillator is also mounted on the Rolex-designed, high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, further enhancing the movement’s shock resistance.

Calibre 3255 is equipped with a self-winding system via a Perpetual rotor, which ensures continuous winding of the mainspring by harnessing the movements of the wrist to provide a constant source of energy. Thanks to its barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of this movement extends to approximately 70 hours.

The Day-Date’s movement is beautifully finished and decorated. Since 2023, it has also been marked with the words ‘Chronometer Perpetual’ and ‘Superlative Adjusted’ engraved on the oscillating weight and on the bridges, respectively.

THE DAY-DATE, SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFIED
Like all Rolex watches, the Day-Date is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification. Symbolized by a green seal, this in-house certification is strictly controlled by internationally recognized, independent Swiss entities. It ensures the excellent on-the-wrist performance of each of the brand’s watches and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.

In 2026, the Superlative Chronometer certification was expanded to seven testing criteria. Resistance to magnetism, reliability and durability were added to the criteria for precision, waterproofness, self-winding and autonomy, established when the certification was redefined in 2015.

The requirements in terms of precision are particularly stringent. Each Rolex movement is first officially certified as a chronometer. This means that, having passed a series of eliminating tests, it fulfils the criteria governing the ‘chronometer’ designation for wristwatches. For the category of calibres concerned, which includes all Rolex movements, the tolerated rate deviation is –4 and +6 seconds per day.

After casing the movement, the precision is then tested again, following a protocol developed by Rolex that simulates real-life wearing conditions, to meet even stricter criteria: the watch’s accuracy must be between –2 and +2 seconds per day. The rate deviation tolerated by the brand for a finished watch is therefore significantly smaller than that accepted for official certification of the movement alone.