Rolex Day-Date for Sale: The President, Pre-Owned
Gold and platinum only since 1956, never steel. Three Day-Date 40s in stock right now, Everose to platinum, from $66,600.
Send us the reference, year, dial, or budget you want. Our team will check available options through our verified dealer network.
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40mm. Platinum with the line's first fluted platinum bezel, ice blue dial; in our inventory now
40mm. Yellow gold Day-Date 40, calibre 3255, 70 hour power reserve; in our inventory now
40mm. Everose gold, Rolex's in-house rose alloy; in our inventory now
36mm. Current yellow gold Day-Date 36, upgraded to calibre 3255
36mm. Six digit yellow gold President, calibre 3155, strong value against a new 40
36mm. First double quickset Day-Date, calibre 3155
36mm. Quickset date and sapphire crystal arrive, calibre 3055
36mm. Vintage pie pan dial, calibre 1555/1556, no quickset
Our Day-Date inventory currently runs from $66,600 to $88,900. The Everose 228235 sits at $66,600, the yellow gold 228238 at $67,700, and the platinum 228236 with its fluted platinum bezel and ice blue dial tops the range at $88,900. All three are Day-Date 40s with calibre 3255 inside.
Because there is no steel Day-Date, there is no cheap one, but pre-owned changes the math. A six digit 118238 or a double quickset 18238 delivers the same solid gold case and President bracelet for five figures less than a new 228238 at list, with no purchase history and no waitlist.
Every Rolex Day-Date for sale anywhere on earth is a precious metal watch. Since 1956 Rolex has cased this line exclusively in 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold and platinum, never steel, which is why the Day-Date sits at the top of the catalog and why pre-owned is the smart way in. We currently stock three Day-Date 40s, from $66,600 in our inventory.
Because a Day-Date is solid gold or platinum before it is anything else, our independent authentication review starts with the metal: hallmarks, case weight, bracelet stretch, then movement and dial. Every example we sell carries a one year warranty and ships free by insured FedEx Priority Overnight, and we buy, sell and trade Presidents daily with payment by cash, Zelle, wire or crypto.
Rolex launched the Day-Date in 1956 with references 6510 and 6511, the first waterproof, self-winding chronometer wristwatch to spell out the full day of the week in an arc at 12 o'clock. The day disc has since been offered in 26 languages, and from the first serial number to today, no Day-Date has ever left Geneva in steel.
The President bracelet, three piece semi-circular links, was created in 1956 specifically for this watch and remains reserved for the Day-Date and precious metal Datejust models. The nickname followed the wrists it landed on: Lyndon B. Johnson wore a yellow gold Day-Date in office, and Rolex leaned into the association in its 1960s advertising. Officially the President is the bracelet. The market long ago decided it is the watch.
The modern line is two sizes. The Day-Date 40 arrived in 2015 with calibre 3255, a 70 hour power reserve and Superlative Chronometer regulation to plus or minus 2 seconds per day; the Day-Date 36 received the same movement in 2019. Both are rated to 100 meters in the Oyster case. The 41mm Day-Date II of 2008 to 2015 was the line's one detour and now trades only pre-owned. That is how most Day-Dates change hands anyway: retail allocation is thin, and previous generation references sell for five figures less than a new one at list.
The Day-Date is the one watch our clients almost never buy from photos, because the metal is the whole story and photos cannot show weight. At our by-appointment offices in Brickell, Aventura and the Downtown LA Jewelry District we set the platinum 228236 next to the yellow gold 228238 so you can feel the density difference, judge the ice blue dial in real light, and settle the 36 versus 40 question on your own wrist. Bring your current President if you are trading up; we price gold and platinum trade-ins on the spot.
The Day-Date has kept the same 36mm case from 1956 to today, so the 36 suits vintage proportions and dress cuffs, while the 40 wears wider and flatter for modern taste. If the discontinued 41mm Day-Date II tempts you, try one first: its slab case wears larger than the number suggests.
An ice blue dial appears only on platinum Day-Dates, so ice blue paired with a supposedly gold case is an instant red flag. Platinum 950 is denser than 18 ct gold, and a 228236 has real extra heft over a yellow gold 228238. The fluted platinum bezel also only entered the catalog in 2022, so it should not appear on earlier references.
On a 1970s ref 1803, neither the day nor the date sets independently: you advance both by cycling the hands, which gets tedious on a watch you rotate. The 18038 added a quickset date in 1977, and only the 18238 of 1988 brought the double quickset. It is the biggest usability gap between pre-owned Day-Date generations.
Solid 18 ct gold links are soft, and decades of wear elongate the pins until a vintage President droops. Hold the bracelet vertically and look for gaps opening between links. A replacement gold President bracelet runs well into five figures, so bracelet condition moves a Day-Date's price more than it does on any steel Rolex.
We source pre-owned Rolex watches through a network of dealers we have worked with directly, not through anonymous listings.
Every watch is inspected against the reference by our independent watchmakers before it is offered to a customer.
Insured shipping with full coverage and signature on delivery, sent only after payment is cleared and the watch is approved.
Pick up in person at our New York, Los Angeles, Miami Brickell, or Aventura locations after the watch is confirmed and authenticated.
Send photos and basic details, and our team can review your watch for a potential purchase or trade-in. Trade-in credit can be applied directly toward the watch you are buying from us.
How much does a used Rolex Day-Date cost?
A pre-owned Rolex Day-Date currently runs from $66,600 to $88,900 in our inventory, covering Everose, yellow gold and platinum Day-Date 40 models. Vintage and six digit 36mm references typically cost less. Platinum always carries the largest premium.
How do you verify a pre-owned Day-Date is authentic?
Every Day-Date we sell passes an independent authentication review of the case metal, movement, dial and bracelet before it is listed. Since the line is precious metal only, we verify hallmarks and case weight first, then inspect the calibre, 3255 on current models. Day wheel printing and bezel fluting are frequent giveaways on fakes.
Why is every Rolex Day-Date for sale made of gold or platinum?
Rolex has cased the Day-Date exclusively in 18 ct gold or platinum since its 1956 launch, and no steel version has ever been produced. That policy makes it the flagship of the catalog and sets the price floor for the whole line.
What is the difference between the Day-Date 36 and the Day-Date 40?
Case size, and little else today: both run calibre 3255 with a 70 hour power reserve and 100 meters of water resistance. The 40 launched in 2015 and the 36 received the same movement in 2019. The discontinued Day-Date II measured 41mm.
Why is the Day-Date called the President?
The nickname comes from the President bracelet Rolex created for the Day-Date in 1956 and from the heads of state who wore it, most famously Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s. Rolex officially applies the name only to the bracelet, not the watch.
Where can I see a Rolex Day-Date in Miami or Los Angeles?
You can see our Day-Dates by appointment at our offices in Brickell and Aventura in Miami and in the Downtown Los Angeles Jewelry District. Book a time and we will have platinum and gold examples ready to compare side by side on the wrist.