If any watch can lay claim to the title of power watch, it’s the Rolex Day-Date. Launched in 1956, it quickly earned its moniker as the ‘Presidents’ Watch’, favoured by heads of state, Gulf royalty, and industry titans around the world. A triumph of horology, the Day-Date built on the legacy of the Datejust by adding a day-of-the-week display alongside the date – a deceptively simple feature that required a new COSC-certified movement and a complete rethinking of the dial.
As with all things Rolex, engineering was only half the story. Unlike the Datejust or the Oyster Perpetual, the Day-Date was conceived as one of the brand’s most exclusive models from the outset, available only in precious metals. Patents for its dual-calendar mechanism had been filed in the early 1950s, and by 1958, Rolex had refined the movement and introduced new references that would shape the model’s silhouette for decades to come. From the curved day aperture at 12 o’clock to the legendary three-link solid gold President’s bracelet, the Day-Date today remains an emblem of achievement – as recognisable in Washington as it is in Dubai.
Evolution of the “President”: Technical and Design Milestones
Though the Day-Date has stayed visually faithful to its original design, Rolex has spent decades refining what lies beneath. The early models of the 1950s and ’60s set the foundation, with 36mm Oyster cases, day and date wheels, and high-beat calibres like the 1555 and 1556. One of its most memorable chapters came in 1977, during the height of the Quartz Crisis – a time when quartz-powered pieces posed a near-existential threat to the appeal of mechanical watchmaking. Adapting to the moment, Rolex released the Oysterquartz Day-Date. Encased in angular gold and powered by a proprietary electronic quartz movement, it marked a rare but calculated nod to modernity. Fewer than 25,000 pieces were produced before the line was discontinued, making them a collector’s item today.
Throughout the 2000s, demand leaned toward larger, flashier watches – a shift best embodied by Rolex’s polarising Day-Date II. Scaled up to 41mm, the model never quite resonated with purists, many of whom preferred the slimmer, more understated proportions of earlier references. Equilibrium returned in 2015 with the launch of the Day-Date 40, which introduced one of Rolex’s most sophisticated calibres to date: the 3255. With a 70-hour power reserve, anti-magnetic Parachrom hairspring, and patented Chronergy escapement, it’s a technical showpiece cloaked in gold.
Today, the Day-Date is available in both 36mm and 40mm cases, but its central ethos remains unchanged: only in precious metals, always on the President bracelet, and unmistakably assertive. The dials span from classic champagne to meteorite, turquoise, and full diamond pavé, with the day display available in 26 international languages. Retail prices begin at AED 159,600 for the 36mm in yellow gold, rising to AED 584,500 for Everose gold with diamonds.
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Significant Examples of the Rolex Day-Date
Rolex Day‑Date ref. 1803 – The Vintage “Lyndon B. Johnson”
Of all its famous wearers, none shaped the Day‑Date’s reputation quite like President Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout his time in office, Johnson was rarely seen without his yellow gold Rolex – a dazzling ref. 1803 with a champagne dial. It became part of his signature look during speeches, meetings, and televised addresses, and he was known to gift the model to trusted allies and visiting dignitaries, transforming it into an unofficial symbol of executive favour. Rolex – master marketers as well as watchmakers – soon embraced the association, running advertisements that showcased its link to the White House. More than any other reference, the 1803 captures the Day‑Date’s golden‑age aura: mid‑century authority rendered in gold, forever tied to the man who made it presidential.
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UAE Day-Dates – “The Crown Prince” Ref. 1803 & the “Arabia” Ref. 18038
With its gleaming gold case and elegant Arabic script day wheel, the Day-Date resonates deeply with Arab royalty. In the 1960s and ’70s, Rolex produced a number of bespoke Day-Dates for the United Arab Emirates, mostly as diplomatic gifts commissioned by various Sheikhs. The rarest is “The Crown Prince”: a bespoke ref. 1803 gifted by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (then Crown Prince) to Brigadier J.T. Paley upon his relinquishment from the Abu Dhabi Defence Force. Crafted in 18-carat pink gold, the piece features a champagne dial inscribed with the Sheikh’s signature and was sold at auction by Sotheby’s in 2023. This singular Day-Date stands out for what it represents: a newly sovereign Gulf state marking a moment of trust and alliance.
Another closely linked model is the yellow gold ref. 18038 “Arabia,” produced in the early 1980s. This rare Rolex features a gilt dial stamped with the UAE’s golden falcon emblem and flag, paired with Arabic day and date wheels. While exact production numbers are unknown, both references are highly coveted among collectors in the Gulf.
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“Jack, With Love” – The Marilyn Monroe Day-Date
One of the most storied Day-Dates is also one of the most elusive. To mark President John F. Kennedy’s birthday in 1962, Marilyn Monroe gifted him a yellow gold Day-Date with “Jack, with love as always, from Marilyn” engraved on the caseback. Wary of political scandal, Kennedy was reportedly advised to dispose of the watch and was never seen wearing it. Then, in 2005, the Monroe estate brought the piece to auction, accompanied by a handwritten poem in the watchcase, where it fetched $120,000. Never worn and shrouded in salacious intrigue, it’s believed to be the first known Day-Date ever given to a U.S. President, predating Lyndon B. Johnson’s by several years. Today, it remains in the hands of a private collector.
Final Thoughts
Since its debut in 1956, the Rolex Day-Date has held an unshakable place at the apex of the watch world – as revered in the White House as in the majlis of Abu Dhabi. For many – especially in the Gulf – it’s often a collector’s first ‘serious’ watch, passed down through families or chosen to mark a personal milestone. And while Rolex continues to release new iterations and models, the Day-Date endures as a constant: powerful and utterly commanding on the wrist.
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