The Rolex brand has always been synonymous with luxury and prestige, and the Rolex Day-Date 40 is one of the Rolex models that completely embodies this reputation. While it might not be as generally famous as the Rolex Submariner or even the similar DateJust, the Day-Date 40 is popular enough to be considered one of the brand’s most prestigious watches.
In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to call the Rolex Day Date the most prestigious watch in Rolex’s catalog. After all, the watch has been nicknamed the “Presidential watch” because of its close association with American Presidents and other world leaders back in the 1960s and 70s.
The Rolex Day-Date 40 wasn’t yet in production at the time, but this model can be considered the modern representative of a vastly prestigious brand. Today, the Day-Date 40 is still one of the most iconic Rolex watches, an unmistakable symbol of prestige and status. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most impressive attributes of the Presidential watch that contribute to its reputation as a serious luxury timepiece.
The Rolex Day Date collection is commonly referred to as the “Rolex President” or simply the “President”. It’s hard to tell when this timepiece became known by this name or whether the nickname refers to the watch or the unique bracelet that comes with it. What’s certain, however, is the watch’s association with prestige and power.
The watch was dubbed the “presidents’ watch” because more presidents and world leaders have worn it than any of the other Rolex watches. Most notably, US President Lyndon B Johnson wore a yellow gold Day-Date wristwatch back in 1965 during his time as president.
Other US presidents that may have worn a version of the day-date Rolex wristwatch at some point in the past include Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bill Clinton, Vice President Dick Cheney, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Jackson, and the Dali Lama of Tibet. It really doesn’t get any more prestigious than being associated with some of the most powerful men in history. The Rolex company has leaned into this largely accidental reputation, officially referencing the collection as the President’s Watch in a 1966 advertisement.
From the onset, Rolex’s plan with the Day-Date was to create a watch that perfectly merged functionality with prestigious elegance. The Rolex Day-Date has achieved this goal successfully, combining core horological utility with showiness in the best way possible. It’s the type of watch that does a good job of calling and holding people’s attention while also delivering effectively in terms of long-term value and functionality.
While being associated with renowned world leaders is the Day-Date Rolex’s claim to fame, Rolex has continued to invest efforts in making the collection more presidential over time. The entire collection has been upgraded and updated so many times over the past few decades with the goal of making this line of watches more durable, reliable, and comfortable. This has allowed the Day-Date to live up to its reputation as a symbol of class and prestige.
Instead of relying heavily on the watch’s rich heritage to keep it relevant, Rolex has continued to improve on it. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the Day-Date 40, which is the latest generation of this prestigious collection, is the best Rolex Day-Date ever produced. It is the first first Day-Date wristwatch to benefit from more modern case production, leading to better quality, and finishing overall.
The collection was only available as a 36mm timepiece in the past. Then Rolex introduced the 41mm version and finally, the 40mm, which has ended up being the collection’s most refined and best proportioned to date. The latest model also includes a range of important upgrades such as the upgraded movement designed to meet the highest standards possible in terms of durability and reliability.
Rolex itself has not officially renamed the Day Date timepiece as the “President”. However, the bracelet style associated with this collection is officially known as the President Bracelet and is an integral part of what gives this watch its prestigious identity.
The “President bracelet” is almost entirely exclusive to Rolex Day-Date watches. We say almost exclusively because a few Datejust models (notably those with gold casing) can be paired with president-style bracelets. Aside from this, the Day-Date 40 is the only watch model with this unique bracelet style, which bestows some level of exclusivity and prestige on the collection.
The unique bracelet comes with a three-link design with heavily rounded links. The center links are highly polished, while the outer links have a brushed look, which gives the watch a classic, rugged look instead of looking too glossy. This dampened shiny effect on the bracelets creates a sharp contrast with the fluted golden bezel and other reflective parts of this watch, giving the watch and
The Day-Date 40 only comes in four material varieties and they’re all precious metals. They include yellow gold, rose gold, white gold and platinum. Unlike other Rolex watch models, there is no steel version of this watch. The impressive use of precious metals is one of the factors that adds to the prestige of this watch while also boosting its durability.
The white gold variant is made from a palladium-gold mix, while the platinum version is made from a platinum 950 alloy, which consists of 95% platinum and 5% ruthenium. The added ruthenium gives the platinum casing a shinier appearance.
But what makes this watch truly special isn’t just the fact that it is made from Precious metals. It also offers the best value compared to other precious metal watches from other brands. While you might be able to get cheaper all-gold or platinum watches, few of them will ever be as nice as the Day-Date 40.
On the flip side, even more expensive precious metal watches from other brands aren’t necessarily better than the Day-Date 40 in terms of their overall quality, durability and value on the secondary market. This means the roughly $35,000 you’ll be spending on a Rolex Day-Date 40 as its retail price is money well spent in the long run.
The Day-Date 40 is one of two size varieties made by Rolex for this watch collection. However, most buyers would consider the 40mm more ideal as a men’s watch compared to the older 36mm. Introduced in 2015, the larger size of the Day-Date 40 makes it perfect for men, especially those with big wrists.
While the 36mm version isn’t necessarily too small, and it’s still in active production, the 40mm is ideal, especially for a showy watch like the Day Date. The watch goes perfectly with a suit, but you could also pull it off with any dress attire if you want.
Beyond the diameter, other dimensions of this timepiece are perfect as well. The Day-Date 40 is 40mm wide and 12mm thick, and the bracelet is about 21mm wide, tapering elegantly, with a perfect finish that ensures it fits perfectly on the wrist.
The Day-Date is one of the most recognizable Rolex watches, and that’s a good thing in terms of symbol and prestige. The unique design of this watch makes it unmistakable even to the untrained eyes of an amateur watch lover. The fact that people can easily tell it's a Presidential watch gives it even more value than some of the most expensive wristwatches out there.
The authentic value also makes this watch harder to replicate for counterfeiters. Rolex has invested efforts into the overall quality and finishing of this watch to ensure each piece is one of a kind. Many subtle elements are difficult to copy such as the repeating “Rolex” name etched into the inner metal flange ring around the dial. By making the watch so authentic and difficult to replicate, Rolex has ensured the preservation of the Rolex Day Date 40 as one of the most prestigious watches you could ever buy.
If there’s any doubt that the Day-Date 40 is a serious watch, the functional complication that comes with it is all the proof you need to tell you otherwise. When this collection was introduced in 1956, it was the very first watch to display the day of the week in full on the dial in addition to the regular date display. This day's display was spelled out in full and available in 26 different languages.
Rolex added this feature to appeal to active business people who would find knowing the exact day of the week useful. That’s another way of saying that Datejust 40 was built for important people with serious daily obligations.
While the importance of this complication has diminished over the years thanks to technology, Rolex has preserved this functionality and even updated them with more modern alternatives in the latest models, such as John Mayer’s New Emoji Rolex. The "Day-Date '' complication captures the essence of this remarkable timepiece, making it a practical and highly functional timepiece with real-life applications.
The Rolex Day Date 40 Presidential Watch is one of the most iconic Rolex watches ever made. This model and the entire Day-Date collection have grown to become a symbol of status and achievement thanks to its rich heritage and association with world leaders in the past. However, its popularity as a status symbol today can also be attributed to Rolex’s dedication to retaining the model’s prestigious identity through quality craftsmanship and dedication to precision engineering.