The Day-Date launched in 1956 as the ref. 6510 and was the first wristwatch in history to display both the day of the week (spelled out in full at 12 o'clock) and the date (in a window at 3 o'clock), all chronometer-certified, automatic, and waterproof in a single Oyster Perpetual case. Rolex paired the launch reference with a new bracelet design, the three-piece semi-circular link bracelet that came to be known as the President bracelet (though Rolex itself did not formally adopt the "President" name until later). The combination of the bracelet, the spelled-out day, the gold case, and the chronometer specification placed the watch above the contemporary Datejust as the brand's flagship dress reference.
A core Rolex policy from launch was that the Day-Date would only ever be produced in precious metals: 18k yellow gold, white gold, platinum, and from 2005 also Rolex's proprietary 18k Everose rose-gold alloy. There has never been a steel Day-Date in regular catalogue production, and Rolex has stated this is a permanent positioning decision. The day window at 12 has been available in 26 languages at various times, including Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Russian, and many others; some are now collector's items because particular language versions were short-run.
Through the long ref. 1803 production (1959-1977), the ref. 18038 (1977-89, sapphire crystal and quickset date), and the ref. 18238 / 18238 (1988-2000, Cal. 3155 with quickset day and date), the Day-Date kept a 36mm case as its only size. The ref. 118238 (2000-2015) modernised the bracelet construction. Then in 2015 Rolex launched the Day-Date 40 ref. 228238, the first 40mm Day-Date and the introduction of the new-generation Cal. 3255 with Chronergy escapement, blue Parachrom hairspring, 70-hour power reserve, and ±2 sec/day Superlative Chronometer accuracy.
The President nickname came from a 1965 American advertising campaign that called the Day-Date "the watch they wear" alongside the photo of an American president, not from any formal Rolex naming. Lyndon Johnson, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan, and almost every American president of the past sixty years has worn a Day-Date at some point in office. The watch has equally strong associations with the corporate boardroom and with the modern hip-hop and motorsport scenes (Jay-Z, Drake, John Mayer, and Lewis Hamilton are all photographed in Day-Dates). The current 36mm Day-Date and the Day-Date 40 anchor the top of Rolex's catalogue, with retail prices from approximately USD 38,000 (yellow gold 36mm) to USD 75,000+ (platinum 40mm with diamond-set bezel).
