Rolex Day-Date Reference Numbers Explained

To understand the reference numbers for the modern Rolex Day-Date, we need to first understand the watch itself. Solely produced in precious metals such as gold and platinum, primarily with the President bracelent and commonly featuring a fluted bezel, the Day-Date is a watch that commands attention.

Note: This Rolex reference number guide explains the modern Day-Date models. If you're interested in the vintage (pre 1980s) Day-Date models, you can read more here (coming soon).

Brief History

• Introduced in 1956.
• Known as the "President's Watch."
• First wristwatch to display both the date and the day of the week spelled out in full.

Model Identification

The initial digits in the reference number of a Rolex Day-Date indicate the model family, era and the features of the watch.

The length of the reference number can give you insight to the era of the watch.

• 182
  • Late 1970s - 1990s (5 digits).
  • Sapphire crystal.
  • Caliber 3055 movement, with quickset date.
• 1182
  • 1990s - 2018 (6 digits).
  • Solid-link bracelets.
  • Caliber 3155 movement, double quickset day and date..
• 2182
  • 2008 - 2015 (6 digits).
  • Day-Date II.
  • 41mm case size.
  • Caliber 3255 movement.
• 2282
  • 2015 - Present (6 digits).
  • Debut of 40mm case size.
  • Caliber 3255 movement.
• 1282
  • Most recent version: 2019 - Present (6 digits).
  • Subtle design changes.
  • Caliber 3255 movement.

Note: Both the 182xx and 1182xx series overlap in the 90s.

Vintage Day-Dates only have 4 digits and determine the remaining digits differently to the modern models. You can learn more here (coming soon).

Bezel Type

A simple one next with only 3 variations found in modern Day-Dates.

The second-to-last digit in the reference number indicates the bezel type as follows:

• Fluted Bezel (indicated by digit 3)
  • Most common type found on Day-Date models.
  • Traditionally exclusive to gold models, however, in 2022 Rolex introduced a platinum version with a fluted bezel.
• Smooth/Domed Bezel (indicated by digit 0)
  • Primarily found on platinum models.
• Gem Set Bezel (indicated by digit 6)
  • Bezels set with diamonds or other precious stones such as sapphires, rubies or emeralds.
  • Meticulously cut diamonds of the highest colour grades (D to G) and highest clarity grades (IF or VVS).

Material Composition

As aforementioned, the Day-Date is exclusively produced in precious metals and this material composition impacts the final digit of the reference number.

The possible material compositions and their associated reference number digits are as follows:

• 18K Yellow Gold (indicated by a last digit of 8)
• 18K White Gold (last digit of 9)
• 18K Everose (rose) Gold (last digit of 5)
• 950 Platinum (last digit of 6)

Such materials contribute to the overall value of the watch giving it a heavy weight that you won't find in a stainless steel watch.

Not sure what Everose gold is? Learn more here (coming soon).

If you're interested in learning more about the purity of the precious metals used as well as the other material compositions such as stainless steel or two tone steel/gold combinations found in other Rolex models like the Submariner or Daytona, you can read more here (coming soon).

Putting It All Together

That's it! You can now identify the reference number of a Rolex Day-Date.

Just 3 main things to look out for:

• The model family.
• The bezel type.
• The material composition.

Why not test what you've learned? Take the Rolex Day-Date quiz here.

Many variations of other aspects of the Day-Date exist, such as the bracelet and dial.

Let's take a look at some of the variations.

Popular Dials for Modern Day-Date Models

• Classic Dials
  • Champagne Dial: A timeless golden tone seen across all precious metals, especially yellow gold. Available in all series. See the champagne dial above, reference 128238.
  • Silver Dial: Clean and versatile, commonly paired with platinum or white gold.
  • Black Dial: A bold and sophisticated choice. Stands out. See below, reference 228235.
  • White Dial: Minimalist and classic, usually with Roman numerals or baton markers.



• Specialty Dials
  • Ice Blue Dial: Exclusive to platinum models across modern series.
  • Olive Green Dial: Found on modern Everose gold and yellow gold models.
  • Sundust Dial: A soft rose-gold hue, primarily paired with Everose gold.
  • Chocolate Dial: Rich brown hue, often paired with Everose gold.
• Decorative Dials
  • Mother-of-Pearl (MOP) Dial: Unique, iridescent dials often paired with diamond markers.
  • Meteorite Dial: Rare, natural meteorite dials, especially paired with platinum.
  • Gem-Set Dials:
    • Diamond Pavé Dial: Fully covered with diamonds for maximum brilliance.
    • Diamond Hour Markers: Champagne, black, ice blue, or other dials with diamond-set hour markers.
    • Baguette Diamond Marker Dial: Baguette-cut diamonds used for hour markers on classic or specialty dials.

Dial Key Highlights

• Ice Blue Dials: Platinum exclusive.
• Olive Green Dials: Popular in Everose gold and yellow gold models.
• Meteorite Dials: Found on platinum or white gold models.

Other Notable Variations

Whilst the majority of Day-Date models come with the president bracelet, Rolex sometimes offer it with other bracelets.

• Oyster: Commonly found on Rolex Submariner models.
• Pearlmaster: Typically found on Rolex Pearlmaster watches, but it was also used on some special edition Day-Date "Masterpiece" watches in the early 2000s
• Leather: Now discontinued, Rolex offered an aligator skin bracelet option for the Day-Date.

Day-Date models are also available in other languages than English on the day display. See some examples of this below.

Rolex Day-Date Unique References and Their Features

There are exceptions to these rules... This makes it a little more complicated.

To truly become a Rolex Day-Date expert, you need to understand these exceptions.

• 228349
  • Material: 18k White Gold
  • Features: Fluted bezel, often includes a diamond-set bezel or special dials with gemstone hour markers.
• 228396TBR
  • Material: Platinum
  • Features: Diamond-set bezel, often combined with diamond hour markers or special dials.
• 228345RBR
  • Material: 18k Everose Gold
  • Features: Fluted bezel with diamond-set detailing, including the bezel.
• 128348RBR
  • Material: 18k Yellow Gold
  • Features: Diamond-set bezel, often matched with diamond hour markers or a specific decorative dial.
• 228398TBR
  • Material: 18k Yellow Gold
  • Features: Diamond bezel and sometimes diamond hour markers or a specialty dial.
• 128395RBR
  • Material: 18k White Gold
  • Features: Includes diamond-set bezels and hour markers, and may have special gem-set dials.