A pre-owned Rolex Day-Date starts higher than most people expect, because there is no steel version: the model is made only in solid gold or platinum. The honest floor in July 2026 is a vintage yellow-gold 36mm President from about £16,500. From there it climbs through modern gold at £22,000–£35,000 to platinum and diamond-set pieces at £50,000–£97,500. Those are UK dealer asking prices — wider-market figures, not Rolex retail, and not what Chrono6538 charges for an authenticated example.
The Rolex Day-Date arrived in 1956 as the first wristwatch to spell out the day of the week in full, and it has been solid precious metal ever since. Its nickname — the President — comes from the bracelet designed for it and from the American presidents who wore one; Lyndon B. Johnson is the best-documented, a yellow-gold Day-Date on his wrist in office.
What decides the price of a Day-Date?
Metal first: yellow gold and white gold sit close, Everose (Rolex’s rose gold) a little above, and platinum well clear of all of them. Then diamonds — a factory diamond dial or bezel, or a fully gem-set case, multiplies the figure. Age and reference matter too: a 1970s ref 1803 is a different watch from a current 40mm ref 228238, and the newer 40mm cases command a premium over the vintage 36mm.
How much is a pre-owned Rolex Day-Date worth? (UK asking prices, July 2026)
| Reference / era | Metal & config | Pre-owned asking (Jul 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Vintage 36mm (1803 / 18238) | Yellow gold | £16,500 – £18,950 |
| Vintage 36mm (18239) | White gold | ~£18,750 |
| Modern 36mm (118238) | Yellow gold | ~£22,500 |
| Modern 36mm (128239) | White gold | ~£33,000 |
| Everose 36mm (118235) | Rose gold | ~£35,000 |
| Everose 40mm (228235) | Rose gold | ~£49,500 |
| Diamond-bezel 36mm (118348) | White gold + diamonds | ~£32,000 |
| Diamond-set (128349RBR) | White gold + diamonds | ~£54,000 |
| Vintage platinum (18958) | Platinum + diamonds | ~£59,950 |
| Platinum 40mm (228236) | Platinum, ice-blue dial | ~£65,000 |
| Full gem-set (128396TBR) | Yellow gold + diamonds | ~£97,500 |
Asking prices from UK dealers, July 2026, indicative guide ranges rather than sold figures.
What is the cheapest Rolex Day-Date?
A vintage yellow-gold 36mm President — ref 1803 or 18238 — from around £16,500, typically with signs of wear and often box-only or no papers. There is genuinely no sub-£15,000 Day-Date, because you are always buying solid 18ct gold. Genuine 26mm and 29mm ladies’ Presidents from earlier decades appear too, usually at the lower, vintage end of the gold market, though they trade thinly and come and go from dealer stock.
Which Day-Dates cost the most?
Platinum and diamonds. The platinum Day-Date 40 (ref 228236) with the pale ice-blue dial reserved for platinum asks around £65,000; gem-set pieces such as the white-gold 128349RBR (~£54,000) and the fully diamond-set yellow-gold 128396TBR (~£97,500) sit at the top. Vintage platinum with diamonds, like the ref 18958, holds close to £60,000.
Has the Day-Date held its value?
The Day-Date has a floor most watches never get: the metal. Because every example is solid gold or platinum, its worst-case value is underpinned by bullion, and the desirable references have held or gained on the pre-owned market in recent years. That said, gem-set and precious-metal watches carry wider spreads than steel sports models, and values can fall as well as rise — this is a description of how the model has behaved, not investment advice.
Buying a pre-owned Day-Date
Check that the dial, bezel and any diamonds are factory rather than aftermarket — gem-setting done outside Rolex sharply changes both value and desirability — and that the President bracelet is correct and not overly stretched. The prices above are open-market floors, not Chrono6538’s prices: Chrono6538 sells authenticated, checked watches at a premium to the bare private-market figure.
See pre-owned Rolex at Chrono6538 →
Last updated: 26 July 2026. UK market asking prices, indicative guide ranges, not sold figures.