The Rolex Day-Date 36 reference 128238-0133 is a prestigious luxury timepiece featuring a 36mm case crafted from solid 18k yellow gold. This model is distinguished by its sunray champagne dial, which is adorned with eight baguette-cut diamonds and two baguette-cut rubies at the 6 and 9 o’clock positions. The watch is equipped with a signature 18k yellow gold fluted bezel and is paired with a unique version of the President bracelet that features diamond-set center links and a concealed folding Crownclasp. Its Oyster architecture includes a monobloc middle case, a screw-down case back, and a Twinlock double waterproofness system, ensuring water resistance to 100 meters.
Powering the timepiece is the in-house Calibre 3255, a self-winding mechanical movement that offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve. The movement includes a paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring and high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers for enhanced durability. Its complications feature central hours, minutes, and seconds, along with an instantaneous day display at 12 o’clock and a date window at 3 o’clock, the latter of which is magnified by a Cyclops lens on the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The watch also provides a double quickset function for rapid adjustment of the day and date, as well as a stop-seconds feature for precise time setting.
General reviews of this reference emphasize its blend of traditional Day-Date aesthetics with high-jewelry elements. Collectors frequently praise the caliber 3255 for its significant efficiency gains over the previous generation, particularly the extended power reserve and the precision of -2/+2 seconds per day. The inclusion of ceramic inserts within the bracelet links is often cited as a major technical improvement that prevents long-term “stretch” and ensures the bracelet maintains its integrity over decades. While its 36mm size is lauded for its classic proportions and comfort on various wrist sizes, some reviewers note that the combination of a fluted bezel and diamond-set links makes it a highly conspicuous and specialized choice compared to standard configurations.