Seldom seen! The Platinum Sapphire Day-Date 228396TBR
Rolex Day-Date 40 228396TBR
The Day-Date was first released in 1956, so has been at the peak of the line-up for over 60 years. It is also known as “The President” due to two factors - 1) The bracelet is a “president” as oposed to an Oyster/Jubilee, and 2) The DD has been sitting comfortably on the wrists of presidents, politicians and the titans of industry for over half a century.
The Day-Date line, due to its heritage is always precious metal only, and this one being platinum sits at the top of the pile, which is absolute perfection for pairing with diamonds and sapphire baguettes.
Pave dials are reserved for Rolex precious metal models, as are diamond bezels, so it would make complete sense for the brand to equip what has to be their flagship piece with a double whammy.
As I concede frequently, diamonds are not everybody's cup of tea, but they are mine, particularly on precious metal Rolex as The Crown tends to know what it’s doing with these things and they’ve created a perfect pairing in my opinion.
It’s a lot, but it is never, ever, too much, except in the case of the Leopard Daytona which hovers on the brink of exuberance :D
The bezel on this one is seet with 40 trapeze cut diamonds in an invisible channel setting, they’re bright and light, but not dazzling due to the cut, which is of course by design. The pave dial, however, is a real light show.
I tried and failed to make a physical count of the diamonds that went into the dial, after 3 recounts due to interruptions from a hustle and bustle environment I gave up before the tears started, sorry guys, but there are a LOT on there.
The riot is topped off with 8 baguette cut diamond markers and 2 baguette sapphires to give a little “oomph” and contrast to the the overall effect.
It works very well.
All of Rolex gem-setting is taken care of in-house, hand set and executed to tolerances within hundredths of a millimetre. Although it’s overall effect is quite joyous to look at - setting is a very serious business indeed. Something that shines through on these watches every time you have a chance to compare “factory” to aftermarket.
This is the larger 40mm model which was launched in 2015 to appeal to those who liked their lumps just that little bit larger but still in proportion.
Modern tastes, and actually the size of human beings has increased since the 50’s so on some wrists the original 36mm piece seems a little diminutive.
The 40 fixes that if needs be.
Other specs for this reference include a length of 47.4mm, 12mm thick, 100m water resistant with a lug width of 20mm meaning that an array of straps are at your disposal should you wish to go “off bracelet” for a while - something that since Rolex have started using ceramic sleeves to protect the inner links from abrasion is entirely unnecessary but collectors do like to switch their look up every now and again.
Powering the watch is Rolex calibre 3255 which boasts a power reserve of 70 hours and accuracy of +2/-2 seconds per day. No worries there if you want to leave it off for the weekend.
In a nutshell, this is a modern and decadent take on a classic Day-Date, and while the use of stones can be a little contentious for purists, you absolutely cannot deny that there is something incredibly special about a gem-set Rolex.