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Rolex Day-Date 36
Ref. 128158RBR
Sits in Rolex’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rolex watches we list, which start at £6,150.
Price range £6,150 to £125,000 across 41 Rolex watches in stock.The Day-Date's story begins in 1956, when Rolex produced the first wristwatch to spell out the day of the week in full — a detail that sounds simple and was, at the time, genuinely novel. Every reference in the line since has carried that same display, and the 128158RBR sits within that lineage in solid 18ct yellow gold, with a diamond-set bezel and Roman numeral hour markers rendered in diamonds rather than metal. What that means on the wrist is a dial with considerable depth to it: the paved numerals catch light differently from every angle, and the silver ground gives them room rather than competing with them. The bronze leather strap is an interesting editorial choice against yellow gold — warmer than black, less formal than alligator in the classic sense. The Calibre 3255 beneath the caseback is Rolex's current flagship movement, built to a chronometric standard tighter than COSC demands, with a 70-hour power reserve and a Chronergy escapement that is meaningfully more efficient than what it replaced.
- Reference
- 128158RBR
- Brand
- Rolex
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case material
- Two-tone
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Solar
- Calibre
- 3255
- Functions
- Chronograph, GMT, Day-date, Small seconds, Moonphase, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Mesh bracelet
- Strap colour
- Bronze
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf & Davis in London in 1905 with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, importing Swiss movements and casing them in England. He registered the name Rolex in 1908 — short, pronounceable in any language, and easy to fit on a dial.
Wilsdorf's conviction was that the wristwatch, then regarded as a woman's ornament and hopelessly fragile, could be made accurate and durable. He proved the first half in 1910 by obtaining the first chronometer certification for a wristwatch, and the second in 1926 with the Oyster case, sealed by a screw-down crown and caseback. Mercedes Gleitze swam the Channel wearing one in 1927, and Wilsdorf bought the front page of the Daily Mail to say so — arguably the first modern watch marketing campaign.
The Perpetual rotor followed in 1931, giving automatic winding in a form the whole industry eventually copied. The company relocated to Geneva during the First World War to escape British wartime duties.
The professional models arrived in a compressed burst in the 1950s: Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master, Milgauss, and later the Daytona. Each was built for a specific job — diving, exploration, aviation, laboratory work, racing — and each became a design template.
Wilsdorf left his shares to a private foundation on his death, so Rolex answers to no shareholders. It remains the largest producer of certified chronometers in Switzerland by a wide margin.
- 1905
- Hans Wilsdorf founds Wilsdorf & Davis in London.
- 1908
- The Rolex name is registered.
- 1926
- The Oyster case introduces genuine water resistance.
- 1931
- The Perpetual rotor brings modern automatic winding.
- 1953
- The Submariner and Explorer launch.
- 1963
- The Cosmograph Daytona arrives.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (2,731), Watches Under 37mm (1,771), Chronograph Watches (1,374), Skeleton Watches (315), Mesh Bracelet Watches (248) and GMT Watches (247).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 36mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It charges from light, and the cell behind that is designed to last a decade or more.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 36mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £79,000. There is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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