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Rolex Day-Date 36
Ref. 128159RBR
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 has been the house's formal dress watch since 1956, reserved from the beginning for heads of state and figures who wore a watch as a mark of office rather than utility. This reference continues that lineage in its most jewelled form: the bezel and lugs set with factory diamonds in 18-carat white gold, the dial in pavé with applied Roman numerals, and no luminous markers at all — a deliberate choice that tells you exactly where this watch expects to be worn. On the wrist it sits closer and lighter than the metal-bracelet versions of the same watch, the alligator strap conforming to the wrist in a way a President bracelet cannot. The Calibre 3255 inside holds fourteen patents and is rated to ±2 seconds a day, with a 70-hour reserve — movements at this level tend to outlast their owners, and Rolex built it knowing the case it was going into.
- Reference
- 128159RBR
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Day-Date
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 3255
- Functions
- Day-date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 70 hours
- 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 5 collections
This watch appears in Watches Under 37mm (1,771), Automatic Watches (1,699), Leather Strap Watches (1,083), Dress Watches (548) and Solid Gold Watches (138).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 36mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 70-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Rolex Day-Date 36 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 128159RBR | GC8.0-RG-06 | pfc912-1020001-100182 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £99,950 | £76,920 | £62,800 |
| Case size | 36mm | 39mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | — | 60 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
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 is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 70 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £99,950. 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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