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Rolex Day-Date 36
Ref. 128236
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 arrived in 1956 as the first watch to show both the date and the full day of the week, and Rolex built it exclusively in precious metals from the start — a restriction that holds today. What makes the 128236 a landmark within the lineage is that it pairs a 950 platinum case with a fluted platinum bezel, something that was not possible for most of the model's history because platinum resists machining in ways that gold does not. That engineering problem has now been solved, and the result is the first fluted bezel the Day-Date has ever worn in platinum. The ice-blue dial is not a colour option open to any other material in the Rolex range; it appears only on platinum, which gives this configuration its own internal logic. Platinum is dramatically denser than gold, and at 36mm the watch sits with a weight on the wrist that is immediately noticeable — more than the case dimensions would lead you to expect. The President bracelet and concealed Crownclasp are sized by removing individual screw-in links, which keeps the underside of the bracelet clean. The Calibre 3255 runs to tolerances Rolex certifies beyond the official chronometer standard, and its 70-hour reserve means a watch set down on a Friday returns to the wrist on Monday without needing to be reset.
- Reference
- 128236
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Day-Date 36
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case thickness
- 12.1mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 3255
- Functions
- Day-date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44mm
- 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 4 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,355), Watches Under 37mm (1,771), Automatic Watches (1,699) and Blue Dial Watches (913).
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
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 | 128236 | GC8.0-SQ-A-00 | pfc804-1020004-100182 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £51,950 | £55,680 | £32,300 |
| Case size | 36mm | 39mm | 36mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 50 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.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 44mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
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 £51,950. 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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