Tap the image to enlarge
Rolex Day-Date 40
Ref. 228238
Sits in Rolex’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rolex watches we list, which start at £5,355.
Price range £5,355 to £125,000 across 74 Rolex watches in stock.The Day-Date has been the watch Rolex reserves for heads of state and those they consider peers since its introduction in 1956 — the first wristwatch to spell out the day of the week in full. The 228238 arrived in 2015 to replace the larger Day-Date II, and the change was deliberate: shorter lugs, slimmer case walls, proportions that actually fit a broader range of wrists without surrendering any of the presence the model has always carried. At 40mm it sits exactly where the design wants to be. The Calibre 3255 inside is Rolex's most developed movement, certified to hold -2/+2 seconds per day and carrying a Parachrom hairspring that resists magnetic interference and absorbs shock far better than conventional alloys. Seventy hours of power reserve means a watch left off on Friday morning is still running Monday. The green dial reads differently in different light — flatter in shade, distinctly alive when the gold case catches the sun around it — and the Chromalight lume on the indices means it remains legible well after dark. The Crownclasp is worth knowing about: it conceals the folding mechanism entirely behind a polished Rolex crown, opening by lifting that overlay rather than by pressing a conventional button. The result is an unbroken bracelet profile from any angle, which on a watch this considered is not a minor thing.
- Reference
- 228238
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Day-Date 40
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 12mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 3255
- Functions
- Day-date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Gold
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
- 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 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,528), Stainless Steel Watches (3,001), Automatic Watches (1,693), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (344), Watch Price Drops (314) and Grey Dial Watches (236).
Temporarily out of stock
Goldsmiths is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 21 October 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 47mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 70-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
Price history
This watch is currently at its lowest recorded price. It reached £47,950 on 8 September. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.
Rolex Day-Date 40 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification |  228238 | 26120ST.OO.1220ST.03 | 5235G-001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £40,150 | £39,950 | £36,950 |
| Case size | 40mm | 39mm | 40.5mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 38 hours | 48 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.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow 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?
21mm. 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 47mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Has the price changed recently?
It's currently at its lowest recorded price since we began tracking it. It's ranged between £40,150 and £47,950, today it's £40,150.
More Rolex watches like the Day-Date 40
In stock, and close on style and price
