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Rolex Day-Date 40
Ref. 228239
Sits in Rolex’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rolex watches we list, which start at £5,350.
Price range £5,350 to £125,000 across 64 Rolex watches in stock.The Day-Date has been the house's flagship since 1956, the first wristwatch to show the day spelled out in full, and it has never been offered in anything less than precious metal. The 40mm generation arrived in 2015, replacing the short-lived 41mm Day-Date II with a case whose refined lugs wear proportionately across a wider range of wrists — the difference in how it sits is more noticeable than the single millimetre suggests. The movement inside is the 3255, Rolex's most accomplished calibre, carrying a Chronergy escapement and Parachrom hairspring in a configuration certified to ±2 seconds per day after casing. The 70-hour reserve means a watch taken off on Friday evening is still running Monday morning. The President bracelet, a three-piece semi-circular link design available only on this model, uses internal ceramic inserts in the links to resist the gradual stretch that afflicts most metal bracelets over years of wear; the Crownclasp, released by a hinged lever, disappears entirely into the underside. The green dial on this reference uses baton indexes, which means it carries Chromalight lume — a blue-emitting compound that outlasts conventional luminous material considerably in darkness. A Day-Date with Roman numerals or diamond markers foregoes that entirely, so the choice of dial here is also a choice about legibility at night.
- Reference
- 228239
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Day-Date
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 12mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- 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
- 47.4mm
- 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 the Rolex Day-Date range (9), Stainless Steel Watches (3,382), Automatic Watches (1,742) and Green Dial Watches (444).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm 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 40 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 228239 | 81015-32-001-32A | GC39-TNPS-LSEN-RSDP-RE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £44,950 | £42,500 | £41,040 |
| Case size | 40mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Ceramic bracelet | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 54 hours | 50 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 47.4mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £44,950, against £48,950 at Goldsmiths. Two UK retailers stock this reference new.
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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