Reference:218238 - Revision history

Admin: Hero canonical layout — match 14270: hero floats right before ==Core facts==, 250px

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Hero canonical layout — match 14270: hero floats right before ==Core facts==, 250px

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:23, 24 May 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''218238'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''218238'''</small>

	~~[[File:Ref~~ 218238 ~~hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|360px\|alt=Rolex~~ Day-Date II ~~218238 — 41mm 18k yellow gold President~~, cal 3156. ~~2010 UK~~-~~retailed example, Watch Club London~~. ~~Image via Monochrome~~.~~\|Rolex~~ Day-Date II ~~218238~~ — 41mm ~~18k yellow gold President, cal 3156. 2010 UK~~-~~retailed example, Watch Club London. Image via Monochrome~~.]]		The 218238 is the Day-Date II. Production runs seven years, 2008 through 2015, on the cal 3156 — a cal 3155 scaled up with a 2.5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm Oyster case envelope that the reference introduced. The 5mm case jump from 36mm to 41mm is the single largest dimensional change in the Day-Date line since the 6510 launched in 1956. Same fluted bezel on yellow gold. Same hidden Crownclasp on a President bracelet scaled to 41mm. The Day-Date II is also the shortest-run Day-Date reference in the modern era and the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced — by Baselworld 2015 the Day-Date 40 (228xxx) had taken its slot at 40mm, splitting the difference between the 36mm classic and the 41mm Day-Date II.

	~~The~~ 218238 ~~is the~~ Day-Date II~~. Production runs seven years, 2008 through 2015~~, ~~on the~~ cal 3156 ~~— a cal 3155 scaled up with a 2~~.~~5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm Oyster case envelope that the reference introduced~~. ~~The 5mm case jump from 36mm to 41mm is the single largest dimensional change in the~~ Day-Date ~~line since the 6510 launched in 1956. Same fluted bezel on~~ yellow gold~~. Same hidden Crownclasp on a~~ President ~~bracelet scaled to 41mm~~. ~~The Day~~-~~Date II is also the shortest-run Day-Date reference in the modern era and the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced — by Baselworld 2015 the Day-Date 40 (228xxx) had taken its slot at 40mm~~, ~~splitting the difference between the 36mm classic and the 41mm Day-Date II~~.		[[File:Ref 218238 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Day-Date II 218238 — 41mm 18k yellow gold President, cal 3156. 2010 UK-retailed example, Watch Club London. Image via Monochrome.\|Rolex Day-Date II 218238 — 41mm 18k yellow gold President, cal 3156. 2010 UK-retailed example, Watch Club London. Image via Monochrome.]]

	==Core facts==		==Core facts==

Admin: Strip buyer-guide sections — drop the "Where the 2026 market sits" + "What to check when buying one" verbose buyer-oriented blocks; return to encyclopedia voice

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Strip buyer-guide sections — drop the "Where the 2026 market sits" + "What to check when buying one" verbose buyer-oriented blocks; return to encyclopedia voice

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 [[File:Ref 218238 hero.webp|thumb|right|360px|alt=Rolex Day-Date II 218238 — 41mm 18k yellow gold President, cal 3156. 2010 UK-retailed example, Watch Club London. Image via Monochrome.|Rolex Day-Date II 218238 — 41mm 18k yellow gold President, cal 3156. 2010 UK-retailed example, Watch Club London. Image via Monochrome.]]
 The 218238 is the Day-Date II. Production runs seven years, 2008 through 2015, on the cal 3156 — a cal 3155 scaled up with a 2.5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm Oyster case envelope that the reference introduced. The 5mm case jump from 36mm to 41mm is the single largest dimensional change in the Day-Date line since the 6510 launched in 1956. Same fluted bezel on yellow gold. Same hidden Crownclasp on a President bracelet scaled to 41mm. The Day-Date II is also the shortest-run Day-Date reference in the modern era and the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced — by Baselworld 2015 the Day-Date 40 (228xxx) had taken its slot at 40mm, splitting the difference between the 36mm classic and the 41mm Day-Date II.
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 * '''c. 2012''' — Sultan of Oman Royal Khanjar 218206 platinum commission. Caseback engraved with the Royal Khanjar crest.
 * '''2015''' — Baselworld discontinuation. Day-Date 40 (228xxx) launches at 40mm and replaces both the Day-Date II 41mm and continues the 36mm 118238 line until that line's own discontinuation in 2019.
 ==Sources==
@@ Line 254: / Line 235: @@
 * [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1556 Watchbase editorial, "Rolex Caliber 1556 — Watchbase", Watchbase]
 * [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=11327271 Rolex Forums community, "Rolex Forums — 1803 Owners and Enablers Thread", Rolex Forums]
 [[Category:Day-Date]]
 [[Category:References]]

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Add hero image — Monochrome image, captioned with attribution

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:06, 24 May 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''218238'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''218238'''</small>

			[[File:Ref 218238 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|360px\|alt=Rolex Day-Date II 218238 — 41mm 18k yellow gold President, cal 3156. 2010 UK-retailed example, Watch Club London. Image via Monochrome.\|Rolex Day-Date II 218238 — 41mm 18k yellow gold President, cal 3156. 2010 UK-retailed example, Watch Club London. Image via Monochrome.]]


	The 218238 is the Day-Date II. Production runs seven years, 2008 through 2015, on the cal 3156 — a cal 3155 scaled up with a 2.5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm Oyster case envelope that the reference introduced. The 5mm case jump from 36mm to 41mm is the single largest dimensional change in the Day-Date line since the 6510 launched in 1956. Same fluted bezel on yellow gold. Same hidden Crownclasp on a President bracelet scaled to 41mm. The Day-Date II is also the shortest-run Day-Date reference in the modern era and the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced — by Baselworld 2015 the Day-Date 40 (228xxx) had taken its slot at 40mm, splitting the difference between the 36mm classic and the 41mm Day-Date II.		The 218238 is the Day-Date II. Production runs seven years, 2008 through 2015, on the cal 3156 — a cal 3155 scaled up with a 2.5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm Oyster case envelope that the reference introduced. The 5mm case jump from 36mm to 41mm is the single largest dimensional change in the Day-Date line since the 6510 launched in 1956. Same fluted bezel on yellow gold. Same hidden Crownclasp on a President bracelet scaled to 41mm. The Day-Date II is also the shortest-run Day-Date reference in the modern era and the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced — by Baselworld 2015 the Day-Date 40 (228xxx) had taken its slot at 40mm, splitting the difference between the 36mm classic and the 41mm Day-Date II.

Admin: Add buyer-checklist + 2026 market-pulse closer; split Sources into Primary/Editorial

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Add buyer-checklist + 2026 market-pulse closer; split Sources into Primary/Editorial

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:02, 24 May 2026
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	* '''c. 2012''' — Sultan of Oman Royal Khanjar 218206 platinum commission. Caseback engraved with the Royal Khanjar crest.		* '''c. 2012''' — Sultan of Oman Royal Khanjar 218206 platinum commission. Caseback engraved with the Royal Khanjar crest.
	* '''2015''' — Baselworld discontinuation. Day-Date 40 (228xxx) launches at 40mm and replaces both the Day-Date II 41mm and continues the 36mm 118238 line until that line's own discontinuation in 2019.		* '''2015''' — Baselworld discontinuation. Day-Date 40 (228xxx) launches at 40mm and replaces both the Day-Date II 41mm and continues the 36mm 118238 line until that line's own discontinuation in 2019.

			==Where the 2026 market sits==

			The 218238 market in 2025-2026 reflects its discontinued-only-41mm-Day-Date framing. Yellow gold 218238 trades USD 27,000 to 55,000 depending on dial and provenance; aggregated dealer data places average asking at approximately USD 38,000. Champagne Roman volume dials sit at the lower end; chocolate-Roman Everose 218235 (USD 37,000 to 46,000-plus) carries the cleanest premium of the Roman-dial siblings. Platinum 218206 occupies USD 50,000 to 90,000 with the ice-blue dial commanding the top of the band — the platinum-exclusive ice-blue is the production-signature spec the entire 218 generation is photographed against. Factory diamond-bezel 218348 (yellow) and 218349 (white gold) routinely cross USD 80,000. The standout auction tier sits on commissioned platinum — the Sultan of Oman Royal Khanjar 218206 platinum with Arabic day-and-date discs and Royal Khanjar caseback engraving (Sotheby's Origins 2025 + GE2504 Important Watches Part I) and the parallel Bonhams production-spec 218206 lots. The Day-Date 40 (228238) successor appreciated approximately 30 percent over the last five years per aggregated dealer-market data, and the 218238 tracked that arc on the discontinued-supply premium. The 218238 reads less as a "value" reference now than as a future-classic candidate — the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced, seven-year window, the bridge between the 36mm 118238 era and the 40mm Day-Date 40 era.

			==What to check when buying one==

			* '''Cal 3156 with double quickset.''' Day and date both advance independently via the crown. The 3156 architecture is the cal 3155 scaled up — 2.5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm envelope per Watch-Wiki. First Day-Date movement to ship with Parachrom Blu hairspring AND Paraflex anti-shock from launch (both retrofits into earlier 3155s were partial and serial-dependent). A 218238 claimed without Parachrom Blu or without Paraflex has either a movement issue or a misidentified caliber.
			* '''41mm case, 21mm lug width, 49mm lug-to-lug.''' The 218238 is the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced. The 36mm and 40mm Day-Date sizes both use different lug-link geometries and bracelet end-links. A 218238 case with 20mm or 22mm lug width is wrong; the Super President bracelet is 21mm-specific.
			* '''Bezel matches the catalogue: fluted (218238/218239/218235), smooth domed (218206 platinum), factory diamond (218348/218349).''' Aftermarket gem-setting on a 218238 is identifiable through stone-cut and prong-style inconsistencies against the factory 218348 reference standard.
			* '''Serial location matches the 2010 rollover.''' Pre-2010 examples (the 218238 launched 2008 deep in the G-serial era) carry sequential G-prefix serials engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock with the rehaut showing only the ROLEX-ROLEX-ROLEX laser engraving introduced in 2005. Post-2010 examples carry random scrambled 8-character alphanumeric serials on the engraved rehaut and no lug-side engraving. A 218238 with scrambled rehaut serial AND between-the-lugs engraving is wrong both ways.
			* '''Coronet engraved at the 6 o'clock rehaut on post-2010 examples.''' Standard alongside the scrambled serial. Pre-2010 G-serial examples don't carry the coronet at the rehaut — that arrives with the random-serial rollover.
			* '''Cyclops on gold variants, no Cyclops on platinum 218206.''' The platinum no-Cyclops convention carries forward from the broader Rolex platinum aesthetic. A gold 218238 / 218239 / 218235 without a Cyclops over the date is a service replacement of the crystal. A platinum 218206 with a Cyclops is similarly wrong.
			* '''Sub-reference numbering — 218238 yellow / 218239 white / 218235 Everose / 218206 platinum / 218348 yellow diamond bezel / 218349 white diamond bezel.''' There is no 218389 Tridor — Rolex discontinued the Tridor around 2000 with the 18239B closeout, and the modern numbering scheme (last digit indicating metal) doesn't support a 218389 slot. There is no 218339 — the white-gold diamond-bezel reference is the 218349. Dealer listings of these are typos.
			* '''Platinum ice-blue dial is the 218206 signature.''' Three forms: Roman (-0043), Arabic (-0010), diamond Roman (-0052). Plus the platinum-only configurations in black Arabic, black diamond, silver diamond, white Roman. Ice blue on a non-platinum 218xxx case is wrong — the ice blue is Rolex-platinum-exclusive across the catalogue.
			* '''Meteorite 218239 listings need primary-catalogue verification.''' Dealer pages tagging "218239 meteorite" haven't produced a factory-catalogued example in the auction record or WatchBase index. Available evidence places meteorite on the 228239-0055 Day-Date 40 baguette configuration rather than the 218 generation. Treat dealer-listed 218239 meteorite as pending verification.
			* '''Super President 41mm bracelet, hidden Crownclasp.''' Rolex scaled the three-piece President geometry up to 41mm; concealed Crownclasp continues from the 118238 generation. End-link and link parts are interchangeable across 218238 / 218348 and the 228238 successor per Rolex parts catalogue listings.
			* '''Inside-caseback "218238" reference stamp.''' Factory-standard across the generation. A 218238 case with a non-matching reference stamp is a re-case flag.

	==Sources==		==Sources==

			===Primary and specialist===

	* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra		* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
	* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]		* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
			* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
			* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date/ ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015-05]

			===Editorial and market===

	* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]		* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
	* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/quickset-vintage-day-date-models.html Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches]		* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/quickset-vintage-day-date-models.html Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches]
	* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1556 Watchbase editorial, "Rolex Caliber 1556 — Watchbase", Watchbase]		* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1556 Watchbase editorial, "Rolex Caliber 1556 — Watchbase", Watchbase]
	* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date/ ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015-05]
	* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=11327271 Rolex Forums community, "Rolex Forums — 1803 Owners and Enablers Thread", Rolex Forums]		* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=11327271 Rolex Forums community, "Rolex Forums — 1803 Owners and Enablers Thread", Rolex Forums]


	[[Category:Day-Date]]		[[Category:Day-Date]]
	[[Category:References]]		[[Category:References]]

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 The 218238 is the Day-Date II. Production runs seven years, 2008 through 2015, on the cal 3156 — a cal 3155 scaled up with a 2.5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm Oyster case envelope that the reference introduced. The 5mm case jump from 36mm to 41mm is the single largest dimensional change in the Day-Date line since the 6510 launched in 1956. Same fluted bezel on yellow gold. Same hidden Crownclasp on a President bracelet scaled to 41mm. The Day-Date II is also the shortest-run Day-Date reference in the modern era and the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced — by Baselworld 2015 the Day-Date 40 (228xxx) had taken its slot at 40mm, splitting the difference between the 36mm classic and the 41mm Day-Date II.
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 [[Category:Day-Date]]
 [[Category:References]]

Admin: Import reference 218238 article

2026-05-24T20:49:51Z

Import reference 218238 article

New page

The 218238 is the Day-Date II. Production runs seven years, 2008 through 2015, on the cal 3156 — a cal 3155 scaled up with a 2.5mm wider main plate to fit the 41mm Oyster case envelope that the reference introduced. The 5mm case jump from 36mm to 41mm is the single largest dimensional change in the Day-Date line since the 6510 launched in 1956. Same fluted bezel on yellow gold. Same hidden Crownclasp on a President bracelet scaled to 41mm. The Day-Date II is also the shortest-run Day-Date reference in the modern era and the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced — by Baselworld 2015 the Day-Date 40 (228xxx) had taken its slot at 40mm, splitting the difference between the 36mm classic and the 41mm Day-Date II.

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 218238
|-
| family
| Day-Date
|-
| production
| 2008 to 2015, seven years
|-
| run length
| shortest-run modern Day-Date
|-
| movement
| caliber 3156, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, ~48h power reserve, double quickset, COSC chronometer
|-
| case
| 41mm 18k yellow gold Oyster — only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever made
|-
| crystal
| sapphire
|-
| bezel
| fluted on yellow gold; smooth domed on platinum 218206; factory diamond on 218348 / 218349
|-
| crown
| Twinlock screw-down
|-
| bracelet
| 41mm Super President with concealed Crownclasp
|-
| sister refs
| 218239 white gold / 218235 Everose / 218206 platinum / 218348 + 218349 factory diamond bezel
|-
| dial codes documented
| 17 across the family (WatchBase)
|-
| predecessor
| 118238
|-
| successor
| 228238 Day-Date 40 (Baselworld 2015)
|-
| launch retail (yellow gold base)
| USD 27,650 (2008)
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 218238 is the 41mm experiment in the Day-Date line. Rolex's late-2000s response to the broader luxury-watch shift toward larger dress watches — every brand from Patek to Audemars Piguet to Vacheron pushed dress watches past the 38mm ceiling that had defined the category through the 1990s. The Day-Date II launched at Basel 2008 alongside the Datejust II as a coordinated 41mm-plus pairing. The Datejust II ran longer; the Day-Date II discontinued after seven years and Rolex split the difference with the 40mm Day-Date 40 (228xxx) from 2015.

The 218238 is the only 41mm Day-Date Rolex has ever produced. Every Day-Date before and after sits at either 36mm (1803 through 118238 era, then 128238 from 2019) or 40mm (228 series from 2015). The 5mm case jump and the seven-year run combine to make the 218238 the most divisive Day-Date in the modern catalogue — early-launch press read the proportions as overstated ("chunky", "bezel conspicuously wider than before"); the post-discontinuation collector market read the proportions as distinctive and the 218238 as a future-classic candidate.

Caliber-wise the 218238 sits on the '''cal 3156''' — the cal 3155 architecture scaled up. Watchbase lists a 28.50mm base plate; Watch-Wiki cites a 2.5mm wider main plate than the 3155, giving a 30.97mm overall main-plate dimension — the architectural reason the movement was created. The 3156 was also the first Day-Date movement to ship with both the Parachrom Blu hairspring (rolled out across Rolex from approximately 2005 but only universal on Day-Date from the 218238) and the Paraflex anti-shock system. The successor cal 3255 on the Day-Date 40 jumps the power reserve to approximately 70 hours across 14 patents.

==Sub-reference table==

The 218 generation splits across four metals plus two factory-diamond-bezel siblings:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! ref
! material
! bezel
! bracelet
! dial focus
|-
| 218238
| 18k yellow gold
| fluted
| Super President
| champagne / white / black Roman; champagne with diamond markers
|-
| 218239
| 18k white gold
| fluted
| Super President
| chocolate Roman; white Roman; silver diamond
|-
| 218235
| 18k Everose
| fluted
| Super President
| chocolate Roman; ivory Roman; black Roman; pink diamond
|-
| 218206
| 950 platinum
| smooth domed (platinum signature)
| Super President
| ice blue Roman / ice blue Arabic / ice blue diamond Roman; silver diamond; black Arabic; black diamond; white Roman
|-
| 218348
| 18k yellow gold
| factory diamond
| Super President
| champagne diamond; baguette diamond; black Arabic wave dial
|-
| 218349
| 18k white gold
| factory diamond
| Super President
| silver diamond/sapphire; black diamond; black Arabic concentric circle diamond
|}

Seventeen distinct dial codes are documented across the family in the WatchBase reference database, the most exhaustive specific-dial roster surfaced for the 218 generation.

There is no '''218389 Tridor''' in the catalogue. Rolex discontinued the Tridor (tri-tone gold President) around 2000 with the 18239B closeout; no Tridor 218xxx surfaces in WatchBase, dealer archives, or the auction record. The modern-reference numbering scheme (last digit indicating metal: 8 yellow, 9 white, 5 Everose, 6 platinum) doesn't support a 218389 slot either.

There is no '''218339''' white-gold-diamond reference. The diamond-bezel white-gold 218xxx is the '''218349'''. Dealer listings mentioning "218339" are typos for 218239 or 218349.

==Movement notes==

Caliber 3156.

Specifications:

* 28.50mm base plate / 30.97mm overall (per Watch-Wiki — 2.5mm wider than cal 3155)
* 31 jewels
* 28,800 vph / 4 Hz
* Approximately 48-hour power reserve
* Double quickset (day and date both advance independently via the crown)
* Hacking seconds
* Glucydur balance with Microstella weight screws
* '''Parachrom Blu hairspring''' — the first Day-Date movement to ship Parachrom from launch
* '''Paraflex anti-shock''' — first Day-Date with Paraflex
* COSC chronometer certified (pre-2015 standard ±4 / +6 seconds per day; the post-2015 Superlative Chronometer ±2 spec arrives on the 228xxx successor)

The 3156 retired in 2015/2016 with the Day-Date II discontinuation. The Day-Date 40 successor stepped to the cal 3255 — 14 patents, 70-hour power reserve, Chronergy escapement, Superlative Chronometer ±2-seconds-per-day certification. The cal 3156 is the bridge between the 3155 architecture (118238 era) and the cal 3255 modern era.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==

===Case===

41mm Oyster, 21mm lug width, 49mm lug-to-lug. Thickness reports range 11.9mm to 13mm — case-only at the midcase versus over the caseback boss. Water resistance 100m. Total weight on the 18k yellow gold 218238 head plus full President bracelet approximately 220g per documented dealer listings. Platinum 218206 weighs materially more — the platinum head and bracelet drive the weight roughly 30 percent higher than gold variants.

The 218238 case wears thicker than the 36mm 118238 sibling. The contemporaneous press reads the proportions as substantial — aBlogtoWatch's launch coverage put it cleanly: "At 41mm wide it wears large given the wide lug structures and relatively wide bracelets… the under-part of the case is quite flat, and the case is relatively long, and it isn't less comfortable than the 36mm wide version, but it simply doesn't wear as snugly on the wrist." Beckertime is harsher: "the bezel itself, now conspicuously wider than before, as were the lugs. It left the piece as a whole looking a little…chunky." The Day-Date 40 successor at 228xxx corrected the chunkiness — slimmer lugs, thinner bezel, more aligned with the 36mm visual language.

Coronet engraved at the 6 o'clock rehaut alongside the scrambled serial on post-2010 examples; older late-G-serial examples carry the rehaut "ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX" laser engraving introduced in 2005. The 218238 production straddles the 2010 random-serial transition — late-G-serial examples (the watch launched in 2008, deep in the G-serial era) and random-serial post-2010 examples both surface in the secondary market.

===Bezel — four variants===

The 218 generation runs four factory bezel configurations:

* '''Fluted''' — on yellow gold (218238), white gold (218239), and Everose (218235). The default Day-Date bezel since the 1803 era.
* '''Smooth domed''' — on platinum 218206. Rolex's traditional platinum format and a strong identifier from across the room. The 218206 is the only 218 production-volume reference to wear the smooth-domed bezel.
* '''Factory diamond''' — on 218348 (yellow gold) and 218349 (white gold). Round-brilliant diamonds set into the bezel ring.
* The Datejust II's range of fluted-with-aftermarket-diamond, etc., does not apply to the 218238; aftermarket gem-setting on a 218238 is collector-identifiable through stone-cut and prong-style inconsistencies vs the factory.

===Crystal===

Sapphire continues from the 118238 generation. The 218238 wears a flat sapphire crystal, no Cyclops on platinum (the platinum convention) but Cyclops on the gold variants over the date window at 3.

===Crown===

Twinlock screw-down. The 218238 keeps the older Twinlock architecture; the Triplock crown does not arrive on a 41mm dress reference until later in the modern catalogue.

==Bracelet==

41mm Super President. Rolex scaled the three-piece President geometry up to match the 41mm head — five-link semi-circular construction in solid 18k gold, brushed center with polished bevels on later production. Some sources call the configuration the "Super President" specifically to distinguish it from the 36mm President of the 118238 generation, but the official Rolex documentation uses just "President" with 41mm fitment specification.

Hidden '''Crownclasp''' continues the 118238's concealed-folding convention. The Rolex coronet appears on the closed clasp cover; no visible mechanism on the closed bracelet.

End-link and link parts are interchangeable across 218238 / 218348 and the 228238 successor per Rolex parts catalogue listings — the President link geometry stayed constant across the late-218 and early-228 production cycle even as the case diameter shifted from 41mm to 40mm.

==Dial variants==

Champagne Roman is the production-volume dial in the 218238 yellow gold — the default configuration dealers stock and the dial collectors think of when picturing the reference. White Roman and black Roman round out the standard yellow gold trio.

'''Chocolate dial with Roman markers''' is the signature dial for the Everose 218235 (-0035) and white gold 218239 (-0040) — a 218xxx-era introduction that became a Day-Date marker. Chocolate paired with diamond markers on Everose pushes well past the base price.

'''Platinum 218206 ice blue.''' The ice-blue dial is platinum-exclusive across the entire Rolex catalogue — a signature Rolex reserves for solid platinum, not a 218xxx invention but cemented here. On the 218206 the ice blue appears in three forms: Roman (-0043), Arabic (-0010), and diamond Roman (-0052). The concentric-circle / "Glacier" reading on the periphery, with darker-blue Roman numerals and matched hands, is the most-photographed configuration. Platinum also offered black Arabic (-0003), black diamond (-0020), silver diamond (-0009), and white Roman (-0053).

'''Meteorite dial — open question.''' Dealer pages tagging "218239 meteorite" haven't produced a factory-catalogued example surfacing in the auction record or WatchBase index. The evidence suggests meteorite arrived with the 228239-0055 Day-Date 40 baguette configuration rather than the 218xxx generation. Marking as an open question pending a primary Rolex catalogue check.

'''Factory pavé''' in the 218 line surfaces under 218206-0052 (platinum diamond Roman) and 218235-0008 (Everose pink diamond). The factory-set ruby-and-diamond baguette champagne dial 218238 is one of the rarest configurations — pricing in the high USD 50,000 range against USD 30,000-39,000 for the standard yellow gold 218238.

'''Factory diamond hour markers''' — both the 218348 (yellow gold) and 218349 (white gold) carry factory diamond bezels with corresponding diamond-set dials. Production volume on the diamond-bezel siblings is small relative to the standard fluted-bezel references; surfaced examples trade above USD 80,000.

==Auction record==

The standout 218 generation auction lot is the '''Day-Date II Royal Khanjar reference 218206''' — a platinum diamond-set example with Arabic day-and-date discs commissioned for the Sultan of Oman around 2012, caseback engraved with the Royal Khanjar crest. Sotheby's catalogued the lot in their 2025 Origins sale and in Important Watches Part I (GE2504). Bonhams has separately catalogued and sold a production-spec 218206 platinum c. 2010. Phillips coverage of the reference is thinner — Day-Date II auction interest concentrates on the special-order and commissioned platinum examples rather than gold production lots, which trade primarily through dealers and Chrono24.

Market bands, 2025-2026:

* '''Yellow gold 218238''' — USD 27,000 to 55,000 depending on dial and provenance; average asking price approximately USD 38,000 (aggregated dealer-market data).
* '''Everose 218235''' — USD 37,000 to 46,000+ depending on dial. Chocolate dial commands a premium over ivory and black.
* '''Platinum 218206''' — USD 50,000 to 90,000. The ice blue dial commands the top of the band.
* '''Factory diamond-bezel 218348 / 218349''' — routinely crosses USD 80,000.

The 218 generation has appreciated steadily post-discontinuation. The Day-Date 40 successor (228238) appreciated approximately 30 percent over the last five years per aggregated dealer-market data, and the 218238 tracked that arc on the discontinued-supply premium. The 218238 reads less as a "value" reference now than as a future-classic candidate with the discontinued-only-41mm-Day-Date framing.

==Production timeline==

* '''2008''' — Baselworld launch alongside Datejust II. USD 27,650 MSRP base yellow gold. USD 30,150 with 8 round + 2 baguette diamond dial.
* '''2010''' — Rolex's random scrambled serial system rolls out catalogue-wide. The 218238 production straddles the rollover. G-serial late examples and random-serial post-2010 examples both surface in the secondary market through approximately 2012.
* '''c. 2012''' — Sultan of Oman Royal Khanjar 218206 platinum commission. Caseback engraved with the Royal Khanjar crest.
* '''2015''' — Baselworld discontinuation. Day-Date 40 (228xxx) launches at 40mm and replaces both the Day-Date II 41mm and continues the 36mm 118238 line until that line's own discontinuation in 2019.

==Sources==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/quickset-vintage-day-date-models.html Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1556 Watchbase editorial, "Rolex Caliber 1556 — Watchbase", Watchbase]
* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date/ ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015-05]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=11327271 Rolex Forums community, "Rolex Forums — 1803 Owners and Enablers Thread", Rolex Forums]

[[Category:Day-Date]]
[[Category:working-draft]]
[[Category:References]]