The Rolex Day Date and Its Rivals: A Guide to Similar Luxury Watches
The Rolex Day Date has an enormous amount of history which has elevated this watch onto the wrists of presidents, world leaders, sports superstars and business moguls. The Day Date has been spotted in recent years adorning the wrist of ex-President Trump during one of his frequent trips to the golf course, sporting a 36mm yellow gold model (ref 18038). The Dalai Lama has also been known to favour the same reference, but opting for a blue dial symbolising heaven and earth, whilst Warren Buffett is also known to be a fan of the (18038), he has been seen discussing his latest Berkshire Hathaway acquisition with a Platinum Day Date as his timepiece of choice (ref 18238).
Whilst there are multiple variations of the Day Date and its sister watch the Rolex Datejust, with the former embellishing wrists for an impressive 68 years since its inception back in 1956, the yellow-gold Day Date has stood the test of time and is now widely considered to be one of the top quintessential dress watches. The Day Date has always been one of Rolex’s core products that protected them from the quartz crisis during the 70’s and 80’s and is now synonymous with wealthy, high-flying decision-makers. However, it would be easy to assume that the only company they keep is old men and cigars, but Day Date (ref 128238) showcased during the Watches and Wonders 2023 exhibited a jigsaw ‘puzzle’ dial. This demonstrated Rolex’s ability to be more of a, dare I say it… fun brand with a standalone model within a largely unchanged lineup.
Personally, when considering my favourite models, I’d have to include the Rolex Chocolate Day Date (ref 228235) or the Olive-Green Day Date (ref 228239). They both possess uniquely coloured dials that are coupled with the notorious Rolex presidential bracelet. I believe this is because the famous gold-faced Day Date sinks into the full gold case.
The Rolex Day Date usually lands into someone’s luxury watch collection in one of three ways: as a gift to mark an achievement, commemorating a life event or by way of inheritance. It is only right to celebrate success with the purchase of a luxury watch, as a cursory glance towards the wrist can evoke an emotional reaction that takes us back to that special day. There’s no shying away from the fact that the Day Date, or any Rolex, is an expensive, hard-to-obtain watch that we may not be willing to wait to battle with other relatives for when the time comes. The good news? The luxury watch market has come a long way from the Rolex crown.
Alternatives to the Rolex Day Date
Here are alternatives to the Rolex Day Date at a variety of price points that may well just scratch that presidential itch, without requiring deep pockets.
Our criteria for the Day Date alternative? Not necessarily direct rivals, but all alternatives must somehow display the day & date, and most importantly, the watches below must have a design philosophy to stand the tests of time, covering all bases from the boardroom to the stands of Wimbledon.
Tudor Royal Date+Day – 41mm
We don’t need to stray too far from the Hans Wilsdorf foundation. Until recently, Tudor has always been in the shadows of Rolex. Many watch enthusiasts refer to Tudor as the ‘little brother’, ‘the poor man’s Rolex’ or the ‘the rose in the Rolex crown’… but frankly it’s anything but.
The Tudor Royal flies under the radar compared to the other heavy hitters within the Tudor lineup. The Black Bay and its many variations may steal the limelight, picking up customers who cannot obtain the favoured Submariner, GMT or Explorer 2, but the Royal’s namesake speaks volumes.
The current Tudor Royal is essentially the Tudor Date+Day; the vice president you could say. The Royal line features an integrated bracelet, roman numeral indices, and is readily available from Tudor Authorised Dealers (ADs) for under £2,500. The Tudor Royal is available in various sizes, ranging from 28mm up to 41mm.
My favourite is the 41mm deep blue dial (ref M28600-0005), or if the budget is slightly lower, a lightly used silver dial produced in 2022 can be purchased for under £1,700 from reputable platforms like Chrono24.
TAG Heuer Carrera Day Date – 41mm
The third option and a £38,000 price difference from the Moser, will be instantly recognisable from the windows of Beaverbrook’s or Goldsmiths here in the UK. TAG Heuer is a household name where they often are purchased as a gift or personal reward and become the first watch to kick off a collection.
I am not saying this is anywhere near the same prestige as a Day Date, or hand finished to the nearest micron, but the TAG Heuer Carrera 41mm Day Date model is a sleeper in their vast range. The Carrera leans more towards a sporty, highly polished offering compared to the typical dress watch we are aiming for. However, the TAG Carrera keeps it simple with a striking brushed blue sunray dial and a slender case profile which would fit under the cuff, or not be out of place with a t-shirt. At £3,100 new and readily available, or a plethora of second-hand options for well under £1,500, you will not have a hard time finding one that suits your style.
Breitling Transocean Day & Date – 43mm
The current Breitling watch catalogue is huge. If you think of a colour, case material or specific design you would be hard pressed to not find something that doesn’t fit the bill. However, the current range does not have many relatable alternatives to the Rolex Day Date, so we need to look back into the past to find a hidden gem. With that, we open the doors to the Transocean range. Not well known and possibly overly simple in comparison to the Breitling Avenger, Navitimer or Super Oceans, but nonetheless a watch that will catch many eyes and be followed by “I never knew they did that”. The Transocean range was Breitling’s way of getting a slice of the dress watch market back in the 50’s, when air travel and global transportation was gearing up and businesses were becoming more connected. Although the range comes and goes, I believe this makes a great alterative to the Day Date and at a tiny price point in comparison. The elegance and discreetness will exude class and help remember what day of the week it is after a few too many negronis the night before.
We have spotted a lovely example from 2019, over on Subdial which has a clean, minimalist white face with a familiar day/date indicator positioned at 12 and 3 o’clock.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface – 49.4mm x 29.9mm
My final option on the Rolex Day Date alternative… a Jaeger-LeCoultre. How to pronounce you ask? – ‘zhey ZHER leh KOOLT’, but with a French je ne sais quoi. Whilst this brand might sound pretentious (and I bet you’ve repeated it several times already), JLC is steeped in a rich history of luxury watch making. We will save the full back story for another day, but since the early 1900s, the self-proclaimed (and rightly so) masters of complications have released a vast amount of different watch styles… and have over 50 unique calibres for the reverso alone. There are two dials that I feel satisfy the requirements and are viable alternatives to the Day Date 36mm, or even the larger Day Date 44mm,
My wildcard, the JLC Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar pink gold (ref Q3912530)
One watch, two faces, endless options. My first precious metal choice on the list, and one that is going to challenge your perception of a gold watch and take your mind away from your grandads old Rolex that has become a family heirloom. Picture this: pink gold, white linen shirt and a glass of Pimm’s. Summer? Completed.
This number really does pack a punch with a 49.4mm x 29.9mm 18-Karat pink gold rectangle case. The rectangle case design brings this into a wearable, dress watch esque package without the non-existent lugs hanging over your wrist.
Whilst the design is synonymous with JLC, this exact reference takes sophistication to the next level. The first watch face has all the mechanical goods to ogle over. Day? Tick. Month? Tick. Date? Tick. Moon phase? Why not. This is where the Reverso name demonstrates its two birds one stone approach, flip it over for watch face two. This keeps it simple with a day or night indicator, time only display over the top of a contrasting slate dial. Coming in at a punchy £27,500, the celebration better be worth it.
As you can see, I haven’t even scratched the surface of watches that display day and date functions to the wearer. This list could be vast and touch upon cheaper watches such as vintage Seiko 5s for well under £200, to the ultra-luxury hand crafted options covering horological complex perpetual calendars such as the A. Lange & Sohne Langematik perpetual calendar in 18-carat white gold. Whilst these Rolex Day Date rivals are more long-lost siblings who derive from a shared idea, they are worthy of consideration to anyone looking for a past, current or future classic.
One final realisation after compiling this list, is that none of the Day Date rivals match the quality of the Rolex presidential bracelet. You can find a myriad of alternative watches that satisfy the brief, but there is little on the market that can match the Rolex, three semi-circular linked bracelet that ensures comfort and reliability to the wearer.
