Rolex's flagship Day-Date is under the spotlight with its eye-catching model Day-Date 40 Ref. 228235 Chocolate Dial, which combines timeless design with modern times at its best with its 40 mm case diameter.
I guess anyone interested in watches at a certain level knows about a thing or two about the Rolex Day-Date. The model, which became famous on the wrist of US President Lyndon B. Johnson, and was nicknamed "President", has been continuing its life as the flagship of Rolex since 1956.
Day-Date, which continued to evolve without moving away from the original design like many Rolex models, cannot remain indifferent to the meaningless “Oversized Watch” trend that has brought with the new millennium. A new model family designed with a diameter of 41mm, the Day-Date II (along with its younger brother Date-Just) became available. Realizing the mistake they made with Day-Date II, which was a terrible design with both its case thickness and its extremely disproportionately arranged Fluted bezel, Rolex introduced the new Day-Date 40 at the 2015 Baselworld fair. Despite being 1mm wider than its cousin on steroids, the Day-Date 40 made us forget the disgrace of the Day-Date II and turned out to be an excellent alternative with its thinner case, redesigned Fluted bezel, and stylish bracelet, for the watch enthusiasts who find the 36mm too small.
After this short, subjective but fair introduction, we continue towards our model: Rolex Day-Date 40 Ref. 228235 Chocolate Dial.
Our followers who read my articles and know the watches that I share on my social media account from time to time will remember, I think the most suitable size for the Day-Date is 36mm, and the material that best represents the model is the classic 18K Yellow Gold. However, the Rolex Day-Date model family is also available with other material options such as 18K Everose (Rolex's name given to the pink gold alloy), 18K White Gold, and Platinum. Well, Day-Date is NOT available in stainless steel! And I hope it never will as it wouldn’t be nice to hear stainless steel-obsessed Purist whine about a spectacular model like the Day-Date.
The model I opted for the review is made of Everose material, an 18K rose gold alloy produced by the brand in its own rolling mill. Everose is distinguished from the standard rose gold alloys you see on the market with its copper tone, which is very evident.
Classic yellow gold is in demand more than any other tone in almost every aspect of the luxury industry. At the end of the day, we are talking about a color that has existed in this world for 4.5 Billion Years, after all. However, it is a fact that rose gold has also become popular in the watch industry, especially in the last 15 years. Many brands include this metal in their collections. This pinkish tone, which is more quickly adopted by female users, is slowly but surely strengthening its place among men's watches as well.
The white gold and platinum, on the other hand, offer a more modest and under-the-radar image with their similarity to stainless steel. Although Rolex distinguishes watches from stainless steel versions by applying exclusive dial tones especially for platinum models, many people, including watch lovers, who do not know the brand, do not notice the difference.
Now let's get to the design details that bring the Day-Date 40 closer to perfection. The stylish watch comes in a case with a diameter of 40mm and a height of 47.4mm. With its 12mm thickness, the case approaches the concept of the golden ratio and offers an exceptionally comfortable use on the wrist. The new bracelet, which is integrated with the case with much more refined engineering compared to the Day-Date II, perfectly balances the weight of 18K solid gold.
Of course, one of the most crucial features of the Day-Date 40 is the Fluted bezel, which has been redesigned exclusively for the model. The bezel, which was almost ruined by enlarging the size of serrations and reducing the number of serrations in the Day-Date II model, returns to its old glorious days with the Day-Date 40.
The case has a sapphire crystal with a cyclops over the date display on the front, and a flat cover, which we are familiar with from many Rolex models, on the back. The sporty yet elegant case is waterproof up to 100 meters, as evidenced by the double-dot embossed crown. In other words, with the Rolex Day-Date 40, you can do many activities that require average water resistance with peace of mind.
Let's get to the dial. The stylish model comes with a brown dial that successfully complements the Everose gold tone. The dial tone, which entered the brand's unofficial terminology with the nickname "Chocolate", offers a simple but far from a monotonous image with its gingham patterned background. Sporting applique indices and baton hands, the dial features a day indicator at 12 o'clock and a date indicator at 3 o'clock. Here is something I would like to add as an editor's comment; Especially in vintage models, the day and date discs were prepared in a tone compatible with the dial color. In other words, if there was a champagne-colored dial, the date disc would be arranged in a color compatible with this tone. However, in current models, this situation has left its place to discs with white backgrounds. It surely has a significant impact on readability, but how about the visual integrity and elegance?
The Rolex Day-Date 40 model family is powered by the Caliber 3255 movement. Equipped with the day and date displays that change rapidly at 0:00, the new generation automatic movement offers a power reserve of 70 hours when fully wound. The C.O.S.C certified movement impresses with its superior timing accuracy and super-quiet rotor.
Of course, when it comes to a Day-Date watch, it is unthinkable not to mention the President bracelet. The bracelet, which is associated with the Rolex Day-Date with its iconic design, offers both perfect integration and superior wrist comfort with the newly designed end links. The bracelet, which successfully complements the 21mm lug width and the 40mm case visually, deserves all the praise as the perfect combination of elegance and comfort.
Regardless of the changing dynamics of time, Day-Date remains one of Rolex's most important product groups. The Rolex Day-Date 40 Ref. 228235 Chocolate Dial continues to offer the most prestigious form of displaying time.
