The Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 in platinum with a bright black dial, diamond-set bezel and a President bracelet.

Gem-setters, like sculptors, finely carve the precious metal to hand-shape the seat in which each gemstone will be perfectly lodged. With the art and craft of a jeweller, the stone is placed and meticulously aligned with the others, then firmly secured in its gold or platinum setting. Besides the intrinsic quality of the stones, several other criteria contribute to the beauty of Rolex gem-setting: the precise alignment of the height of the gems, their orientation and position, the regularity, strength and proportions of the setting as well as the intricate finishing of the metalwork. A sparkling symphony to enhance the watch and enchant the wearer.

The sunray finish creates delicate light reflections on many dials in the Oyster Perpetual collection. It is obtained using masterful brushing techniques that create grooves running outwards from the centre of the dial. Light is diffused consistently along each engraving, creating a characteristic subtle glow that moves depending on the position of the wrist. Once the sunray finish has been completed, the dial colour is applied using Physical Vapour Deposition or electroplating. A light coat of varnish gives the dial its final look.

Rare and precious, platinum is striking for its silvery whiteness and vibrant luminosity. It is among the densest and heaviest metals in the world, distinguished by unique chemical and physical properties such as exceptional corrosion resistance. Paradoxically, it is also soft, elastic and highly malleable, which makes machining and polishing especially difficult, demanding an extremely high degree of skill. Rolex always uses 950 platinum, an alloy consisting of 950‰ (thousandths) platinum, painstakingly crafted in-house by the fine metalworkers at Rolex. The noblest of metals for the finest of watches.

The design, development and production of Rolex bracelets and clasps, as well as the stringent tests they face, involve advanced high technology. And, as with all the components of the watch, aesthetic controls by the human eye guarantee impeccable beauty. The President bracelet, with its semi-circular three piece links, was created in 1956 for the launch of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date. It represents the ultimate in refinement and comfort and is always made of carefully selected precious metals.

Initially presented in 1956, the Day-Date was a world first. The first watch to indicate the day of the week spelt out in full. Worn by many world leaders, the Day-Date is available with a bespoke day display in a wide choice of languages.

The Cyclops lens is one of the most distinctive Rolex features, and one of the most recognizable. Named after the one-eyed giant of Greek mythology, the Cyclops lens magnifies the watch’s emblematic date display for easy reading. Behind the Cyclops, as with every feature of a Rolex timepiece, lies a history of invention, research and development, and the endless search for perfection.

The Day-Date 40 is equipped with a new-generation movement, calibre 3255, entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex for a superlative level of performance. This self-winding mechanical movement is at the forefront of the art of watchmaking. A consummate demonstration of Rolex technology, with 14 patents, it offers fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetism, ease of use and reliability.

Dial

• Dial : Bright black

Case

• Case : Oyster, 40 mm, platinum and diamonds
• Oyster architecture : Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown
• Diameter : 40 mm
• Material : Platinum
• Bezel : Set with diamonds
• Winding crown : Screw-down, Twinlock double waterproofness system
• Crystal : Scratch-resistant sapphire, Cyclops lens over the date
• Water resistance : Waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet

Movement

• Movement : Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding
• Calibre : 3255, Manufacture Rolex
• Precision : -2/+2 sec/day, after casing
• Certification : Superlative Chronometer (COSC + Rolex certification after casing)
• Functions : Centre hour, minute and seconds hands. Instantaneous day and date in apertures, secure rapid-setting. Stop-seconds for exact time setting
• Oscillator : Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring. High-performance Paraflex shock absorbers
• Winding : Bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor
• Power reserve : Approximately 70 hours

Bracelet

• Bracelet : President, semi-circular three-piece links
• Material : Platinum
• Clasp : Concealed folding Crownclasp