From SwissWatchExpo… Spotlight on: the Rolex Day-Date. How it became
the President’s watch.
Before it became the “President’s Watch” the Rolex Day-Date already caused a sensation
when it was launched in 1956.
It symbolized the pinnacle of Rolex’s watchmaking prowess – after numerous innovations in
the previous decades.
The Rolex Day-Date asserted its universal nature by becoming the first waterproof and
self-winding chronometer to indicate the day of the week in 26 different languages. This,
on top of other elements that make it a Rolex.
It’s no surprise then that the watch has been the choice for many leaders, titans,
royalty and celebrities. How exactly did the Day-Date become “The President’s Watch”?
We take you through key milestones in its 61-year history:
It goes back to the 1950s. Rolex presented then general Dwight D. Eisenhower with its
150,000th chronometer – an 18k yellow gold Rolex Datejust.
The year after, Eisenhower was elected President of the United States. He wore the gold Rolex
during his inauguration, and it also appears on a Life magazine cover. This helped elevate
Rolex’s status in the watch collecting world.
In 1956, Rolex patented and presented one of its most successful watches ever: the Day-Date.
It was the first chronometer wristwatch that indicated the date and the day of the week
written in full.
It would become the choice timepiece of many leaders and diplomats. That same year, Rolex
released an advertisement with the slogan “Men Who Guide the Destinies of the World
Wear Rolex Watches”.
Further cementing its image as the chosen watch of leaders.
In 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson became the first US President to actually wear a Rolex Day-Date.
Johnson wore an 18k yellow gold model. Widely photographed with the watch, it would become
one of his trademarks.
Soon after, Rolex began calling the Day-Date’s bracelet, the “President” bracelet. The
five-piece circular links give the watch a dressy look that’s well suited for business
or formal attire.
With Johnson in office, Rolex released an add with the slogan, ”The presidents’
watch” – implying that more than one president has worn it, and further emphasizing its connection
to the Oval office.
It wasn’t until 1986 that Rolex officially put “President” on the Day-Date’s name.
For the first time, ad advertisement referred to the Day-Date as “The Rolex President
Day-Date Chronometer”.
Numerous improvements were made throughout the years (such as the “Quick Set” feature
in the 1970’s, and the improved solid links on the bracelet in the 2000’s), but its
design has remained timeless.
Over the years, it will also be proven that several US Presidents indeed proudly wore
the Rolex Day-Date aside from Johnson – including Kennedy, Ford, Reagan, Nixon to Roosevelt
– and even world leaders like the Dalai Lama.
For a watch that is masterfully crafted by the leading watchmaker in the world, it comes
as no surprise that leaders, diplomats and presidents themselves, choose to wear the
Rolex President Day-Date.
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