Rolex Day-Date 40 · Reference 228239
Rolex Day-Date 40 228239
Known as The White Gold President, Day-Date 40
The 228239 is the white gold Day-Date 40, the quietest way to wear the President. Same 40mm Oyster case, same fluted bezel, same three-piece semi-circular link President bracelet as the yellow and Everose versions, but cast in 18k white gold so it reads as steel from across a room and shows its hand only when the light catches it. Rolex introduced the Day-Date 40 line in 2015 to replace the oversized 41mm Day-Date II, and the 228239 sits at the top of that line alongside the yellow gold 228238 and Everose 228235. Under the caseback is the caliber 3255, the movement that reset Rolex's own internal standard for accuracy. For the collector who wants the President without the announcement, this is the reference. We see it on the wrist of people who already own the yellow gold and wanted something they could wear to a meeting without leading the conversation.
Produced: 2015 to present. The Day-Date 40 line, including the white gold 228239, launched in 2015 as the replacement for the 41mm Day-Date II. Rolex continues to produce and refresh 228239 dial configurations, so both current-production and earlier examples circulate on the secondary market.
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Reference
- 228239
- Model
- Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40
- Case Material
- 18k white gold
- Case Diameter
- 40mm
- Bezel
- Fluted 18k white gold
- Bracelet
- President, three-piece semi-circular links, 18k white gold, concealed Crownclasp
- Movement
- Rolex Caliber 3255, automatic, in-house
- Power Reserve
- Approximately 70 hours
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Jewels
- 31 jewels
- Escapement
- Chronergy escapement, nickel-phosphorus, high energy efficiency
- Hairspring
- Blue Parachrom, paramagnetic
- Shock Protection
- Paraflex shock absorbers
- Accuracy
- Superlative Chronometer, COSC-certified then Rolex-tested to -2/+2 seconds per day
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, instantaneous day display in full at 12 o'clock, instantaneous date at 3 o'clock with Cyclops
- Crown
- Screw-down Twinlock, twin gaskets
- Crystal
- Scratch-resistant sapphire with Cyclops date magnification
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Dial Options
- Blue Roman, olive green, meteorite, ice blue, silver, white mother-of-pearl, and diamond-set variants, with diamond and baguette hour markers on select configurations
Market & Value
Secondary-market prices for the 228239 run roughly $42,000 to $69,000 for standard non-diamond dials, with the blue Roman and silver configurations sitting in the heart of that band and moving the fastest because they are the most liquid. Olive green is the rarity play and commands a premium when it surfaces. Diamond-set dials and factory diamond-and-baguette configurations push well past $75,000 and into six figures depending on stone content. White gold trades below yellow gold in this reference for a simple reason: it looks like steel, and buyers pay up for the metal that announces itself, so the 228239 is often the value entry into a solid-gold President. Complete sets with box and papers carry a 10 to 15 percent premium over watch-only, and on a piece at this price a full set is worth chasing. We buy these every week and we write real checks against real comps, not a chart printout, so bracelet stretch, dial variant, and completeness all move our number.
What to Know Before You Buy
Three things a buyer should hold onto. First, the caliber 3255 is the reference point for the accuracy jump: it carried Rolex's -2/+2 seconds per day standard and brought the Chronergy escapement, the blue Parachrom hairspring, and Paraflex shock protection, with a power reserve near 70 hours, so a 228239 sits over a long weekend and comes back on time. Second, know your case size. The 40mm Day-Date 40 replaced the 41mm Day-Date II in 2015, and the two get confused constantly. If someone tells you a President is 41mm, it is the older Day-Date II, a different reference and a different value. Third, on white gold, verify the metal. From arm's length 18k white gold reads as stainless, so an untrained eye can undervalue it or, worse, a bad actor can pass steel off as gold. Check the hallmark, feel the heft, and buy from someone who can prove it. The President bracelet on this reference is solid 18k white gold with a concealed Crownclasp, and a stretched or swapped bracelet is a real deduction. Bring the papers if you have them.
Rolex Rolex Day-Date 40 Encyclopedia
Read the full guide →Buying or selling a 228239?
Ultimate Watch buys and sells the Rolex Day-Date 40 reference 228239 at our counter at 19 West 47th Street in New York, family-owned since 1959. We buy white gold Presidents every week, we know exactly what the blue Roman and the green trade for today, and we can tell a real 18k white gold case from steel in the time it takes to pick it up. If you are selling, bring it in or call and we will make you a firm offer on the spot, box and papers or not. If you are buying, tell us the dial you want and we will source the right example. Request an offer, or walk into the store on 47th Street and put it on the loupe with us.