When it comes to luxury dress watches, few come close to the stature of the Rolex Day-Date, a.k.a. the President. And within this collection of top-tier timepieces, none are as prestigious as the platinum models. Let’s all gaze in amazement at the platinum Rolex Day-Date ref. 118206.
Platinum Day-Date ref. 118206
Part of the current Day-Date 36 collection, the ref. 118206 is the platinum version of the Rolex President. As you already probably know, the Day-Date is only available in either gold or platinum, emphasizing the exclusivity of this specific collection. Due to its wearable 36mm size, it’s a watch that can fit both a lady’s or a man’s wrist.
The platinum President ref. 118206 is outfitted with—naturally—the President bracelet. This particular bracelet made its debut on the inaugural Day-Date in 1956 and is characterized by its three-piece curvy link construction. Since platinum is one of the heaviest metals in the world, the presence of a platinum President bracelet on the wrist is certainly well felt! The hidden folding Crownclasp ensures a seamless look and solid security.
The Rolex Day-Date ref. 118206 comes with two bezel options: a domed one and a diamond-set one. The domed bezel is especially sleek and suits the sheen of the platinum perfectly. Of course, for extra lavishness, you can’t go wrong with diamonds. If, however, diamonds on the bezel is too much for you, then there are diamond dial varieties too. The diamond dials of the platinum Rolex President include eight brilliant-cut diamonds and two baguette-cut ones at 6 and 9 o’clock. The 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions are left for the day and date windows, respectively. It’s worth noting that when the 1956 Day-Date came out, it was the world’s first wristwatch to include the day of the week written out in full. Today, that day disc is available in a slew of languages.
Some platinum Day-Date watches come with an ice blue dial—a color reserved only for Rolex platinum pieces.
In-House Rolex Materials and Movements
Rather than purchasing metals from an outside supplier, Rolex actually owns and runs its own foundry. Now that’s quality control! Therefore, they make all of their own steel, gold, and platinum for their watches. The platinum produced at Rolex is 950 platinum, meaning that the metal comprises 95% platinum. This metal is notoriously difficult to work with, but it’s nothing but the best for the Swiss watchmaking giant.
In addition to the in-house metals, Rolex also equips their timepieces with in-house movements. The Rolex Day-Date ref. 118206 runs on the Rolex Caliber 3155 automatic mechanical movement. In addition to powering the time, date, and day functions, it’s also a double quickset day-date. This means that the adjustments of both the day and date are independent of the time—an exceedingly practical feature.
A platinum Rolex Day-Date President is, as they say, la crème de la crème of luxury timepieces. And to own one is to be part of an exclusive club indeed. What are your thoughts on the platinum Rolex President? Would you add one to your collection?
