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What Does a Day-Date Watch Display, and How Does It Work?

A day-date watch shows both the weekday and the date of the month. See how Rolex’s Day-Date displays and changes them, and how its guide says to set them.
Estimate2–3 min Catalogued SpecialistWatchRanker Team
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A day-date watch shows both the weekday—such as Monday—and the calendar date—the numbered day of the month. The layout and setting method depend on the watch’s movement. Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Day-Date is one example: it spells out the weekday at 12 o’clock and displays the date at 3 o’clock.

What does “day-date” mean on a watch?

“Day-date” describes two calendar indications: the weekday and the date of the month. A date-only watch shows the numbered date but not the weekday. The term describes what the watch displays; it does not prescribe a single dial layout or mechanism.

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How does a day-date watch change the calendar?

In a mechanical watch, the timekeeping movement drives its calendar display. The way those parts are arranged varies by watch. Rolex describes the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date as using interconnected discs for its weekday and date indications, which change together instantaneously at midnight. That explanation applies to Rolex’s model, not to every day-date watch.

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Rolex identifies calibre 3255 in its Day-Date 36 and Day-Date 40. The company reports approximately 70 hours of power reserve for that self-winding mechanical movement; this is a specification of those Rolex models, not a general figure for day-date watches.

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How does Rolex’s Day-Date display the day and date?

On the Rolex Day-Date, the weekday is spelled out in an arc-shaped aperture at 12 o’clock, while the date appears in a separate aperture at 3 o’clock. In Rolex’s described model, a Cyclops lens magnifies the date. Rolex says the weekday display is available in 26 languages.

Rolex says the Day-Date launched in 1956 and describes it as the first calendar wristwatch to display the weekday spelled out in full alongside the date. This is Rolex’s account of the model’s history.

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How do you set the day and date on a Rolex Day-Date?

The steps below are for the Rolex Day-Date covered by Rolex’s user guide. Crown positions and setting directions differ among watches, so check the manual for your specific model rather than applying these instructions to another day-date watch.

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  1. Wind it if needed. Rolex instructs you to wind the watch manually when setting it for the first time or after it has stopped.
  2. Unscrew and pull out the crown. Pull it to the first notch to set the calendar. Turn clockwise to set the date and counterclockwise to set the weekday.
  3. Set the time if necessary. Pull the crown to the second notch; the seconds hand stops. Set the time, paying attention to whether the day and date change at midnight.
  4. Finish securely. Return the crown to its normal position and screw it down.

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