If you want to sell Rolex Day-Date watches, or would simply like to know what yours is worth today, you have found a buyer who knows them well. The Day-Date is one of the precious-metal Rolex models we handle most often in Hatton Garden, from the 228235 in Everose with an olive or Sundust dial to the platinum 228206 and 228236, the yellow gold 228238 and the 36mm 128239 in white gold. Earlier 36mm references and the 41mm Day-Date II are just as welcome.
We buy outright for our own stock. There is no commission, insured postage or collection is at our cost, and once the price is agreed and the watch is authenticated, you are paid by secure bank transfer within 24 hours.
How to sell Rolex Day-Date watches to Kings & Queens
- Send us the details. The reference, the metal, the dial and roughly when the watch was bought, plus whether the box and papers are still with it. A few photographs over WhatsApp let us give you a quick initial figure, though they are not essential to get started.
- Receive a clear offer. We price your watch against what that exact Day-Date, in that metal and with that dial, is achieving on the pre-owned market now, and we explain how we reached the figure.
- Visit us or post it free. Meet us by appointment at our Hatton Garden showroom, or let us arrange fully insured postage or collection at no cost to you.
- Paid within 24 hours. When the watch has been checked and authenticated in person and you have accepted the offer, the money reaches your account by secure bank transfer within 24 hours.
Get a valuation for your Rolex Day-Date
What affects what your Day-Date is worth
Several details move the figure when you sell Rolex Day-Date models, and on a watch made only in gold and platinum, each one carries real weight. Most of them show up clearly in a handful of good photographs.
Metal. Every Day-Date has been made in 18-carat gold or 950 platinum; there has never been a steel version. Yellow gold, white gold, Everose and platinum each trade at their own level. White gold is easily mistaken for platinum, so tell us what you believe yours is and we will confirm it during the inspection.
Dial. On a Day-Date the dial can matter as much as the case. Olive green, ice blue, Sundust, stone dials, Roman numerals and factory diamond-set dials are each priced on their own, and demand for a particular colour shifts over time. Our offer reflects what buyers want today.
Size and generation. The current 40mm and 36mm models with calibre 3255 sit apart from the 41mm Day-Date II and from the older 36mm references, each of which is valued on its own terms.
Bezel. Fluted, smooth and gem-set bezels change both the look of the watch and its value. A diamond bezel fitted by Rolex is judged very differently from stones added after the watch left the factory.
The President bracelet. Its semi-circular three-piece links wear at the joins after years on the wrist, and a bracelet that sags or rattles needs work. We check the stretch and the concealed Crownclasp, and allow for any repair openly.
Completeness and service history. The warranty card, boxes, spare links and recent Rolex service papers all count in your favour. A watch that is overdue a service is still easy for us to buy. Our sister business Alpha Group, in the same building, handles servicing and repairs, so we can judge the cost of that work accurately.
Which Day-Date do you have?
Before you sell Rolex Day-Date models, it helps to know the exact reference, because the name covers several generations and four precious metals. You will find the reference on the warranty card or certificate; on modern watches it is also engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock. Please don't remove the bracelet to look; the card or a clear photo of the paperwork is all we need.
| Reference | Model | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| 228235 | Day-Date 40 | Everose gold, with olive, Sundust and many other dials |
| 228238 and 228239 | Day-Date 40 | Yellow gold and white gold, each with a fluted bezel |
| 228206 | Day-Date 40 | Platinum with a smooth bezel, most often seen with an ice blue dial |
| 228236 | Day-Date 40 | Platinum with a fluted bezel, a more recent addition to the range |
| 128238, 128235 and 128239 | Day-Date 36 | The current 36mm generation with calibre 3255, in yellow, Everose and white gold |
| 218235, 218238 and 218239 | Day-Date II | The 41mm model made from 2008 to 2015, in Everose, yellow and white gold |
| 118238, 18238 and 18038 | Earlier Day-Date 36 | Previous 36mm generations, including many classic yellow gold examples |
Rolex shows its current Day-Date line-up on rolex.com, which is a handy way to compare your watch with today's models. If yours is older, or you are not sure which metal it is, send us photographs of the dial, the case and the paperwork, and we will identify it before you decide anything. Owners who sell Rolex Day-Date watches from earlier generations are often surprised by how much interest a well-kept 36mm still attracts.
A little history before you sell Rolex Day-Date pieces
Rolex introduced the Day-Date in 1956. It was the first wristwatch to show both the date and the day of the week spelt out in full, with the day in an arched window at 12 o'clock and the date magnified under the Cyclops lens at 3 o'clock. The semi-circular three-piece President bracelet was created for it at launch, and the name stuck to the watch itself.
The modern era began in 2015 with the Day-Date 40 and calibre 3255, which replaced the 41mm Day-Date II. The Day-Date 36 moved to the same calibre in 2019. For anyone who wants to sell Rolex Day-Date watches from either side of those changes, the movement is one of the details that separates one reference from the next, and it is something we confirm during the inspection.
Condition: what we check when you sell Rolex Day-Date watches
Gold is softer than steel, so a Day-Date worn every day picks up marks on the case sides, the polished centre links and the clasp. That is normal and expected. Heavy polishing is the bigger concern, because it softens the edges of the case and lugs and the metal it removes cannot be put back. If you are thinking of having the watch refinished before you sell Rolex Day-Date models, please speak to us first. Honest wear usually costs you less than an over-polished case.
The fluted bezel takes knocks at the tips of its ridges, while a smooth platinum bezel shows dents clearly. Look at it closely in good light. On a gem-set bezel, every stone should be present and secure, and the same goes for a diamond-set dial.
The dial deserves the most care of all. Stone dials are natural material and can crack, lacquered colours can mark, and hands may have been replaced during a service. The day and date should change crisply around midnight. If your day wheel is in a language other than English, mention it when you get in touch, as it helps us identify the watch precisely.
Box, papers and original parts
A complete Day-Date is the version most buyers ask for, so it is worth finding everything that came with yours. A receipt and any service invoices help too, because they support the watch's history and make our checks quicker. When people sell Rolex Day-Date watches with a full set, agreeing the price is usually short and simple.
- The warranty card or certificate showing the serial number and date of purchase
- The inner and outer Rolex boxes, booklets and any swing tags
- Spare President bracelet links removed when the watch was sized
- Rolex service papers, and any original parts returned after a service
- The original receipt, if you still have it
Missing items won't stop you if you want to sell Rolex Day-Date watches. A watch-only Day-Date remains very saleable, and we will tell you plainly how each missing piece affects the offer rather than guess at it. Our guide to box and papers explains why the paperwork matters, and our guide to what your Rolex is worth covers the wider picture.
Before you sell Rolex Day-Date watches: how to prepare
A few minutes of preparation lets us give you a firmer figure from the first conversation.
- Leave the case, bezel and bracelet exactly as they are; don't polish or refinish anything.
- Clean the watch with a soft, dry cloth rather than any chemical product.
- Photograph the dial, bezel, clasp, case sides and warranty card in daylight.
- Note the metal, the dial and the reference as printed on the paperwork.
- Put the box, papers, spare links and service records together in one place.
- Remember when the watch was last serviced and what, if anything, was replaced.
Sell Rolex Day-Date watches in person in Hatton Garden
Our showroom is at 9 St. Cross Street, Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8UB, a short walk from Farringdon and Chancery Lane stations. Every visit is by appointment, so the meeting is private and you are never handing a gold watch across a busy counter. We are open Monday to Friday from 10:30am to 5:30pm, and on Saturday from 12:00pm to 4:30pm.
At the appointment we examine the watch with you, check the serial number, case markings and movement, and talk you through what we find. Hatton Garden has been London's jewellery quarter for well over a century, and coming here to sell Rolex Day-Date watches means a face-to-face conversation with a specialist rather than an online form and a wait. Find out more about visiting our showroom.
Sell Rolex Day-Date watches from anywhere in the UK
If you can't get to London, there is no need to. We pay for fully insured postage or collection, and we explain exactly how to pack the watch before anything leaves your hands. Most people who sell Rolex Day-Date pieces from further afield start with photographs on WhatsApp, so the figure is clear before the watch is sent. Once it arrives and has been authenticated, we confirm the offer with you, and payment follows by secure bank transfer within 24 hours.
Private sale, auction or dealer?
You can sell Rolex Day-Date watches privately, but with a gold or platinum piece it means meeting strangers, handling a very valuable watch in front of people you do not know, and carrying the risk of a fraudulent payment. An auction involves waiting for a suitable sale, fees deducted from the hammer price and no certainty about the result until the day itself.
When you sell Rolex Day-Date watches to us, the process is one appointment or one insured delivery, an in-person authentication and a bank transfer within 24 hours. A private buyer might pay more, or might not, and you may spend weeks finding out. Set the figure, the time and the risk side by side, and decide which matters most to you.
Part exchange your Day-Date
Some owners who come to sell Rolex Day-Date watches would rather change watches than take the money. With a part exchange, the value of your Day-Date is offset against the watch you are buying from us in a single transaction, and if your watch is worth more than the one you choose, we pay you the difference. Browse our pre-owned Rolex Day-Date collection, the wider Rolex range, or read how part exchange works.
Why sell Rolex Day-Date watches to us
We buy for our own stock and do not act as a broker, so the price we agree is the amount you receive, with no commission or hidden fees taken off afterwards. You won't sit through a listing period waiting for a buyer to turn up. As an independent specialist, we price a Day-Date on its reference, metal, dial, condition and completeness, and we explain each of those points to you. If you own other Rolex models too, our main sell your Rolex page covers the rest of the range.
Still deciding whether to sell Rolex Day-Date watches? A valuation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Message photos to +44 (0)7888 888835 on WhatsApp or ring 0330 043 7777, and we will come back with a straightforward figure for your Day-Date.
Common questions
Can I sell Rolex Day-Date watches without the box and papers?
Yes. A full set achieves more, but a gold or platinum Day-Date without its paperwork is still a very saleable watch. We check it thoroughly in person, show you how each missing item changes the figure, and then make a firm offer.
Do you buy older 36mm Day-Dates and the Day-Date II?
We do. Earlier 36mm references such as the 18038, 18238 and 118238, and the 41mm Day-Date II, are valued on their own merits. A well-kept older watch with its paperwork can attract strong interest, so if you plan to sell Rolex Day-Date models from earlier decades, don't assume they are worth little.
Is a platinum Day-Date valued differently from a gold one?
Yes. Platinum references such as the 228206 and 228236 trade at their own level, and the ice blue dial is reserved by Rolex for platinum watches. When you sell Rolex Day-Date pieces in platinum, we confirm the metal during the inspection and price the watch accordingly.
Will you buy a Day-Date with diamonds added after it left Rolex?
Yes. Aftermarket stones on the bezel, dial or bracelet change the value, usually downwards, but they do not stop us buying the watch. Tell us what you know about its history and we will explain how we have priced it.
How quickly can I sell Rolex Day-Date watches to you?
Photographs usually bring back an initial figure quickly, and the rest depends on when you can visit or post the watch. After the Day-Date is authenticated in person and you accept, the money follows by secure bank transfer within 24 hours.
Can I sell a Day-Date I have inherited?
Of course. Bring the watch with whatever came with it, even if that is only an old receipt or service invoice. We value an inherited Day-Date in exactly the same way, and we are happy to explain each step to the family before any decision is made.
How am I paid when I sell Rolex Day-Date watches to you?
Payment is made by secure bank transfer within 24 hours of the price being agreed and the watch being authenticated in person. Nothing is deducted for commission or fees; the figure we agree is the figure that reaches your account.
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Kings & Queens Watches is an independent dealer and is not affiliated with Rolex.
