The Rolex Day-Date 36 128238 champagne dial is the plainest of our yellow gold Day-Dates and the closest one to the watch Rolex launched in 1956: a 36 mm 18k yellow gold case, a fluted bezel, a President bracelet and a champagne sunburst dial with applied gold batons and no stones at all. The Day-Date was the first wristwatch to spell the day of the week in full on the dial, and this configuration has stayed in production through every generation since. It is not the loudest option in the collection, but it is the most direct descendant of the original.

Technical Overview

• Reference: 128238
• Model: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36
• Case diameter: 36 mm
• Case material: 18k yellow gold
• Bezel: fluted, 18k yellow gold
• Dial: champagne sunburst with applied gold baton markers, no stones
• Day display: spelled in full at 12 o’clock
• Date display: Cyclops-magnified at 3 o’clock
• Crystal: sapphire with Cyclops magnification
• Bracelet: President, semi-circular three-piece links with concealed Crownclasp
• Movement: clone Cal. 3255 automatic (super clone, $849) or Japanese automatic (A-grade, $349)
• Power reserve: 70 hours
• Water resistance: 100 m

The 36 mm diameter was the standard Day-Date size from 1956 until the 40 mm variant joined the lineup. Many buyers still consider 36 mm the correct size for this model based on its original design intent.

Rolex Day-Date 36 128238 champagne dial: movement and calendar

The day wheel at 12 o’clock shows the full weekday name, not an abbreviation, through an arched window that has been a Day-Date trademark for nearly seven decades. The date changes at 3 o’clock under the Cyclops. Both complications switch instantaneously at midnight. In the super clone that work is handled by a clone Cal. 3255 with a 70-hour power reserve, the calibre generation shared by every 128-series reference whether the case is yellow gold, white gold or Everose; the A-grade build keeps the same case and dial and runs a Japanese automatic. The President bracelet is the other half of this watch, and what to check on a President bracelet clone goes through link play, clasp alignment and the gold finish on the clasp cover.

What Sets It Apart

Champagne is the dial that disappears into the case from a distance and separates from it up close, where the sunburst turns slightly lighter than the polished bezel. That is the whole argument for this version against its stone-set neighbour, which uses the same champagne ground but breaks it with eight round stones and two baguettes. Green dials, ombré finishes and meteorite surfaces come and go; gold on gold at 36 mm has been the baseline since the model’s first decade. The smaller case also carries less visual weight, which suits formal dress where the watch should complement rather than command the outfit. For a dial that changes colour with the angle instead of staying flat, the 36 mm mother of pearl Day-Date uses the same yellow gold case and bracelet, and the wider Day-Date catalog holds the rest.

Other versions of this model in stock: Rolex Day-Date 36 128235 white dial, Rolex Day-Date 36 128238 champagne diamond dial and Rolex Day-Date 36 128238 chocolate diamond dial.

Rolex Day-Date 36 128238 champagne dial Replica FAQ

Is the 128238-0045 dial champagne or gold?

Rolex calls this dial champagne; “gold dial” is the loose trade name for it. The suffix -0045 is the dial code dealers attach to the champagne baton version; we list this one simply as 128238, because the reference and the dial colour are what the watch can be identified by.

How much is the 128238 champagne dial Day-Date 36?

The super clone is $849 and the A-grade is $349. Both options come on the President bracelet with the same 36 mm yellow gold case; the $849 build adds the clone Cal. 3255 with its 70-hour power reserve.