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Read the full article: Video: Unboxing the Rolex Day-Date 40 White Gold Dark Rho...
Rolex Day-Date 40 in White Gold: The Slate Dial (Ref. 228239)
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Watch the full unboxing
The Day-Date is Rolex's flagship, and this is one of the quieter ways to own it. Reference 228239 pairs a slate dial, Rolex's name for this cool grey sunburst, with a solid 18kt white gold case on the President bracelet. From across a room it reads as a plain grey dial in a white metal. Up close you see that it is all gold, and it weighs like it. We went through the box, put it on the scale, and wore it, so here is what stood out.
The 228239 in white gold, slate dial, fluted bezel, on the President bracelet.
A Quiet Way to Own the Flagship
Every element on this watch stays in one tone. The case, the fluted bezel, and the bracelet are white gold, and the dial is a cool grey, so nothing breaks up the color. That makes it one of the more understated Day-Dates we handle. It arrives in the usual Rolex packaging, and the spec card confirms the basics: reference 228239, 40mm, 18kt white gold, a 70-hour power reserve, and 100 meters of water resistance.
In the box: 40mm, 18kt white gold, 70-hour power reserve, 100m water resistance.
The Slate Dial and Fluted Bezel
The dial is a slate sunburst, a cool grey that shifts from light to near-charcoal as you turn it under a lamp. Rolex catalogs this grey as slate; you will also see the same color called rhodium or dark rhodium in the trade. Rolex applies the hour markers and the hands in white gold to match the case, so there is no color contrast anywhere. The day sits in the window at 12 o'clock, spelled out in full, and the date sits at 3 under the Cyclops lens. Nothing on this dial shouts. The finishing does the talking once you get it under a light.
White gold markers and hands on the slate dial. Day at 12, date at 3.
The sunburst catches the light, and the Cyclops magnifies the date at 3.
The fluted bezel is machined straight into the white gold, not a separate insert. In white gold it stays subtle, where a yellow gold fluted bezel would catch far more light.
Case, Weight, and Wearability
The case measures 40mm across, about 12mm thick, and 47.4mm from lug to lug. On paper that is a mid-size watch. On the scale it is not. This one came in at 207 grams, a little under half a pound, because the case and the full bracelet are solid white gold instead of steel. You feel that heft the second you pick it up, and it settles down once the clasp is shut. Water resistance is rated to 100 meters, which is well past anything a watch like this will meet.
Polished white gold flanks, roughly 12mm thick, with the fluted bezel edge.
On our scale it read 207.3 grams. All of that is solid white gold.
The Caliber 3255
Inside is the caliber 3255, the self-winding movement Rolex uses in the Day-Date 40. It carries a 70-hour power reserve, so you can set it down on a Friday and pick it up Monday still running. It runs the Chronergy escapement and a Parachrom hairspring, and it is a Superlative Chronometer, rated to within two seconds a day. There is no display back on this model. The caseback is solid white gold, standard for the Day-Date.
The President Bracelet
The 228239 comes on the President bracelet, the three-piece link Rolex keeps for its precious-metal watches. It uses a concealed Crownclasp, so the clasp folds away under a link and the bracelet reads as one unbroken run of white gold. It is comfortable and it drapes well. In white gold it stays low-key, where a yellow gold or Everose President catches the eye more.
The three-piece President bracelet in solid 18kt white gold.
The concealed Crownclasp hides under a link, so the bracelet looks continuous.
At 40mm it wears easy, with the day at 12 and the date at 3.
Specifications
| Reference | 228239 |
| Case | 40mm, 18kt white gold |
| Thickness | About 12mm |
| Lug to lug | 47.4mm |
| Weight | About 207g |
| Dial | Slate sunburst, white gold markers |
| Bezel | Fluted, 18kt white gold |
| Movement | Caliber 3255, automatic |
| Power reserve | 70 hours |
| Water resistance | 100 meters |
| Bracelet | President, 18kt white gold, Crownclasp |
What It Costs
As of July 2026, we have this 228239 listed at $52,000. That is the white gold, slate-dial, fluted-bezel build on the President bracelet. In white gold with a grey dial, this is about as low-key as the Day-Date gets, where a yellow gold or diamond-set one draws the eye in a way this does not. All available pre-owned Rolex we carry is on the site, and we are glad to walk you through this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Rolex Day-Date 40 ref 228239 solid gold?
Yes. The case, the fluted bezel, and the President bracelet are all solid 18kt white gold, and the hour markers and hands are white gold too. That is why this one weighs about 207 grams, well over what a steel watch of the same size would.
What movement is in the Day-Date 40?
The caliber 3255, Rolex's self-winding movement with a 70-hour power reserve. It runs the Chronergy escapement and a Parachrom hairspring, and it is certified as a Superlative Chronometer, rated to within two seconds a day.
What is the slate dial?
Slate is Rolex's name for this cool grey sunburst dial; you will also see the same grey called rhodium or dark rhodium in the trade. It moves between a lighter grey and near-charcoal depending on the angle and the light. On this reference the markers and hands are white gold, so the whole watch stays in one tone.
Does the Day-Date 40 come on the President bracelet?
Yes. The Day-Date has come on the President bracelet for decades, and ref 228239 uses the modern version with a concealed Crownclasp. On this watch the bracelet is solid 18kt white gold to match the case.