Donald Trump’s Rolex Day-Date Watches
The Rolex Day-Date is nicknamed the “President” not only because that’s the official name of its iconic three-link precious metal bracelet, but because it has been worn by US Presidents like Lyndon B. Johnson, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump. Countless other world leaders ranging from Fidel Castro to the Dalai Lama have worn Day-Dates as well. As he begins his second term in the Oval Office, we’ll take a look at the specific model of Rolex Day-Date Donald Trump has been spotted wearing. We’ll also show you the Day-Date 40 he was gifted by a popular livestreamer. Read on for our quick rundown of Donald Trump’s Rolex watches.
Listen to the podcast episode about this article
The Donald Trump Rolex: 118238 Day-Date 36
Donald Trump has been seen wearing a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date while golfing multiple times, and you can decipher a few things by looking at photos of it:
- Fluted bezel, President bracelet
- Yellow gold
- There are no lugholes, so it must be from 1988 or newer
- The lugs look fairly prominent and shiny, so probably 2000 or newer
- It has a champagne dial with diamonds
- The endlinks end at the bottom of the lugs, so it must be a 36mm model (on the Day-Date 40, the second link lines up with the bottom of the lugs)
- The flush endlink fit is consistent with a Day-Date 36 from 2000-2018
Based on those data points, we’re confident that Donald Trump’s Rolex Day-Date 36 is reference 118238 with a champagne diamond dial. Here are some tips to tell this model apart from older ones:
Trump has owned his 118238 since at least 2016, before he became President. And it’s no longer his only Day-Date.
Gift From an Internet Streamer: Day-Date 40 Olive
In August 2024, prominent gamer and online personality Adin Ross gave President Donald Trump a rose gold Rolex Day-Date 40 during a livestreamed interview with him. Trump was very gracious about the gift, although there are no known photos of him wearing it publicly. In fact, as popular as the Day-Date 36 has been among world leaders, there are no known photos of any US President wearing a Day-Date 40 (yet).
Trump’s Day-Date 40 features an olive green dial with Roman numerals, arguably the most popular Day-Date dial color of all right now. This configuration used to sell well over list price secondhand, but after the 2025 Rolex price increases, its market value is right around its $46,300 MSRP + tax. That’s roughly twice what Trump’s Day-Date 36 is worth. The newer movement, larger size, and popular color are all factors in the higher market value of Trump’s Day-Date 40. Let’s go over all the specs of both models.
Donald Trump Rolex Day-Date Specs
| Specification | Donald Trump’s Rolex Day-Date 36 | Donald Trump’s Rolex Day-Date 40 |
|---|---|---|
| Reference Number | 118238 | 228235 |
| Dial | Champagne with diamonds | Olive with Roman numerals |
| Year Debuted | 2000 | 2015 |
| Case Material | 18k Yellow Gold | 18k Everose Gold |
| Case Diameter | 36 mm | 40 mm |
| Movement Caliber | Caliber 3155 | Caliber 3255 |
| Power Reserve | ~48 hours | ~70 hours |
| Water Resistance | 100 meters (330 feet) | 100 meters (330 feet) |
| Bracelet Type | President Bracelet | President Bracelet with ceramic pins to reduce wear |
| Approx. Market Value (2025) | $24,500 | $49,000 |
No matter what watch (if any) Trump wears to his inauguration, there will surely be numerous Rolex watches in the crowd. Outgoing President Joe Biden, like Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower before him, has been known to wear a Rolex Datejust. Inauguration day coincides with MLK Day in 2025, so I should also mention that Martin Luther King Jr. wore a gold Datejust.
Barack Obama has been seen wearing a Cellini Time, and the Rolex of choice for Donald Trump Jr. is the “Bruce Wayne GMT,” with a black-and-grey ceramic bezel insert. Kudos to Rolex Magazine for spotting that. And feel free to leave a comment if you spy any other nice watches during the inauguration!
Leave a Reply