The Rolex Day-Date 40 228238 is the yellow gold Day-Date with the champagne dial and baguette diamond hour markers. Gold case, gold dial, gold President bracelet. The baguette-cut diamonds replace the standard baton indices and the champagne sunburst dial matches the yellow gold tone. The V2 batch from VSF has updated the gold plating and the day-date font printing. VSF Watch got the gold tone, the dial, and the movement right.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Factory | VSF Watch |
| Reference | 228238 (Day-Date 40, yellow gold, champagne dial, baguette diamonds) |
| Movement | Dandong 3255 automatic, 1:1 clone |
| Case dimensions | 40mm diameter, ~12mm thick |
| Material | 904L stainless steel with 18K yellow gold plating |
| Bezel | Fluted, yellow gold plated, polished |
| Dial | Champagne sunburst with baguette-cut simulated diamond hour markers in yellow gold settings, day window at 12, date at 3 |
| Bracelet | President with semi-circular 3-piece links, concealed Crownclasp |
The dial. Champagne sunburst with baguette-cut diamond markers. The champagne is a warm gold that blends into the yellow gold case instead of contrasting against it. The diamonds are rectangular stones set in gold holders that replace the standard baton indices. They catch light at sharper angles than round diamonds and read more structured. The day window at 12 spells the full weekday. The date at 3 sits under the cyclops. The gold-on-gold palette is the most traditional Day-Date configuration. VSF matched the champagne tone and the diamond setting is clean.
The gold. Yellow gold plating on the case, the fluted bezel, the crown, and the President bracelet. The V2 batch updated the plating formula to get the yellow gold tone closer to gen. It reads warm without being brassy. The plating is even across all the gold surfaces.
The bezel. Fluted, yellow gold plated. The angled facets catch light and produce a ring of reflections around the dial. The Day-Date has had the fluted bezel since the first generation and it is inseparable from the design.
The case. 40mm in gold-plated 904L steel. Polished case body. The Twinlock crown screws down. At 40mm and roughly 12mm thick, the Day-Date wears slightly larger than the vintage 36mm versions but still fits under a dress cuff. The all-gold look is not subtle. A Day-Date is not meant to be.
The movement. Dandong 3255 automatic with a 72-hour power reserve. Day and date jump instantaneously at midnight and quickset through the crown. Independent jumping hour hand for time zone adjustment without stopping the running seconds. The V2 batch has refined the day and date wheel font printing for better centering and thickness.
The bracelet. President with the semi-circular three-piece links. Brushed outer links with polished center links. The Crownclasp is concealed inside the bracelet for a clean look. The polished links pick up surface marks with daily wear, standard for the President bracelet.