Rolex 228238-0069 Day-Date 40 Yellow Gold Fluted Green Ombré

Bright green centre, dark rim

Ombre dials start light in the middle and darken towards the edge, and the replica Rolex Day-Date 228238 uses that to full effect. Here the centre is a clear grass green and the outer ring falls away to near black, which throws the gold Roman numerals into relief and makes the dial look deeper than it is. Turn the watch and the transition point moves. The weekday arc at 12 o’clock and the date window at 3 keep their white backgrounds, so the calendar stays readable against the dark rim.

Yellow gold plating over 904L steel

The 40 mm case is 904L steel with yellow gold plating, fluted bezel, screw-down crown, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. The President bracelet is the tapering three-piece design and can be sized by any watchmaker. Keep it away from magnets and strong sun, wipe it with a soft cloth, and plan a service every three to four years. Rain and hand washing are fine with the crown screwed down; the pool and the shower are not.

What changes with the movement

Only the movement. Japanese: Miyota-based, about 40 hours, quickset date. Swiss: follows the original caliber, 28,800 vph, about 70 hours, and a timegrapher reading can be requested with your photos. The plating and dial stay the same, and how the Day-Date plating holds up day to day covers how the plated finish wears.

Quieter dials and a 36 mm option

The green ombre gives this yellow-tone 228238 a lot of colour. The plain silver 228238 is the quiet option, and the mother-of-pearl 228238-0071 trades the gradient for a shell-like white with stones. For the same gradient on a 36 mm case, see the 36 mm green ombre; everything else is in more Day-Date versions.

Are the Roman numerals on the green ombre dial gold or white?

Gold tone, like the hands. On the photos they stand out most against the dark outer ring.