Rolex · Datejust 41 and Day-Date 40
Rolex 126334 vs Rolex 228238
7 published specifications differ between these two, and 8 are identical. Every figure below is what the manufacturer states for that reference; nothing is inferred from the other watch.
What differs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Case | Oyster, 41 mm, Oystersteel and white gold. White Rolesor — combination of Oystersteel and white gold | Oyster, 40 mm, yellow gold. Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown |
| Diameter | 41 mm | 40 mm |
| Dial | Bright blue, with highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence | Green |
| Bracelet | Oyster, three-piece solid links, Oystersteel | President, semi-circular three-piece links, 18 ct yellow gold |
| Clasp | Folding Oysterclasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link | Concealed folding Crownclasp |
| Calibre | Calibre 3235, Manufacture Rolex | Calibre 3255, Manufacture Rolex |
| Movement notes | Precision −2/+2 sec/day after casing. Instantaneous date with rapid setting and stop-seconds. | Precision −2/+2 sec/day after casing. Instantaneous day and date shown in apertures, with secure rapid-setting, and stop-seconds. |
What is identical
Worth knowing as much as the differences: these are the specifications you cannot use to tell the two apart.
- Water resistance
- Waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet
- Crystal
- Scratch-resistant sapphire, Cyclops lens over the date
- Bezel
- Fluted
- Case back
- Screw-down
- Crown
- Screw-down, Twinlock double waterproofness system
- Movement
- Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding; bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor
- Power reserve
- Approximately 70 hours
- Certification
- Superlative Chronometer (official chronometer certification + Rolex certification after casing)
What the differences cost you
Each note below follows from the published figures in the tables above — what they mean for intake, for a listing, and for the handover. Nothing here estimates a price or a margin.
Different movements to verify and to service
The 126334 runs the Calibre 3235, Manufacture Rolex and the 228238 the Calibre 3255, Manufacture Rolex. Two consequences at intake: the service history that is normal for one calibre is not evidence about the other, and the calibre is the check that catches a movement swapped into the wrong case. Confirm the movement matches the reference rather than assuming it from the dial.
What to check on each
126334
- Treat the fluted bezel as gold, because it is. White gold takes marks more readily than steel and the flute peaks are exactly where a careless polish rounds the profile.
- Check the flute edges are even all the way round. A bezel that has been polished shows flattened peaks on the side that sat against a desk, and the asymmetry is visible once you look for it.
- Note the clasp is an Oysterclasp rather than the Oysterlock used on the sports references — there is no safety catch, which is correct here and not a missing part.
228238
- Open and close the concealed Crownclasp several times. It hides inside the bracelet, it carries the full weight of a solid gold band, and a clasp that no longer snaps shut firmly is both a security risk and an expensive gold component.
- Check the day aperture changes cleanly and completely at midnight rather than crawling. An instantaneous day and date should snap, and a sluggish change indicates the mechanism needs attention.
- Examine the President bracelet's semi-circular links for stretch. Solid gold is soft, the links are substantial, and a stretched gold bracelet represents a great deal of worn material.
Sources
- Rolex official product page for reference 126334 (Datejust 41; Oyster 41 mm; Oystersteel and white gold) - Model case: Oyster; 41 mm; Oystersteel and white gold; Oyster architecture: monobloc middle case; screw-down case back and winding crown; Diameter: 41 mm; Material: White Rolesor - combination of Oystersteel and white gold; Bezel: fluted; Winding crown: screw-down with Twinlock double waterproofness system; Crystal: scratch-resistant sapphire with Cyclops lens over the date; Water resistance: waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet; Movement: perpetual; mechanical; self-winding; Calibre: 3235; Manufacture Rolex; Precision: -2/+2 sec/day after casing; Functions: centre hour; minute and seconds hands; instantaneous date with rapid setting; stop-seconds; Oscillator: paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring with Paraflex shock absorbers; Winding: bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor; Power reserve: approximately 70 hours; Bracelet: Oyster; three-piece solid links; Oystersteel; Clasp: folding Oysterclasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link; Dial: bright blue with Chromalight display; Certification: Superlative Chronometer — retrieved 2026-09-22
- Rolex official product page for reference 228238 (Day-Date 40; Oyster 40 mm; 18 ct yellow gold) - Model case: Oyster; 40 mm; yellow gold; Oyster architecture: monobloc middle case; screw-down case back and winding crown; Diameter: 40 mm; Material: 18 ct yellow gold; Bezel: fluted; Winding crown: screw-down with Twinlock double waterproofness system; Crystal: scratch-resistant sapphire with Cyclops lens over the date; Water resistance: waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet; Movement: perpetual; mechanical; self-winding; Calibre: 3255; Manufacture Rolex; Precision: -2/+2 sec/day after casing; Functions: centre hour; minute and seconds hands; instantaneous day and date in apertures with secure rapid-setting; stop-seconds for exact time setting; Oscillator: paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring with Paraflex shock absorbers; Winding: bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor; Power reserve: approximately 70 hours; Bracelet: President; semi-circular three-piece links; 18 ct yellow gold; Clasp: concealed folding Crownclasp; Dial: green; Certification: Superlative Chronometer — retrieved 2026-09-22
Not affiliated with Rolex. Specifications are read from each manufacturer's own published documentation on the dates shown and may change; the manufacturer's current documentation governs.