While Rolex’s new offerings grab the headlines, it’s also useful to know which models in the current collection have been canceled. For example, the Rolex Date – a staple of the brand’s catalog since the 1950s – has now been officially discontinued.   
The Oyster Perpetual Date, or Rolex Date, is often overshadowed by its larger, more famous relative, the Datejust. However, the smaller case size is the sweet spot for many watch wearers, and we have no doubt that the Rolex Datejust will continue to be a popular choice on the pre-owned market, despite the fact that it is now discontinued. With that in mind, let’s dive into our ultimate Rolex replica watch buying guide and discover all that this model has to offer.
About a decade after the 36mm Oyster Perpetual Date just debuted in 1945, Rolex introduced the Oyster Perpetual Date in a slightly smaller case measuring 34mm. Size aside, the Rolex Date has always shared a nearly identical look to the Datejust, including the dial layout, case materials, bracelet options, bezel style, and the Cyclops magnifying glass above the date window at 3 o’clock.

As with all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual Date has undergone several different materials and mechanical updates over its sixty-plus years of production. Also available is the Lady-Date collection with its petite 26mm case. Although the Lady-Date line was withdrawn from the Rolex collection in the mid-2000s, the Date 34 remained for a few more years until it was finally discontinued in 2021.
Now that Rolex has discontinued the replica Rolex Date 34, there is no longer an option for a 34mm stainless steel Rolex watch with a date window. There is also the Pearlmaster 34, but these watches are only available in solid 18k gold, and even the most humble versions are still set with diamonds, making them a rather niche (and expensive) offering. 
Why Rolex chose to abandon the Date 34 rather than update it with a new generation movement, as most other models have done, remains a mystery. It’s also a mystery why the Date is referred to as a “Date” rather than simply as an alternative size option to the Datejust, but it’s a trend that has continued throughout production.
Thankfully, the Rolex Date 34 will still be available on the secondary market for those looking for a classic, restrained Rolex replica watch with an incredibly versatile case diameter. If you think the classic 36mm Datejust is too big for your wrist and the mid-sized 31mm model is a bit too small, then the now discontinued 34mm Rolex Date may be the perfect watch for you.

The five-digit ref. 180XX range brought the replica Rolex Day-Date its original high beat movement – the Cal. 3055 with a frequency of 28,800vph. What’s more, it consisted of a Quickset function, giving allowance for the day of the month in the three o’clock window to be advanced with the winding crown, without also adjusting the hands.
Repeatedly, it is the direct replacement for the ref. 1803 which is the least expensive. The ref. 18038 is rendered in solid 18k yellow gold and has the same fluted bezel with a big variety of different dial colors and materials. A popular model upon its release, and particularly in certain parts of the country, it was the ref. 18038 which earned the Day-Date yet another nickname; the Texas Timex.  
The difference in price between this replica watch and the previous one is slight. At the lowest end of the scale, you should have no trouble tracking down pieces with matching gold President bracelets starting at just a couple thousand dollars above comparable examples from the previous generation.
The ref. 18038 has an altogether more modern feel than the ref. 1803. The dials are now flat instead of being of the ‘pie pan’ style of the previous generation, and the crystal is now made from scratch-resistant sapphire rather than being crafted from acrylic.
However, reference 18038 wasn’t in production for as long as its predecessor. As its Quickset feature only freed up the date numeral it was apparent what the next development was going to be. In 1988, a new generation of the fake Rolex Day-Date President emerged, driven by a more advanced movement.
Taken together, it stands to reason that no one but the super-rich should have access to every example of the flambeed old statesman. In reality, however, you can easily find iterations whose prices are well understood by a wider audience. Here’s a look at which Rolex presidential references offer the best value.

Famous as the “The President’s Watch”, it has been worn by heads of state and captains of industry than just about any other since Lyndon Johnson’s favored timepiece in 1965, An instant success when it was launched nearly a decade earlier, it’s considered the final crowning achievement of replica Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf.
Its long association with the great and the powerful has meant, traditionally, the replica Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date has often had more than just a whiff of the establishment about it. Soon, it entered the mainstream. The likes of Justin Timberlake and LeBron James have been seen sporting yellow gold versions, and it has proved its versatility as a unisex model by adorning the likes of Nicki Minaj, Victoria Beckham, and the Kardashians. 
The appeal of the modern Day-Date is now as universal as it’s possible to be—what was once found mostly in the Oval Office or around the boardroom table is today also the preferred watch of the Dalai Lama.
Together with the bigger case, 2015’s 40mm Day-Date introduced a new caliber, the 3255. It’s an in-house movement, very loosely based on the 3155 still found in the watch’s smaller brother, but with 90% of the components reworked and upgraded. It contains Rolex’s own nickel-phosphorus Chronergy escapement that’s impervious to magnetic interference as well as an optimized blue Parachrom hairspring that offers 10 times greater shock resistance than traditional mechanisms. All the modifications to the 3255 add up to a power reserve of 70 hours, as against the 48 of its predecessor.
It’s the movement that gives any watch its heart, and it’s especially true for the Day-Date. The ‘miracle at midnight’, the nickname was given to that instantaneous jump in the two calendar windows every 24 hours, is as impressive today as it’s always been. In an age of digital wizardry, seeing the date in the 3 o’clock aperture and the day at 12 o’clock tick over in milliseconds and knowing it’s a machine-driven process is a bit like going to the movies.
There’s no doubt the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date replica is a statement watch, and its vast range of styles gives wearers an almost unlimited amount of control over just how loud that statement is. And the relatively small variation in the sizes—36mm to 40mm—makes a disproportionately large difference.
A platinum or white gold 36mm piece remains an under-the-radar, subtle declaration of someone who has left their mark on the world, while 40mm of yellow or Everose gold with diamond indexes and bezel says something completely different.
Even the bracelet choice speaks volumes. Now available on the Oyster band or with a leather strap, originally the fake Rolex Day-Date was launched with the specifically designed ‘President’s Bracelet’, from where it gained its unofficial nickname. Supremely flexible, the three precious metal links on the President’s band contain ceramic inserts to increase durability.