Five Alternatives to the Rolex Day-Date President Watch

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date "President" watch has long been popular with U.S. Presidents and other leaders around the world. Lyndon Johnson was the US President who popularized the watch. But, other presidents including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump have worn Rolex President watches.

Rolex Day-Date Presidential Watch - Fabian Peiffer, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Since it's introduction in 1956, elements of this popular Rolex watch have worked their way into many other watch designs from a variety of brands around the world. 

Watches Inspired by Rolex

From merely inspired to obvious homage watches, we'll take a look at a few timepieces that clearly draw upon the Rolex Day-Date President for inspiration.

1. Bulova Classic Surveyor Watch

The Bulova Classic Surveyor is a quartz watch that incorporates all the day-date functionality into a rich looking quartz package. By omitting the fluted dial, this Bulova keeps away from being a direct copy, but keeps an upscale look that is very practical. As of this writing (June 2025), this Bulova is 46% off at this link on Amazon.com.

Bulova Classic Survey Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

Moving beyond the Bulova, you can bring in more and different design elements to evoke that classic look. It's interesting to see how different elements of the style come together for customers.

2. Mathey-Tissot Mathey 3 Automatic Watch

Named after one of the founders of Mathey-Tissot, flutes and a date cyclops join together on the styling Mathey-Tissot Mathey 3 Automatic watch for men. This watch brings together the flash of a fluted dial and a Swiss Automatic movement for a classy watch at a relatively low price.

Mathey-Tissot Mathey 3 Automatic (Amazon Photo)

If you want to nail the Rolex President look, you may have to dive deeper into homage watches. There are several that mimic the President look.

4. Peugeot 14K All Gold Plated Big Face Watch

If you need to nail the look and bring the bling. I think this Peugeot watch (available here on Amazon) really brings the look to every man's wrist at an affordable price. This watch is plated with 14-carat gold and is powered by a Seiko movement.

5. Cadisen Men's Miyota Automatic Day-Date Watch

This Cadisen also nails the look and provides a reliable Miyota Automatic movement with 100-meters of water resistance. It's a fun watch with a nice one-two combination punch of looks and capability. It gets 4.2 stars about of 5 in 72 reviews on Amazon. If gold feels like too much flash for you, Cadisen has several color and dial combinations that allow you to tone it down a bit. This gives you a chance to enjoy the light playing across the flutes and all the functionality of the watch without looking like a complete clone.

If you like the look of this watch, you can check it out here on Amazon. 

None of these watches will ever have the same meaning as a genuine Rolex President. Like it or not, Rolex (and particularly the President) symbolize achievement, authority, and power. It's an ultimate status symbol watch. However, when you step back from the Rolex crown and all the prestige and mystique surrounding a real Rolex, it's clear that the beauty and functionality of the original Rolex design still shines through in these homage timepieces.

[Are you intrigued by other Rolex designs? Are you saddled with the budget of a mere mortal? Don't worry, here are some watches that might be affordable alternatives to a Rolex Explorer.]