Politician Ferdinand Martin Romualdez spotted wearing a Rolex

Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives and one of the most powerful political figures in the Philippines today, was recently spotted wearing a Rolex Day-Date 40 in 18-carat white gold, reference 228239, fitted with an olive green dial. The sighting places Romualdez firmly within a long tradition of heads of state and senior legislators who have gravitated toward what remains watchmaking's most politically loaded reference.

The Day-Date 40 ref. 228239 was introduced in 2015 as a 40mm evolution of the original 36mm Day-Date launched in 1956 — itself the first wristwatch to display both the date and the full day of the week spelled out. The white gold case houses Rolex's in-house calibre 3255, a manufacture movement featuring a Chronergy escapement, a Syloxi hairspring in silicon, and a 70-hour power reserve. It represents a substantial technical upgrade over the earlier calibre 3155, with 14 patents covering various components. The fluted bezel, characteristic of the white gold variant, remains one of the brand's most recognisable design signatures.

The olive green dial elevates the 228239 from standard presidential issue to something a more discerning collector notices. Rolex has expanded its lacquered and ombré dial palette significantly in recent years, and the olive green option sits alongside meteorite and onyx as one of the more singular choices — muted enough for statecraft, distinctive enough for those who know. On the President bracelet in white gold, the combination carries genuine visual weight without resorting to flash.

Romualdez, a member of one of the Philippines' most prominent political dynasties and a cousin of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, has served as Speaker since 2022. His public profile demands an image of institutional authority, and the Day-Date 40 — universally understood as a watch of executive power — fits that brief precisely. Rolex built the Day-Date's reputation through association with presidents and prime ministers across decades, and that symbolism has never fully detached from the reference.

On the grey market, the ref. 228239 in olive green commands a meaningful premium over retail given persistent demand and limited availability through authorised dealers. The white gold Day-Date 40 series remains one of the most stable stores of value in the Rolex catalog, resistant to the volatility that has affected steel sports models in recent years.