149
Rolex
Ref. 18038
Day-Date
A rare and attractive yellow gold calendar wristwatch with wood dial, center seconds, and Garantie, made for the Sultanate of Oman
- Estimate
- CHF20,000 - 30,000€17,100 - 25,700$21,200 - 31,800
CHF30,000
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1979
- Reference No
- 18038
- Movement No
- 0'161'738
- Case No
- 5'729'435
- Model Name
- Day-Date
- Material
- 18K yellow gold and wood
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Leather
- Clasp/Buckle
- Gold plated Rolex buckle
- Dimensions
- 36mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
- Accessories
- accompanied by blank Rolex punched Garantie
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The present watch is a beautiful example featuring a briar root wood dial and a "Khanjar" emblem at 6 o'clock. During the 1970s, His Majesty Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Sultan of Oman, commissioned many watch manufacturers to create custom order pieces, many of which displayed the "Qaboos" or a "Khanjar" symbol. Rolex is best known for creating such special pieces. The combination of the Khanjar symbol contrasting against the flecks of brown wood is particularly stunning.
The crisp and sharp condition of this watch is especially noteworthy. Featuring bold and full proportions, the top of the lugs are very sharp. The bottom of the lugs display deep hallmarks. Furthermore, the original Rolex sticker is present on the caseback, showing how little if any intervention this watch has seen throughout its lifespan. The presence of the punched Rolex Garantie adds a final layer of appeal and collectability to this remarkable timepiece.
The crisp and sharp condition of this watch is especially noteworthy. Featuring bold and full proportions, the top of the lugs are very sharp. The bottom of the lugs display deep hallmarks. Furthermore, the original Rolex sticker is present on the caseback, showing how little if any intervention this watch has seen throughout its lifespan. The presence of the punched Rolex Garantie adds a final layer of appeal and collectability to this remarkable timepiece.
Literature
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
Browse Maker