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921

Rolex

Ref. 18038

Day-Date

A very fine, rare and attractive gold automatic wristwatch with sweep centre seconds, day, date, pink Stella dial and bracelet, A.K.A "Marilyn"

Estimate
HK$200,000 - 300,000
€21,800 - 32,600
$25,000 - 38,000
HK$437,500
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Rolex
Year
Circa 1983
Reference No
18038
Case No
8'049'352
Model Name
Day-Date
Material
18k gold
Calibre
Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
18k gold <em>Rolex President</em> bracelet, max. length 190mm
Clasp/Buckle
18k gold <em>Rolex</em> concealed deployant clasp
Dimensions
36mm diameter
Signed
<em>Case, dial and movement signed</em>
Catalogue Essay
Pink Stella dials are among the most rare, and finding an example is such exquisite condition as the present one is extremely unusual. Not only the dial is pristine, but the case as is unpolished, still retaining the original factory sticker to the case back. From the fullness of the lugs to sharpness of the edges, it is obvious we are in presence of one of these rare instances in which the case of the watch has never been touched. The presence of minor surface marks is exactly what one should expect from the never-restored case of 34-years-old wristwatch, and further confirms the unadulterated nature of this timepiece.

Such attractive and original condition have in fact prompted legendary Rolex scholar Pucci Papaleo to include the piece in his anthology of the Day-Date model: Day-Date The Presidential Rolex. The pink tonality of the dial probably coupled with the supreme attractiveness of the piece prompted him to dub the piece "Marylin".

Rolex

Swiss | 1905
Founded 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.
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