249
Rolex
Ref. 18038 inside caseback stamped 18000
Day-Date
A rare and attractive yellow gold, diamond and ruby-set calendar wristwatch with center seconds, bracelet, champagne dial and box
- Estimate
- CHF15,000 - 25,000€12,900 - 21,400$15,900 - 26,500
CHF27,500
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1981
- Reference No
- 18038 inside caseback stamped 18000
- Movement No
- 0'353'672
- Case No
- 6'585'783
- Model Name
- Day-Date
- Material
- 18K yellow gold, diamonds and rubies
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, reference 8385, max length 195mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- 18K yellow gold concealed Rolex folding deployant clasp
- Dimensions
- 35.5mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
- Accessories
- Accompanied by original fitted box, service papers and product literature.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
From its introduction in 1956, the Day-Date has continued to embody the Rolex ethos of luxury and power. Myriad combinations were made possible by the variety of dials and case materials, the innumerable bezel patterns and the different bracelet assortments. This reference 18038 manufactured in 1981 exemplifies a perfectly balanced timepiece able to convey a visual aesthetic full of panache. This particular variation of Day-Date is characterized by the combination of a sapphire crystal and fluted bezel, and remained in production between 1977 and 1988.
The present 18038 holds those two characteristics and more. It sports a champagne dial set with ruby baguette hour markers and round-cut diamonds filling the gaps. It is further made exceptional by the condition of its case and bracelet and the complete nature of its presentation, with its original caseback sticker still prominently visible alongside the original factory finishes of the case. Undoubtedly luxurious without any sense of gaudiness, this Day-Date is sure to please the collector of all things precious and exceptional.
The present 18038 holds those two characteristics and more. It sports a champagne dial set with ruby baguette hour markers and round-cut diamonds filling the gaps. It is further made exceptional by the condition of its case and bracelet and the complete nature of its presentation, with its original caseback sticker still prominently visible alongside the original factory finishes of the case. Undoubtedly luxurious without any sense of gaudiness, this Day-Date is sure to please the collector of all things precious and exceptional.
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.
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