115
Rolex
Ref. 18038 inside caseback repeated with serial number 5'907'160
Day-Date "Stella"
A highly rare, unusual and attractive calendar wristwatch with flamingo "Stella" dial and center seconds
- Estimate
- CHF20,000 - 40,000€18,800 - 37,500$20,800 - 41,600
CHF52,500
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1979
- Reference No
- 18038 inside caseback repeated with serial number 5'907'160
- Movement No
- 0'247'475
- Case No
- 5'907'160
- Model Name
- Day-Date "Stella"
- Material
- 18K yellow gold
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Leather
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel pin buckle
- Dimensions
- 36mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial and movement signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
Among the most collectible of all Day-Dates are ones fitted with lacquer "Stella" dials. Translucent yet vibrant, "Stella" dials offer so much exclusivity to the wearer, as no two are exactly the same in appearance. Rolex adorned their Day-Date watches with a variety of dials, ranging from yellow to mint green. One of the rarest and most sought after are pink colored ones, such as the present example.
Displaying a beautiful and dazzling flamingo "Stella" dial, the present watch is beautiful and unusual. It exhibits a bright and dazzling tone, and most notably does not have any cracks throughout. Due to their fragile nature, lacquer dials are particular delicate, yet this one has aged gracefully over time. Furthermore, the case has been preserved in excellent condition with crisp hallmarks beneath the lugs and sharp gold marks.
Most interestingly, the inside caseback displays the serial number of the watch. Furthermore, there is a small "hole" near the outer edge of the case back, similar to that of special order timepieces. One can thus conclude that the present watch was originally destined to be among a batch of special order wristwatches, which further adds another level of collectibility.
Displaying a beautiful and dazzling flamingo "Stella" dial, the present watch is beautiful and unusual. It exhibits a bright and dazzling tone, and most notably does not have any cracks throughout. Due to their fragile nature, lacquer dials are particular delicate, yet this one has aged gracefully over time. Furthermore, the case has been preserved in excellent condition with crisp hallmarks beneath the lugs and sharp gold marks.
Most interestingly, the inside caseback displays the serial number of the watch. Furthermore, there is a small "hole" near the outer edge of the case back, similar to that of special order timepieces. One can thus conclude that the present watch was originally destined to be among a batch of special order wristwatches, which further adds another level of collectibility.
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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