109
Rolex
Ref. 18098
Day-Date
A possibly unique and extremely attractive yellow gold, ruby and diamond-set calendar wristwatch with center seconds and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Calendar
- Possibly unique reference 18098, previously unseen on the market (reference corresponds to rubies on the bezel)
- Offered in excellent overall condition
Among Rolex’s legendary watch models, the Day-Date stands apart as both a pioneering icon and an enduring emblem of luxury. Launched in 1956 as the brand’s first self-winding, waterproof calendar wristwatch displaying both the day and the date, the Day-Date represented a groundbreaking integration of technical innovation and elegant aesthetics.
A surprising and unusual discovery, the present watch bears the reference number 18098, a previously undocumented configuration. The watch has recently been serviced by Rolex, and the reference number is confirmed on the service receipt. It is believed that this reference designation refers to the ruby-set bezel, which lends the watch a distinctive and refined appearance. Complementing this feature is the ruby “string” setting on the champagne dial, echoing the rubies set on the bezel.
It is always a moment of celebration when a new and previously unknown configuration appears on the market, and the present timepiece is certainly no exception.
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.