959

Rolex

Ref. 18038

Day-Date

A very fine and rare yellow gold wristwatch with center seconds, day, date indication, burgundy lacquer dégradé dial, diamond-set indexes, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box

Estimate
HK$120,000 - 240,000
€14,500 - 29,100
$15,400 - 30,800
Sold For
HK$203,200
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Rolex
Year
Circa 1987
Reference No
18038
Movement No
1’751’161
Case No
9’823’393
Model Name
Day-Date
Material
18K yellow gold
Calibre
Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, endlinks stamped “55”, max length 190mm
Clasp/Buckle
18K yellow gold Rolex concealed folding clasp, stamped “8385”
Dimensions
36mm diameter
Signed
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Accessories
Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped Zurich Watch Co. Ltd., Hong Kong dated 15th October 1987, instruction manual, product literature, 1987-1988 calendars, plastic card holder, hang tags, travel pouch, notebook, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
Read Conditions of Sale
Catalogue Essay
Adored by collectors due to its diverse spectrum of vibrant colours offered, the Rolex Stella Day-Date offers a fun and contemporary appeal to the firm’s robust luxury President’s model. Derived originally from a company by the name of Stella based in Châtelaine and Geneva, the company was responsible for supplying Rolex with a special type of lacquer used in these rare and exotic dials.

Released in 1978, the Day-Date ref. 18038 was the successor to the iconic ref. 1803 featuring for the first time a robust sapphire crystal replacing the former Plexiglas. Another practical upgrade was the introduction of a quickset function for the date through its new cal. 3055. The reference is also one of which where these rare and exotic Stella dials were fitted upon.

The present example Rolex Day-Date ref. 18038 from circa 1988 with an “R” serial features a wonderfully paired burgundy dégradé lacquered dial where the exotic reddish hue intensifies towards the edge of the dial. Against its yellow gold case, the appeal is simply sublime further enhanced with 10 diamond-set indexes. Offered with its full set of accessories and in attractive overall condition, the present example is surely a nice piece to wear casually on the weekend.

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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