Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: THREE Geneva Saturday, May 14, 2016 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: 1989
    Reference No: 18238 further stamped 18200 stamped on the case back
    Movement No: 5'080'534
    Case No: L370'737
    Model Name: Day-Date
    Material: 18k yellow gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18k yellow gold Rolex President, reference 8385, end links stamped 55B, max length 180mm.
    Clasp/Buckle: Concealed deployant crown clasp
    Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    The reference 18238 was the first Day-Date to feature the “Double Quick Set” mechanism, introduced with the superb, in-house Rolex caliber 3155. This significant improvement allows the rapid and instantaneous setting of both the day and the date indications by turning the crown.

    What makes this particular 18238 special however is its “Porcellanato” dial – a deep white lacquer that appears to be made of porcelain. Produced only between 1988 and 1989, this type of dial can be found on the earliest and most desirable Cosmograph Daytona watches with automatic winding, but it’s the first time we see such a dial on a Day-Date. Consistent with Rolex production numbers, the porcelain dial has only be found fitted in watches with ‘R’ serial numbers, or like for the present watch, with ‘L’ serial numbers. Of course, its desirability is elevated to an even higher level, thanks to its Royal provenance. Found on the caseback, a coveted Khanjar emblem is prominently engraved on the case back, making it a Day-Date of high importance - and a worthy addition to the world’s finest collections.

  • Artist Biography

    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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183

Ref. 18238 further stamped 18200 stamped on the case back
An extremely rare and attractive yellow gold calendar wristwatch with white porcelain-coated dial, made for the Sultanate of Oman

1989
36mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 30,000 
€18,400-27,500
$20,600-30,900

Sold for CHF25,000

Contact Specialist
Nathalie Monbaron
+41 22 317 81 83

The Geneva Watch Auction: THREE

Geneva Auction 15 May 2016