Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1980 Reference No: 18038 Movement No: 0'646'383 Case No: 6’654’541 Model Name: Day-Date "Stella" Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, end links stamped 55, max. length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex concealed deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
The present Rolex Day/Date- in very appealing condition- presents two elements that truly set it apart.
It features on the one hand a lovely burgundy “Stella” lacquer dial that has captivated collectors worldwide for decades. On the other hand, on left side of the dial one can notice the Khanjar - Oman’s national emblem, composed of a dagger in sheath superimposed upon two crossed swords, meaning that this piece was made on commission for the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.
Such watches bearing the Khanjar were given as gifts to close high-ranking officials or foreign dignitaries. According to scholarship, the tradition of gifting watches by His Majesty began following his defeat of the Dhofar Rebellion working in partnership with the British government. As an expression of his gratitude to the teams of Britain’s elite Special Forces branch, the SAS, he presented “Khanjar” watches to the SAS soldiers who were instrumental in defeating the rebellion.
Shortly after the victory, His Majesty commemorated the occasion by surmounting the Khanjar with a crown. All watches made for him since then feature this attractive, crowned Khanjar. His Majesty ascended the Omani throne in 1970 and passed away in 2020.
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.