Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1980 Reference No: 18238 Movement No: 0'633'123 Case No: 6'262'675 Model Name: Day-Date Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex presentation box, note pad, product literature, presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Ever glamorous and luxurious, the Day-Date model delights with its myriad of dial, bracelet, bezel and gold-finished designs. The firm has elevated its Day-Date models with materials such as rubellite, blood stone, coral, and even fossil, providing an unusual design twist to the iconic model.
This rare variant of reference 18238 is fitted with a beautiful champagne dial. Preserved in excellent condition, all crisp hallmarks are present on the caseback, further underscoring its condition and rarity. Furthermore, it is even accompanied by its original box and Rolex notepad, adding another layer of collectibility.
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.