Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1987 Reference No: 18038 Movement No: 1'751'921 Case No: 9'675'344 Model Name: Day-Date "Stella" Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Dimensions: 35.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
Ever glamorous, the Day-Date model delights with its myriad of dial, bracelet, bezel and gold-finished designs. This superlative Day-Date is fitted with a beautiful baby pink "Stella" dial. Preserved in almost pristine condition, the dial impresses with its beautiful finish. There are no cracks on the dial, and the luminous dots are intact throughout. Dazzling and shining, it is a truly impressive timepiece.
Presented in 1978, reference 18038 introduced a quick set date function (made possible with the caliber 3055) and sapphire crystal - two upgrades from reference 1803, which was fitted with an acrylic crystal and did not allow the wearer to simply change the date by pulling out the crown halfway.
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.