Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1988 Reference No: 18049 Movement No: 2'015'378 Case No: R813021 Model Name: Day-Date Material: 18K white gold and diamonds Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K white gold Rolex President bracelet, max length 185mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex numbered hang tag, additional hang tag and guarantee.
Catalogue Essay
This superlative white gold Day-Date is set with diamonds on the bezel and the dial. Offered in unpolished condition, it displays sharp finishes to the top of the lugs and crisp hallmarks. Furthermore, this timepiece retains its original Rolex sticker on the caseback. It is accompanied by its original numbered tag and guarantee, adding another level of desirability.
Reference 18049 most notably displays a diamond-set bezel, denoted by the "4" in the reference number. It displays a sapphire crystal and is powered by the Day-Date caliber 3055. White gold Day-Dates are much rarer to come by than their yellow gold counterparts, underscoring the rarity of the present timepiece.
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.