Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIX Hong Kong Saturday, November 23, 2024 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1990
    Reference No: 18348, inside caseback stamped “18200”
    Movement No: 7’320’205
    Case No: E224’965
    Model Name: Day-Date
    Material: 18K yellow gold, diamonds and white enamel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, endlinks stamped “55B”, max length 195mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex concealed folding clasp stamped “8385” and “P6”
    Dimensions: 36mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped D’Amore Jewelers, U.S.A. dated 9th May 1998, leather folio with notepads, 1998 -1999 calendar, service booklet, instruction manual, product literature, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    While most models featured a yellow gold case paired with a yellow gold bezel and champagne dial, some extremely rare iterations were fitted with diamond bezels, pavé diamonds, and colorful enamel dials. The “Carousel dials” of the ref. 18348 are among the rarest Day-Dates ever produced by Rolex. Among these, only a handful of iterations showcase the unusual and seldom-seen white enamel. Unlike the more commonly encountered green, blue, and red enamel, the elegant white enamel is tailored for purist collectors.

    This particular example is well-preserved, with its caseback retaining its green sticker. With only a limited number of combinations like this have appeared on the market for the ref. 18348, it is a true sight to behold. Accompanied by a full set of accessories originating from the United States, this watch is sure to impress dedicated Day-Date collectors seeking something truly exciting in both rarity and state of preservation.

  • 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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Ref. 18348, inside caseback stamped “18200”
An extremely rare and well-preserved yellow gold and diamond-set wristwatch with center seconds, day, date, pavé diamonds-set and white enamel dial, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box

Circa 1990
36mm diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed

Estimate
HK$210,000 - 400,000 
€24,600-46,800
$26,900-51,300

Sold for HK$330,200

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2030
WatchesHK@phillips.com
 

Gertrude Wong
Head of Sale, Hong Kong
+852 2318 2045
gertrudewong@phillips.com
 

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIX

Hong Kong Auction 23 - 24 November 2024