115
Rolex
Ref. 18039, inside caseback stamped 18000
Day-Date
A surprising and intriguing white gold calendar wristwatch with center seconds, special order dial and bracelet, made for Albilad Arabia Co. Ltd.
Full-Cataloguing
- Day and date
- Made for (and bearing the logo of) Albilad Arabia Co. Ltd.
- Featuring an extra-large logo
- Published in the book “Day-Date The Presidential Rolex” by Pucci Papaleo Editore
Rolex is well known, possibly more than any other brand, for partnering with companies or governmental entities and creating watches especially designed for the partnered entity, as wonderfully exemplified in this instance.
Many different logos can be found on Rolex dials, ranging from commercial ones (such as Pan-Am or Coca-Cola) to royal insignia (the Khanjar above all, but also emblems and signatures of other royals and countries) to military crests (the Polipetto immediately comes to mind). The present piece, however, distinguishes itself in this already rarified and hallowed category for two reasons. First, the emblem of Albilad Arabia Co. Ltd (a Saudi company which operated in various sectors, most notably hospitality, and was even a sponsor of the Williams-Ford F1 racing team between 1978 and 1981) is hardly ever seen on Rolex—or any other manufacturer’s—dials, making it one of the most unusual designs to grace a watch dial.
Secondly, the size of the logo is extremely unusual: while Rolex usually placed the logo at 6 o’clock—with some exceptions found at 12—the sheer size of the design in this instance makes it “overflow” from the bottom half of the dial into the top half. This is very uncommon, and in the case of most of the other known instances with a similar approach, the logo is that of royal families or military departments. The fact that this size is used for a company logo makes it even more outstanding. Intriguingly, other examples of Albilad Rolex dials are known bearing a smaller logo of “normal” size fully relegated to 6 o’clock: this prompts us to believe the extra-large design might indicate the watch was intended for a particularly important recipient—although if this speculation is correct, and who the recipient might be, will most likely remain shrouded in mystery forever.
The rarity and peculiarity of this timepiece are such that it was selected to be included in what is considered the “bible” of Day-Date collecting: Pucci Papaleo’s book Day-Date: The Presidential Rolex.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded 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.