183
Rolex
Ref. 18238 further stamped 18200 stamped on the case back
Day-Date
An extremely rare and attractive yellow gold calendar wristwatch with white porcelain-coated dial, made for the Sultanate of Oman
- Estimate
- CHF20,000 - 30,000€18,400 - 27,500$20,600 - 30,900
CHF25,000
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- 1989
- Reference No
- 18238 further stamped 18200 stamped on the case back
- Movement No
- 5'080'534
- Case No
- L370'737
- Model Name
- Day-Date
- Material
- 18k yellow gold
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- 18k yellow gold Rolex President, reference 8385, end links stamped 55B, max length 180mm.
- Clasp/Buckle
- Concealed deployant crown clasp
- Dimensions
- 36mm. Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The reference 18238 was the first Day-Date to feature the “Double Quick Set” mechanism, introduced with the superb, in-house Rolex caliber 3155. This significant improvement allows the rapid and instantaneous setting of both the day and the date indications by turning the crown.
What makes this particular 18238 special however is its “Porcellanato” dial – a deep white lacquer that appears to be made of porcelain. Produced only between 1988 and 1989, this type of dial can be found on the earliest and most desirable Cosmograph Daytona watches with automatic winding, but it’s the first time we see such a dial on a Day-Date. Consistent with Rolex production numbers, the porcelain dial has only be found fitted in watches with ‘R’ serial numbers, or like for the present watch, with ‘L’ serial numbers. Of course, its desirability is elevated to an even higher level, thanks to its Royal provenance. Found on the caseback, a coveted Khanjar emblem is prominently engraved on the case back, making it a Day-Date of high importance - and a worthy addition to the world’s finest collections.
What makes this particular 18238 special however is its “Porcellanato” dial – a deep white lacquer that appears to be made of porcelain. Produced only between 1988 and 1989, this type of dial can be found on the earliest and most desirable Cosmograph Daytona watches with automatic winding, but it’s the first time we see such a dial on a Day-Date. Consistent with Rolex production numbers, the porcelain dial has only be found fitted in watches with ‘R’ serial numbers, or like for the present watch, with ‘L’ serial numbers. Of course, its desirability is elevated to an even higher level, thanks to its Royal provenance. Found on the caseback, a coveted Khanjar emblem is prominently engraved on the case back, making it a Day-Date of high importance - and a worthy addition to the world’s finest collections.
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.
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