Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1988 Reference No: 18038 Case No: 9'801'897 Model Name: Day-Date Material: 18k yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, 3055 Bracelet/Strap: Rolex President, end links numbered 55 Clasp/Buckle: Concealed deployment clasp Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter Signed:Movement, dial, case and bracelet signed Literature: The present lot is illustrated in Day Date, The Presidential Rolex by Pucci Papaleo, Spin Edizioni
Catalogue Essay
Despite the extremely difficult manufacturing process, Rolex produced for a short period of time a limited number of natural stone dials. Amongst these, certainly one of the most prestigious produced, is the coral stone dial. This extraordinar ultra-rare yellow gold Day-Date features a soft-coloured coral dial, known as ‘angel skin’ and regarded as possibly the only one known.Manufactured in 1988, the case and bracelet exhibit perfectly intact shapes and originally preserved brushed surfaces, illustrating its exceptional, mint overall condition.The coral dial Day-Date has been named as the “Gulda” by collectors, as a tribute to the famous Austrian pianist Friedrich Gulda, who wore this version during his performances.
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.