Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XI Geneva Sunday, June 28, 2020 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1982
    Reference No: 18038
    Movement No: 0735087
    Case No: 7'388'008, retailer number 735449+Z3
    Model Name: Day-Date "Stella"
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet stamped "55" to the endlinks, max length 195mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex hidden deployant clasp stamped "J6" and "8385"
    Dimensions: 35.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    Ever glamorous, the Day-Date model delights with its myriad of dial, bracelet, bezel and gold-finished designs. This superlative Day-Date is fitted with a beautiful light blue "Stella" dial. Preserved in almost pristine condition, the dial impresses with its beautiful finish. There are no cracks on the dial, and the luminous dots are intact throughout and have acquired a charming vanilla hue. Adding extra appeal is the fact that scratched under the lug one can find the Beyer inventory numbers demonstrating that the watch was retailed by the famed Zurich based retailer, which further explains the German calendar.

    Dazzling and shining, it is a truly impressive timepiece and a remarkable representative of the “Stella” family. First introduced to the market in the 1970s, it is very likely these dials wanted to capture the carefree and glitzy vibe of the seventies through shiny lacquered dials (Stella means star in Italian, a nod to the radiance of the dial). 

    Presented in 1978, reference 18038 introduced the quick set date function (made possible with the caliber 3055) and sapphire crystal - two upgrades from reference 1803, which was fitted with an acrylic crystal and did not allow the wearer to swiftly change the date by pulling out the crown halfway.

    In overall very appealing condition the present Day-Date with light blue dial is glamorous, sophisticated and functional.

  • 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. 18038
A very rare and extremely attractive yellow gold automatic wristwatch with center seconds, day, date, blue Stella dial, German calendar and bracelet

Circa 1982
35.5mm Diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 30,000 
€18,500-27,800
$21,900-32,800

Sold for CHF52,500

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XI

Geneva Auction 27 - 28 June 2020