Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1980 Reference No: 18038 Movement No: 0'325'868 Case No: 6'306'709 Model Name: Day-Date Material: 18K yellow gold and diamonds Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Versatile, creative and playful, the Day-Date is one of Rolex’s models that has seen the most variations since its launch in 1956. According to Rolex always produced in precious metal such as gold or platinum, sometimes adorned with precious stones or colourful dials, the Day Date is a model that embodies flamboyance and exuberance.
Made for the Sultanate of Oman, the present watch most notably displays a "Qaboos" at 6 o'clock. When found anywhere on a watch, this signature signifies an important object of royal provenance. Such watches were commissioned by the Sultan of Oman, an important collector in his own right, to be offered as gifts to foreign dignitaries and loyal staff.
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.