Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII Geneva Saturday, May 13, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: 1990
    Reference No: 18248, stamped 18200 inside case back
    Movement No: 5'554'300
    Case No: E'207'521
    Model Name: Day-Date
    Material: 18k yellow gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18k yellow gold Rolex President with bark finished centre links, max length 200mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex concealed folding clasp
    Dimensions: 36mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by original Rolex product literature, burgundy passport holder, hang tag, outer packaging and fitted presentation box.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Rolex Day-Date potently mixes flair, creativity and charisma. Glamorous and luxurious, the Day-Date model is abundant with its myriad of dial, bracelet, bezel and gold-finished designs. Rolex has elevated its Day-Date models with materials such as rubellite, blood stone, coral, and even ferrite, like the present example, providing each time unusual and interesting design twist to the iconic model. Ferrite is a ceramic alloy with a surprising reflection, not dissimilar to meteorite, giving the dial a superbly graphic appearance.

    The “bark” finished bezel includes rectangular hour markers that line up perfectly with the applied Roman numerals on the dial creating a magnificent contract with the yellow gold present on the dial and around it from the case. To further balance the bezel, the Rolex President bracelet features bark-finished centre links, adding to its appeal. Cased at 36mm in diameter, the present reference 18248 Day-Date sits extremely well and comfortably on the wrist, with the additional "bark" accents giving the timepiece a certain appealing charm. The present example is fitted with Rolex’s calibre 3155, which features a double quickset function allowing for rapid adjustment of both the day and date.

    Preserved in excellent overall condition, the case presents itself with strong proportions and crisp hallmarks on the caseback, further underscoring its condition and rarity and making it a fine and unique addition certain not to be missed.

  • 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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148

Ref. 18248, stamped 18200 inside case back
A rare and attractive yellow gold calendar wristwatch with center seconds, ferrite dial and bark finished bracelet

1990
36mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed

Estimate
CHF15,000 - 30,000 
€15,600-31,200
$17,100-34,300

Sold for CHF31,750

Contact Specialist

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

+41 79 637 17 24
AGhotbi@phillips.com

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva

+41 79 460 55 88
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII

Geneva Auction 13 - 14 May 2023