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

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1996
    Reference No: 18238
    Movement No: 7'568'093
    Case No: T427896
    Model Name: Day-Date
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, max length 195mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex concealed folding clasp
    Dimensions: 36mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by undated Rolex guarantee stamped Lotte Pusan Duty Free Shop, South Korea, green card holder, hang tag, product literature, two Rolex notepads, box and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Embraced by collectors, the Day-Date reference 18238 offered a combination of practicality and a new array of aesthetics. Launched in 1988, the reference was the first to incorporate a double quick-set function for its day and date adjustments whilst retaining its classic good looks. The firm elevated it to the zenith by daring to include exotic materials such as rubellite, blood stone, coral, and fossil to cite a few examples, providing an unusual design twist to this already iconic watch.

    The present Rolex Day-Date reference 18238 from circa 1996 features an extremely rare and desirable white cacholong dial with diamond-set indexes. Cacholong, also known as white opal, is an incredibly rare stone and to date, only a handful of examples have ever appeared on the auction market. Hardstone dials from Rolex wristwatches have always been a fan favourite due to its due colours, textures, patterns, uniqueness, and rarity. It requires extreme precision and dedication to execute such mesmerizing dial.

    This rare variant of reference 18238 is fitted with a most probably unpolished case with clean and sharp edges and a dial that presents no cracks or fissures. All crisp hallmarks are present on the caseback, further underscoring its condition and rarity. Furthermore, it is accompanied by its full set of accessories, retaining its caseback sticker, providing another element of collectability.

  • 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.

    View More Works

152

Ref. 18238
An incredibly rare and exquisite yellow gold calendar wristwatch with white cacholong dial, bracelet, caseback sticker, guarantee, presentation box and outer packaging

Circa 1996
36mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 40,000 
€20,800-41,600
$22,800-45,700

Sold for CHF35,560

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