Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XII Geneva Saturday, November 7, 2020 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1978
    Reference No: 18048
    Movement No: 0'245'304
    Case No: 5'338'340
    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 185mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 36.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated 1978, product literature, cloth, presentation box and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Ever glamorous, the Day-Date model delights with its myriad of dial, bracelet, bezel and gold-finished designs. Since its inception in 1956, it remains one of the most surprising and diverse flagship models Rolex has ever produced. Apart from prototype models, the Day-Date has only been cased in precious metals, attesting to its glamor and prestige. This superlative Day-Date is fitted with a beautiful red lacquer "Stella" dial and diamond-set bezel that is indicated by "4" in the reference 18048.

    Preserved in excellent condition, the case displays crisp hallmarks beneath the lugs. Furthermore, it is accompanied by its original punched guarantee and presentation box which adds another layer of collectibility.

  • 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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12

Ref. 18048
A highly rare and attractive yellow gold and diamond-set automatic calendar wristwatch with red lacquer "Stella" dial, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box

Circa 1978
36.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF15,000 - 25,000 
€13,900-23,200
$16,300-27,200

Sold for CHF34,020

Contact Specialist

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

41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XII

Geneva Auction 6 - 7 November 2020