Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1979 Reference No: 18038 Movement No: 0'245'637 Case No: 5'988'188 Model Name: Day-Date "Stella" Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex President bracelet, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex Service Guarantee dated March 1 2023.
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 coral lacquer "Stella" dial.
Vibrant and incredibly luxurious, the dial is preserved in excellent condition and does not display any cracks. Furthermore the luminous dots remain red and intact. The case displays sharp edges and crisp hallmarks beneath the lugs. The bracelet is rigid and preserved in excellent condition.
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.