Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1991 Reference No: 18238 Movement No: 5'900'491 Case No: N141783 Model Name: Day-Date Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 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 guarantee dated October 07, 1992, product literature, presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Ever glamorous and luxurious, the Day-Date model delights with its myriad of dial, bracelet, bezel and gold-finished designs. The firm has elevated its Day-Date models with materials such as rubellite, blood stone, coral, and even fossil, providing an unusual design twist to the iconic model.
The present watch is a beautiful example featuring a briar root wood dial. The combination of yellow gold markers contrasting against the brown wood is particularly stunning.
The crisp and sharp condition of this watch is especially noteworthy. Featuring bold and full proportions, the top of the lugs are very sharp. The bottom of the lugs display deep hallmarks. The presence of the punched Rolex guarantee stating the watch was sold at Wempe and presentation box adds a final layer of appeal and collectability to this remarkable timepiece.
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.