Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XVI Geneva Saturday, November 5, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1978
    Reference No: 18038
    Movement No: 0'861'611
    Case No: 5'268'591
    Model Name: Day-Date
    Material: 18K yellow gold and wood
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 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 punched Rolex guarantee.

  • 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 adds a final layer of appeal and collectability to this remarkable timepiece.

  • 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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185

Ref. 18038
An incredibly well-preserved yellow gold calendar wristwatch with wood dial, bracelet and guarantee

Circa 1978
36mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 40,000 
€20,600-41,200
$20,000-40,100

Sold for CHF35,280

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East
+41 22 317 81 81
AGhotbi@phillips.com
 

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva
+41 22 317 96 63
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XVI

Geneva Auction 5 - 6 November 2022