Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1979 Reference No: 18046, stamped 18000 on case back Movement No: 1'532'986 Case No: 6'087'153 Model Name: Day-Date Material: Platinum Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Platinum Rolex President, max. length 185mm. Clasp/Buckle: Platinum folding clasp, stamped 8385 Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
The Day-Date is the perfect watch for all occasions, and has had great success since its unveiling at Basel in 1956.
The present reference 18046 from 1979 is in superb condition, and a rare find as it is encased in platinum. The pavé diamond dial is absolutely spectacular, and adorned with two baguette-shaped sapphires at 6 and 9 o’clock, surrounded by a diamond set bezel. This watch has a highly unusual Rolex logo appearing to float in the air, as it is printed on the underside of the crystal, as a result of the dial being completely encrusted with diamonds.
The watch is in exceptional condition, and is fitted with a platinum President bracelet displaying a concealed clasp with the Rolex coronet logo.
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.