Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1978 Reference No: 18028 Case No: 5'425'013 Model Name: Day-Date Material: 18k gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18k gold Rolex President bracelet, max. length 185 mm Clasp/Buckle: 18k gold Rolex concealed deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
The present piece is an extremely attractive example of Day-Date with onyx dial. A true canvas for the unbridled imagination of Rolex designers, the Day-Date has been produced in a myriad of variation (lacquered dial, hardstone dial, engine-turned dial, texured or stone-set case and bracelets, etc.).
The present iteration is arguably one of the most elegant. The minimalist black dial downplays the luxurious gold case and bracelet, and furthermore offers the ideal background for the gold hands, granting immediate and crystal-clear legibility.
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.