Manufacturer: Rolex
Year: 2005
Reference No: 118238, caseback interior stamped 2098
Case No: D675’787
Model Name: Day-Date
Material: 18K yellow gold
Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet with concealed clasp, stamped 83208, overall length 200mm
Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp stamped 15/304 and OP6
Dimensions: 36mm diameter
Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Accessories: Accompanied by brown leather Rolex presentation box (lacking the insert).
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex Day-Date has a storied history reaching back 66 years to when it was first released in 1956. It remains one of the brand’s most elegant and popular models, and similar to Rolex tool watches like the Submariner, GMT-Master, and Daytona, it is still produced today, gracefully evolving over the years with improved watchmaking and updated design aesthetics.

The Day-Date was the first model to include the full name of the day at 12 o’clock and a date aperture at 3 o’clock. The semi-circular link bracelet, officially named “President,” is as iconic as the watch itself. The original references 6510 and 6511 were replaced by the famed reference 1803 in 1959 with a sporty 36mm diameter case, fluted bezel, and gold President bracelet, and offered in yellow, white, and rose gold, and platinum. In 1977, Rolex introduced a new generation model with the caliber 3055 with quickset date, which was upgraded again in 1988 with the caliber 3155, allowing quick set for both the date and day. Rolex released the 118xxx series in 2000 in a variety of design types with different dial types and available in gold and platinum, making the Day-Date on of the most diverse Rolex models.

The present model in yellow gold features a lovely charismatic hard-stone Onyx dial providing for an elegant and contemporary appeal. The midnight black onyx dial contrasts with the yellow gold of the case providing a powerful aesthetic, which is enhanced by minimal graphics. It is exceptionally well-preserved, hardly ever worn, even retaining its original green sticker on the case back.

The Day-Date is one of the most sought after wristwatches available today. It is a timepiece with panache and is excellent for daily wear.
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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