Rolex - The New York Watch Auction: XI New York Saturday, December 7, 2024 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1993
    Reference No: 18389; inside caseback stamped 18200
    Movement No: 7’181’629
    Case No: W’012’679
    Model Name: Day-Date “Khanjar”
    Material: 18K white gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K white gold Rolex President bracelet, max overall length approx. 200mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Rolex concealed deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 36mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex punched guarantee dated November 22nd, 2000, guarantee pamphlet, leather wallet, additional non-OEM leather strap with steel buckle, Rolex suede pouch, hang tag, and wax seal.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Commonly referred to as the “President’s watch,” the Rolex Day-Date has garnered iconic status since its initial release in 1956. Predominantly encased in precious metals (with a few exceptions in stainless steel) the Day-Date is one of the most diverse range of wristwatches that Rolex has to offer, with examples in varying sizes, case and dial materials, dial configurations, and with dazzling gem-setting.

    Each Day-Date can be broken down into its constituent parts: dial, bezel, and case material. Different numbers in the reference number engraved between the lugs reflect the choice of case material and bezel choice. Rolex has always mixed and match these elements to create audacious outcomes, and the present 18389 can be broken down into such: 183 (Day-Date, the model), 8 (Gem-set, the bezel), and 9 (18K white gold, the case material).

    Three elements set this particular Day-Date beyond its already rare combination: one, the sapphire and diamond-set “string dial”; two, the presence of the engraved Khanjar on the caseback (part of a selection of watches made on special request from His Majesty Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Sultan of Oman, and presented as gifts to his closest dignitaries and servants); and three, the Arabic language day wheel that is rare in its own right and ties back to the Khanjar emblem.

    Such an aesthetically appealing and objectively rare Rolex timepiece is worthy of notice in today’s market, especially considering its outstanding state of preservation. One more element elevates its rarity and importance – the inclusion of a punched Rolex guarantee with country code for Oman and the Omani retailer Khimji Ramdas stamp.

  • 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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160

Ref. 18389; inside caseback stamped 18200
An exceptionally rare and interesting white gold and diamond-set calendar wristwatch with sapphire and diamond-set dial, Arabic day wheel, Khanjar logo, date, bracelet, and guarantee

Circa 1993
36mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

Estimate
$35,000 - 70,000 
CHF30,800-61,600
€32,800-65,600
HK$272,000-544,000

Sold for $93,980

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
watchesny@phillips.com

Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: XI

New York Auction 7 - 8 December 2024