Rolex Datejust Ref 16238 Onyx Dial

Straight Facts

There are levels to collecting. For starters, this is a solid-gold Datejust which makes it incredibly rare to begin with - Rolex did not make a lot of these so it didn’t compete with its more expensive sibling, the solid-gold only Day-Date. Not only is this one such example of a solid gold Datejust, but this also houses a factory stone dial. Throughout the years Rolex produced a number of highly exclusive, limited production, stone dials. These were dials made from shaved down pieces of Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Coral, and in this case - Onyx. These dials were fragile and difficult to work with - but when they got it right they offer such depth and natural beauty it easy to see why collectors lust for these pieces. While these were also made as Day-Dates, we actually prefer the cleaner dial of the Datejust which allows for more of the Onyx to come through and created a blackout effect. The present example features an untouched original case, and thanks to the sands of time has developed a jaw-dropping oxidized patina to the solid gold. Finished off with a matching 18K Yellow gold hidden clasp jubilee bracelet - and you have a very special watch indeed.

*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting.