Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18038 - 'Coral' Dial
When the Day-Date was released in 1956, it was the only complicated Rolex for sale. Hard to believe, but after numerous References and attempts to capture the market with more complicated timepieces, it seemed like buyers were not particularly fond of Rolex’s previous attempts at complicated wristwatches. All of that changed when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was spotted wearing one Rolex in particular: a Day-Date. The model has since become known worldwide as ‘The President’ and as a symbol of success and prestige.
The Day-Date was available for many years on a leather strap with a matching gold buckle, but also on a solid gold bracelet (called a 'President' bracelet), like the example that we have here.
However, this isn't your run of the mill Day-Date...
The piece that we have here features a striking, orange 'coral' stone dial, which belongs to a family of watches produced with a series of rare and exotic stones. These dials are as rare as they are beautiful to behold. Produced for a limited time these dials were handmade by artisans — something we don't usually associate with the sports watches that Rolex is known for — and have always been coveted as some of the more collectible vintage Rolexes, full stop.
This example comes to us with a lightly previously polished case, remaining in excellent overall condition showing just light wear throughout and free of any over-polishing or significant blemishes. The 'fluted' yellow gold and bezel and 'President bracelet are in matching condition, showing previous polishing and light wear throughout. The highlight of this piece though, of course, is that vibrant pink-orange dial. Free from applied indices and luminous material, it features an applied coronet logo at the usual position and framed day and date apertures in gold and is complimented by a correct non-luminous gold handset. The dial itself exhibits hairline fracturing — largely vertical ones on the left side with one horizontal one starting at the 10 o'clock position and extending to the date window at 3 o'clock.
This ultimately allows for a significant discount to a perfect dial, and, frankly, the ability to wear it care-free!
Case
Condition
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Bracelet
Shipping & Returns
At Oliver & Clarke, domestic shipping is on us! If you are international and require a quote – please feel free to reach out to us at info@oliverandclarke.com so we can get you squared away.
Returns (accepted within 3 days of initial delivery of your purchase) must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. For payments via Credit Card, a 5% restocking fee will be in place for any returns or cancellations in order to cover our processing fee. Of course, watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
If you happen to trade a watch with us, which we welcome, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
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From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.
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