Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18038 - 'Pinball' Dial Unpolished
When the Day-Date was released in 1956, Rolex had made numerous attempts to capture the market with more complicated timepieces such as the Ref. 6036, the Ref. 8171, and the Ref. 6062, but it seemed like buyers were not particularly fond of complicated Rolexes. 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. Simply put, this one stuck.
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.
This particular Day-Date, a Reference 18038, features one of the rarest dials ever fitted to an normal production, or 'on-menu' Day-Date. It is sunburst champagne in color but instead of your typical 'stick' or 'baton' indices, it features applied, solid yellow gold plots everywhere except the 6:00 and 9:00 positions, where there are rectangular indices. The resulting silhouette is more reminiscent of what you would find on something like the 'nipple dial' on the Submariner or GMT of the era! The dial itself remains in outstanding, seemingly-flawless condition, with fully-intact and evenly aged Tritium plots and a perfectly matching handset. The case is unpolished and shows normal signs of wear with only a few minor impressions and blemishes. The ubiquitous 'fluted' yellow gold bezel is also unpolished and retains crisp factory finishing. Last but not least, the matching 'President' bracelet is in matching unpolished condition and show matching normal wear with a few minor blemishes and virtually no 'stretch' to speak of.
This then, is a wildly rare piece, enhanced with an always handy 'quickset' date function, and the allure of an engraving on its caseback. It's a must if you are looking to add a Day-Date to a collection of many, or simply snag a sneaky rare piece that might not look like it from ten feet away.
Condition Report & Details
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Shipping, Returns, & Warranty
At Oliver & Clarke, we offer free global shipping on all orders over $150.
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.
We back each Oliver & Clarke timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty starting at the date of first delivery. We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended.
*Please note that due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, these machines may not run as accurately as they did when new, nor will any mechanical timepiece keep time as accurately as a quartz or electronic device.
We do not guarantee water resistance, thus do not warranty against moisture incursion or water damage.
*We also do not recommend deliberate exposure to water or worse - steam!
Our warranty is voided under the following circumstances:
- Internal or external damage caused by an accident, mishandling, abuse, modification, or handling/service performed by a third party individual other than one of our own.
Our warranty is non-transferable.
The Oliver & Clarke Guarantee
Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP.
Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.
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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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