Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18039 - Birchwood Dial
Straight Facts
When the Day-Date was released in 1956, it was the only complicated Rolex for sale. Hard to believe, but people didn’t want Rolex’s previous attempts at complicated wristwatches. All of that changed when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was spotted wearing the Rolex, and the watch became known as ‘The President’. An internationally known symbol of success and prestige, the Rolex Day-Date was available for many years on a strap or matching solid gold bracelet.
Like its less prestigious sibling the Datejust, The Day-Date was available with a wide variety and choice of bezels, finishes, and dials. The present example is fitted with an exceptionally well-preserved and extremely rare BIRCHWOOD dial - made from thin slices of Birch Veneer. These are far rarer and offer a very different color and texture than its more common Burlwood brethern and when paired with a white gold case are truly exceptional. When looking at the watch in direct light, you will notice that it has incredible depth of color that allows for the graining to really shine through in both natural, and direct light. It also adds a decidedly 1980s flair to the otherwise ‘normal’ 18K white gold Day-Date.
Beyond the Birchwood dial, this 18039 is fitted to that iconic Presidential bracelet, making this ‘single-quick’ a pleasure to use in daily life. The condition is truly exceptional throughout, with the outer track of this present example featuring beautifully printed gold markings, and no signs of wear or chipping. The concealed clasp Presidential has minimal signs of stretch, and the case is extremely well preserved, leading us to believe it is unpolished when taking into account the condition of the hallmarks. At about half the cost of a brand new 36mm Day-Date (and with a dial that Rolex hasn’t made in over a decade) this is a far more unique and special watch for every-day use or special occasions and you can say you have something in common with President Eisenhower. How’s that for bragging rights?
*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
Watch + Condition Details
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Shipping, Returns, & Warranty
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.
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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