18038, Day-Date, Onyx Dial, Yellow Gold

There is nothing quite like the stone dial Day-Date. Absent of any indices, this is a Day-Date which feels both more contemporary and daring than its standard dial peers of the late 1970s. This dial is Onyx, a dyed natural agate which creates an absolute blackness at all times on this dial. Where stones like Lapis or Rubellite have veins running through them, Rolex always used Onyx from the deepest segements of the stone, always deep-space black. This beautiful ref. 18038 sports a Spanish day disc and comes from 1979, with the full kit and papers noting original sale in Caracas.

Stone dials began as an experiment in the Day-Date and Datejust, following Stella and wood dials. They were the first Rolex dials to not bear indices of any type. Manufacturing stone dials proved fraught, as they were prone to fracture. It is said that one in every five attempts to create apertures would be a success. For these dials each aperture was then framed in faceted, matching gold. This is not seen in the standard dials. Onyx dials were signed first T Swiss T, then followed chronologically by this Swiss only. Most Swiss Made dials one will also find are Onyx service dials. Aside from the that, the primary thing to watch out for in all stone dials are fractures, of which this dial has none.

By the time the five-digit 18038 came to power, the Day-Date was already an institution. Rolex’s placement and marketing around Dwight Eisenhower, claiming simply ‘The President’s Watch’, had done its job. The other Rolex ad of the time that read ‘Men who guide the history of the world wear Rolex watches’ was proving to be true by the mid 1970s. If the Submariner was the instrument of divers and Daytona the instrument of racing, this was the instrument of power. The 18038 debuted in 1977, giving users more utility through a single quick-set date and, for the first time, sapphire crystal. The concealed clasp bracelet was the final pièce de résistance that separated all 18038s from the Datejusts of the era. 

The stone dial Day-Date has become a collecting category unto itself in the last decade, not dissimilar in many ways to the very early days Paul Newman collecting. The Day-Date has become synonymous with Rolex, in the same way that the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is synonymous with Patek Philippe. This is simply one of the most desirable categories of dial to ever appear within the model. 

This 18038 presents in excellent and very original condition. The case and bracelet are very full, sharp with great edges on all sides. There is light surface wear on every surface commensurate with occasional wear, but no major marks. The bracelet is quite tight as well. The Onyx dial has no hairlines anywhere. Though there are some scratches on the sapphire crystal. There is a very, very small hand touch, almost imperceptible to the naked eye just to the lower right of the Day aperture. This is a scratch and not a fracture. It would not be noticeable without close inspection and louping. We've done our best to photograph that bit in the macro dial shot. The dial is signed Swiss alone. Printed text is a bit faded, which was sometimes seen in examples which spent much time in the sun. It comes with a correct 8385 hidden clasp yellow gold bracelet. Its calibre 3055 is running well in specification.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.