Bloodstone Dial 18039 Rolex Day-Date

Many of the most scarce stone dial Day-Dates share one thing in common: no indices. Why? Certainly, that makes it a bit tricky to glance the time. No, I choose to believe it’s more of an attitude: that Rolex believed once one owns a white gold President with a bloodstone dial, they may arrive anywhere at their own leisure. Or, perhaps more likely, it would be sacrilegious to interrupt the natural beauty of the material with furniture. For this extremely uncommon white gold case with bloodstone dial, it surely must be both.

In fact, when I say extremely uncommon, there are now only 3 known bloodstone examples in white gold. One in Pucci Papeleo’s book on the Day-Date, one previously sold through our friends at Amsterdam Vintage Watches, and this most recent finding from Menta Watches. Bloodstone is almost always seen in a yellow gold case. But what is it? ‘Bloodstone’ is a chalcedony called heliotrope with veins of iron hematite. To you and I, that’s a type of green quartz with some red in it. But it isn’t the red or the green on this dial that’s interesting, it’s the white. We know this dial was born for this case and not the vastly more common yellow gold because its printed script is not the usual gold but white. So too are the matched white gold aperture surrounds.

Rarity alone often makes something desirable. But this 18039 has more than that; the materials suit each other. Let me explain. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to order Kobe from differing restaurants, you’ll know this. Lesser chefs often feel the need to still dress it up. They may offer spices or a dipping sauce, or god forbid make it a hamburger. Chefs who respect the tradition will often just tell you the grading and cook it to your preference, no more. When you know you have something exceptional, you let it do its own talking. The warm neutral tone of white gold allows for the dial’s rich emerald and ruby to be the focus. Whatever restaurant the next owner of this Day-Date frequents, I’ll bet they’ll not need to make a reservation. Because they’ll be living on their own—quite hard to decipher—time.

Moreover, the condition is right up there as well. The case has light wear but full lugs, a sharp bezel edge, and is said to be unpolished. It looks it. The dial has a few tiny hairlines, which should be noted. This is not uncommon but one will want to be gentle with it. It comes on its original white gold bracelet from a well-regarded Miami retailer.

Find this Bloodstone 18039 here from Menta Watches for 115000 USD.