Rolex Day-Date 18038 'Lapis'

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For a long time, the most reliable way to produce blue paint was to ground down lapis lazuli. Due to its beautiful hue, and exorbitant price, Renaissance and Baroque painters used it almost exclusively to depict the robes of the Virgin Mary. It’s no surprise that this regal gemstone makes for a beautiful watch dial.

Stone dials are beautiful due to the natural variation of the stones used, but they’re also quite fragile. Many of them have developed cracks or rips over the years. Therefore, a flawless dial will increase the value greatly. This lapis dial is in faultless condition and the most desirable variation of lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli often occurs in nature with deposits of two other minerals: calcite (which shows as white veins in the stone) and pyrite (which look like gold veins). This dial contains almost no calcite deposits and some evenly spaced golden pyrite flecks. Stone dials typically contain no markers and together with the gold and gold applied Rolex coronet the dial takes on a mesmerizing ultramarine and gold hue.

This ref. 18038 comes in the classic Day-Date packaging: a 36 mm 18K yellow gold Oyster case, with an 18K yellow gold fluted bezel, and a matching 18K yellow gold President bracelet with a concealed clasp. 

This exceptional Day-Date dates back to 1986 and features a sturdy sapphire crystal as well as the caliber 3055 automatic movement with the convenient single-quickset function to quickly adjust the date. The watch is in excellent condition with sharp lines and a tight bracelet.

Introduction

Rolex Day-DateIn 1956, Rolex introduced one the most iconic watches ever made: the Day-Date. The Day-Date was the first waterproof self-winding chronometer certified wristwatch with a day and date function. And to top it off, it was only available in gold or platinum! Rolex also designed a new three-link bracelet, known as the ‘President,’ to pair with this special watch. With the exception of the most modern executions, the Day-Date comes exclusively in a 36mm case.Reference 18xxxThe arrival of the 18xxx series Day-Dates in 1978 ushered in the first signs of the ‘modern’ watchmaking era for Rolex. These Day-Dates were the first regular production Rolex watches to receive a sturdy and scratch resistant sapphire crystal. To accommodate the new crystal, the iconic Oyster case had to be increased in thickness as well, giving the Day-Date a more modern look.Other significant developments were the change from the beloved pie-pan dials to the new flat dials and the unveiling of a brand new movement. The caliber 3055 introduced a single-quickset function, which meant that the date could finally be adjusted separately from the time and date.

Specifications

Shipping

Packages are generally dispatched within 2 days after receipt of payment and are shipped within the Netherlands by Registered Mail through the Dutch carrier PostNL and for other countries by Fedex. Consult us if you prefer another method of shipping. For most destinations tracking is available.