Rolex Day-Date 18058

A Day-Date with princess cut gemstones on the bezel: only a handful of these 18058s are known.

It is not entirely uncommon for Day-Dates to flaunt precious stones on the bezel, albeit coming at a considerably premium back in the days. Usually the brilliant-cut is used, but only very rarely baguette or princess cut can be found. Last mentioned is what is used on the 18058: a highly faceted square cut stone. The princess cut looks fairly similar to a brilliant cut, but has been adapted to a different shape; embracing its scintillating brilliance.

If you check out the auction history of this illustrious reference, you will find merely one sale; of the exorbitant amount of 750.000 euro. This one is considerably less valuable since it does not feature a, so-called, rainbow setting; but arguably sports a more wearable configuration. The sapphires used in the bezel make an appearance as hour markers on the pave dial too. Complimenting the deep blue day and date disc, a feature reserved for pieces from their crown-collection. To prevent interrupting the glitter on the exquisitely crafted dial, the brandname and coronet are added on the inside of the sapphire crystal. To increase visibility for reading the time -against this flashy background- a black handset is mounted.

The bracelet is a no-nonsense President, with a date stamp corresponding to the production period of the watch. The historical retail value of this exact configuration was more than quintuple a "regular Day-Date" as it was one of the costliest offerings. No wonder the watch has been carefully enjoyed by the previous owner. It remains in very strong condition for a 40 year old wristwatch.

If you appreciate a diamond and sapphire set Day-Date, you might want to take a closer look at this gem. If you don’t like such a factory-bejeweled timepiece, we suggest to educate yourself in the aesthetic understanding of things. This pretentious caption is brought to you by a pica pica.