Rolex Day-Date 18139 'Tridor Cartouche Bezel'

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Let’s say you’ve settled on getting yourself a Rolex Day-Date, but you just can’t make up your mind: yellow, rose, or white gold.. What’s a guy or gal to do? Well, how about all three? No, not three separate Day-Dates. All three colors in one neat package!There really isn’t a good explanation for why the ‘Tridor’ came to be, at least not one we’ve been able to ascertain. It rather seems to be the case of: if we can do it, then why the hell not? It’s hard to imagine that Rolex, known for its conservatism, would come up with this utterly weird hybrid of a Day-Date. But it really was available from the late 1970s until around the late 1990s.This reference 18138 ‘Tridor’ Day-Date features a 36 mm 18k white-gold case with factory-set diamond lugs. If that weren’t enough, the watch sports a special bezel that was only available as a special order for a few years in the 1980s. These bezels were factory-set with brilliant cut diamonds and featured a cartouche at the 6 o’clock position bearing the inscription “ROLEX”. The iconic President bracelet, meanwhile, is executed in two 18k white gold outer links and a center link that consists of alternating bands of rose, yellow, and white gold.The eclectic mix of design cues doesn’t stop at the at case and bracelet but can be found on the dial as well. In 1985, Rolex celebrated its 80th birthday and the iconic Datejust turned 40. To mark these occasions, Rolex introduced an anniversary ‘Jubilee’ dial with a repeating monogrammed Rolex pattern. The Jubilee dial on this 18139 is executed in a warm champagne color and features two cartouches at the 6 and 12 positions with the Rolex signature and the Day-Date identifier. The dial also sports lovely brilliant cut diamond indices at the hour positions and an uncommon day disc in the Catalan language.This ref. 18139 dates back to 1985 and runs on the update caliber 3055 automatic movement with a handy quickset date function. The watch is in excellent condition with a thick case, sharp lines and tight President 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.Like its predecessors, the 18xxx Day-Dates were available with different bezel and case decorations. The most common references are:

  • Ref. 18026: Domed bezel (platinum)
  • Ref. 18028: Domed bezel
  • Ref. 18038: Fluted bezel
  • Ref. 18039: Fluted bezel (white gold)
  • Ref. 18046: Diamond-set bezel and index (platinum)
  • Ref. 18048: Diamond-set bezel and index
  • Ref. 18049: Diamond-set bezel and index (white gold)
  • Ref. 18078: Bark-finished bezel in yellow gold (usually paired with President bracelet with bark-finished centerlinks)
  • Ref. 18079: Bark-finished bezel in white gold (usually paired with President bracelet with bark-finished centerlinks)

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.