Pick your green poison. In this case; a bright green Stella dial in a reference 18238 with stunning gold printing.

When we look at Stella dials we can only imagine what kind of psychedelic drugs, the Rolex design team must’ve been dabbling into that made them come up with the funky coloured Stella dials for their flagship model. These dials weren’t particularly popular. After all, you had to be a gentleman (or lady) of considerable means to be able to afford a Day-Date and it was unlikely that a person of that stature would wear a watch with such a loud dial. As a result, not many were made; and by now you should know that this is a parameter which collectors value highly.

Until recently, many thought it was a moniker used because of its shiny surface, as “Stella” translates to “star” in Italian. Another theory was that it was named after Frank Stella, an artist that used a lot of colors in his work. Whilst Stella dials are indeed shiny and colorful, the name derives from the supplier of the lacquer: a Swiss company called Stella S.A. Interestingly enough, “Stella dial” isn’t merely a nickname, Rolex themselves also labelled it as “Lacquered Stella” in internal documents, such as master catalogues.

When we take a look at this example; a pristine bright green Stella dial of the 4th and final generation kind, it just makes your mouth water. Most importantly: the lacquer is absolutely pristine, whereas many have developed cracks over the years. Moreover, its magnificence can be best enjoyed around the day and date window; where it clearly displays the thickness of the glaze. Lastly, the tritium luminous compound in the hands and the plots have aged to a beautiful matching color. Comparing it to its older brother we can definitely say that the golden print, on this example, creates a stunning contrast with the colour green.

This ref. 18238 dates back to 1994 and features the updated caliber 3155 automatic movement with the convenient double-quickset function to separately adjust the day and date discs. The 36 mm case is executed in 18k yellow-gold and is in excellent condition. The iconic President bracelet, with hidden folding clasp, is as good as new as it shows little to no stretch.