Reference:18048 - Revision history

Admin: Fact fix: Sotheby's Geneva 2023 lot 51 "Octopus" did not sell — replace placeholder with verified outcome

2026-08-04T00:39:22Z

Fact fix: Sotheby's Geneva 2023 lot 51 "Octopus" did not sell — replace placeholder with verified outcome

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:39, 4 August 2026
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	\| Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, lot 51		\| Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, lot 51
	\| black-lacquer diamond dial, "Octopus" bracelet, c.1981		\| black-lacquer diamond dial, "Octopus" bracelet, c.1981
	\| ~~published lot reference~~		\| not sold (est. CHF 40,000–60,000)
	\|-		\|-
	\| 2022		\| 2022

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-08-04T00:19:07Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:19, 4 August 2026
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	\|published_time=2026-06-16T02:10:45Z		\|published_time=2026-06-16T02:10:45Z
	\|modified_time=2026-08-~~03T14~~:26:~~14Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:10:38Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	\|titlemode=replace		\|titlemode=replace

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-08-04T00:10:38Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 4 August 2026
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	\|published_time=2026-06-16T02:10:45Z		\|published_time=2026-06-16T02:10:45Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~29T01~~:17:~~57Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-08-03T14:26:14Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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Admin: Fix cal-3155 successor: the diamond thread runs to 18348, not 18248 (18248 is the bark reference of that generation)

2026-08-03T14:26:14Z

Fix cal-3155 successor: the diamond thread runs to 18348, not 18248 (18248 is the bark reference of that generation)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:26, 3 August 2026
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	==Where it sits in the line==		==Where it sits in the line==

	The 18048 is the diamond-bezel member of the first 5-digit Day-Date generation, the sapphire-crystal continuation of the diamond thread that runs from the 4-digit [[Reference:1804\|1804]] through the 18048 to the caliber-3155 ~~18248~~. The 5-digit references split by metal and bezel: the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] is the yellow-gold fluted volume reference, the 18039 its white-gold version, and the diamond-bezel cases follow the same logic, 18048 in yellow gold, 18049 in white gold and 18046 in platinum. Everything behind the bezel is 18038: the same 36mm case, caliber 3055, sapphire crystal and President bracelet. The diamond bezel is the only thing that separates the 18048 from the volume reference, and the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] entry holds the shared account.		The 18048 is the diamond-bezel member of the first 5-digit Day-Date generation, the sapphire-crystal continuation of the diamond thread that runs from the 4-digit [[Reference:1804\|1804]] through the 18048 to the caliber-3155 18348. The 5-digit references split by metal and bezel: the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] is the yellow-gold fluted volume reference, the 18039 its white-gold version, and the diamond-bezel cases follow the same logic, 18048 in yellow gold, 18049 in white gold and 18046 in platinum. Everything behind the bezel is 18038: the same 36mm case, caliber 3055, sapphire crystal and President bracelet. The diamond bezel is the only thing that separates the 18048 from the volume reference, and the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] entry holds the shared account.

	==Production outline==		==Production outline==

Admin: Fix cal-3155 successor: the diamond-bezel successor is 18348, not 18248 (18248 is the bark reference of that generation)

2026-08-03T14:25:34Z

Fix cal-3155 successor: the diamond-bezel successor is 18348, not 18248 (18248 is the bark reference of that generation)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:25, 3 August 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\| successor		\| successor
	\| ~~18248~~ (caliber 3155, double quickset)		\| 18348 (caliber 3155, double quickset)
	\|}		\|}

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	==Production outline==		==Production outline==

	The 18048 ran from the late 1970s, when the 5-digit references took over from the 4-digit line with sapphire crystals and the caliber 3055, until 1988, when the caliber 3155 and its double quickset arrived and the diamond-bezel reference became the ~~18248~~. The diamond bezel was a standard catalogue option across the run, so the 18048 was made in reasonable numbers against the volume of the fluted 18038. No Rolex production figure has surfaced; the per-reference estimates that circulate for the diamond and bark siblings are dealer approximations rather than factory data. Within the run the reference is stable, a single-spec watch whose variety lives in the dial.		The 18048 ran from the late 1970s, when the 5-digit references took over from the 4-digit line with sapphire crystals and the caliber 3055, until 1988, when the caliber 3155 and its double quickset arrived and the diamond-bezel reference became the 18348. The diamond bezel was a standard catalogue option across the run, so the 18048 was made in reasonable numbers against the volume of the fluted 18038. No Rolex production figure has surfaced; the per-reference estimates that circulate for the diamond and bark siblings are dealer approximations rather than factory data. Within the run the reference is stable, a single-spec watch whose variety lives in the dial.

	==Movement notes==		==Movement notes==

	The 18048 runs the caliber 3055, the first quickset Day-Date movement: 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, with a date quickset from the crown. The day still has to be advanced by running the hands through midnight, since the day quickset did not arrive until the caliber 3155 in 1988. That single-versus-double quickset distinction is exactly what separates the 18048 from its successor the ~~18248~~. The movement is otherwise the shared sapphire-era Day-Date caliber, COSC-certified and carried across the whole first 5-digit generation. The [[Reference:Movements]] page holds the caliber lineage, and the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] entry covers the 3055 in detail.		The 18048 runs the caliber 3055, the first quickset Day-Date movement: 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, with a date quickset from the crown. The day still has to be advanced by running the hands through midnight, since the day quickset did not arrive until the caliber 3155 in 1988. That single-versus-double quickset distinction is exactly what separates the 18048 from its successor the 18348. The movement is otherwise the shared sapphire-era Day-Date caliber, COSC-certified and carried across the whole first 5-digit generation. The [[Reference:Movements]] page holds the caliber lineage, and the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] entry covers the 3055 in detail.

	==Dial map==		==Dial map==

Klaudiusz: Internal linking: related references + component links

2026-07-18T12:55:43Z

Internal linking: related references + component links

@@ Line 135: / Line 135: @@
 | published lot reference
 |}
 ==Sources==

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-29T01:19:20Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:19, 29 June 2026
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	\|published_time=2026-06-16T02:10:45Z		\|published_time=2026-06-16T02:10:45Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~22T15~~:45:~~38Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-29T01:17:57Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	\|titlemode=replace		\|titlemode=replace

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-29T01:17:57Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:17, 29 June 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex Day-Date 18048 — The Yellow-Gold Diamond-Bezel President		\|title=Rolex Day-Date 18048 — The Yellow-Gold Diamond-Bezel President
	\|~~titlemode~~=~~replace~~		\|description=The Rolex 18048 is the yellow-gold factory-diamond-bezel 5-digit Day-Date President — caliber 3055, sapphire crystal, 44-diamond bezel, circa 1977-1988. The 5-digit successor to the gem-set 1804; headline branch is the diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet.
	\|keywords=Rolex 18048, Day-Date 18048, diamond bezel Day-Date, yellow gold President, caliber 3055, Octopus bracelet, 5-digit Day-Date		\|keywords=Rolex 18048, Day-Date 18048, diamond bezel Day-Date, yellow gold President, caliber 3055, Octopus bracelet, 5-digit Day-Date
	\|description=The Rolex 18048 is the yellow-gold factory-diamond-bezel 5-digit Day-Date President — caliber 3055, sapphire crystal, 44-diamond bezel, circa 1977-1988. The 5-digit successor to the gem-set 1804; headline branch is the diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet.
	\|image=Ref 18048 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 18048 hero.webp
			\|image_alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 18048 diamond bezel champagne dial
			\|type=Article
			\|og_type=article
			\|published_time=2026-06-16T02:10:45Z
			\|modified_time=2026-06-22T15:45:38Z
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			\|titlemode=replace
	}}		}}
	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''18048'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''18048'''</small>

Admin: Voice pass 2: cut residual negation-pivot crutches + rhetorical opener

2026-06-22T15:45:38Z

Voice pass 2: cut residual negation-pivot crutches + rhetorical opener

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:45, 22 June 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''18048'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''18048'''</small>

	The 18048 is the diamond-bezel Day-Date of the sapphire-crystal era, the 5-digit successor to the 4-digit gem-set [[Reference:1804\|1804]]. It is a yellow-gold President with a factory diamond-set bezel of 44 round brilliants, caliber 3055 and a sapphire crystal, and it ran from the late 1970s to 1988. The diamond bezel was a common catalogue option, which makes the 18048 a liquid, well-understood watch; the exotic examples are the special dials and the diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet ~~rather than the reference itself~~.		The 18048 is the diamond-bezel Day-Date of the sapphire-crystal era, the 5-digit successor to the 4-digit gem-set [[Reference:1804\|1804]]. It is a yellow-gold President with a factory diamond-set bezel of 44 round brilliants, caliber 3055 and a sapphire crystal, and it ran from the late 1970s to 1988. The diamond bezel was a common catalogue option, which makes the 18048 a liquid, well-understood watch; the exotic examples are the special dials and the diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet.

	[[File:Ref 18048 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 18048 diamond bezel champagne dial\|Rolex Day-Date 18048 in yellow gold — the factory 44-diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial that define the reference, on the solid-link President.]]		[[File:Ref 18048 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 18048 diamond bezel champagne dial\|Rolex Day-Date 18048 in yellow gold — the factory 44-diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial that define the reference, on the solid-link President.]]
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	==Production outline==		==Production outline==

	The 18048 ran from the late 1970s, when the 5-digit references took over from the 4-digit line with sapphire crystals and the caliber 3055, until 1988, when the caliber 3155 and its double quickset arrived and the diamond-bezel reference became the 18248. The diamond bezel was a ~~factory~~ catalogue option across the run ~~rather than a limited series~~, so the 18048 was made in reasonable numbers against the volume of the fluted 18038. No Rolex production figure has surfaced; the per-reference estimates that circulate for the diamond and bark siblings are dealer approximations rather than factory data. Within the run the reference is stable, a single-spec watch whose variety lives in the dial ~~rather than in any change to the case or movement~~.		The 18048 ran from the late 1970s, when the 5-digit references took over from the 4-digit line with sapphire crystals and the caliber 3055, until 1988, when the caliber 3155 and its double quickset arrived and the diamond-bezel reference became the 18248. The diamond bezel was a standard catalogue option across the run, so the 18048 was made in reasonable numbers against the volume of the fluted 18038. No Rolex production figure has surfaced; the per-reference estimates that circulate for the diamond and bark siblings are dealer approximations rather than factory data. Within the run the reference is stable, a single-spec watch whose variety lives in the dial.

	==Movement notes==		==Movement notes==
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	==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==		==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

	The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster shared across the 5-digit Day-Date, with a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback. The defining feature is the factory diamond-set bezel, a single row of 44 round brilliants. Because the case is gold and the bezel is straightforward to set, aftermarket diamond bezels and dials are common on the 18048, and they are the main authenticity question on the reference. A factory bezel carries 44 hand-matched stones of even table size and orientation; aftermarket bezels often use a different count, frequently 42, with mismatched stones, so attribution rests on the quality and proportion of the setting and on Rolex paperwork ~~rather than on a listing's label~~.		The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster shared across the 5-digit Day-Date, with a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback. The defining feature is the factory diamond-set bezel, a single row of 44 round brilliants. Because the case is gold and the bezel is straightforward to set, aftermarket diamond bezels and dials are common on the 18048, and they are the main authenticity question on the reference. A factory bezel carries 44 hand-matched stones of even table size and orientation; aftermarket bezels often use a different count, frequently 42, with mismatched stones, so attribution rests on the quality and proportion of the setting and on Rolex paperwork.

	==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==		==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

Admin: Voice: cut negation-contrast pivots ("X rather than Y", "X, not Y") per slop-cop

2026-06-22T15:30:07Z

Voice: cut negation-contrast pivots ("X rather than Y", "X, not Y") per slop-cop

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:30, 22 June 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''18048'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''18048'''</small>

	The 18048 is the diamond-bezel Day-Date of the sapphire-crystal era, the 5-digit successor to the 4-digit gem-set [[Reference:1804\|1804]]. It is a yellow-gold President with a factory diamond-set bezel of 44 round brilliants, caliber 3055 and a sapphire crystal, and it ran from the late 1970s to 1988. The diamond bezel was a catalogue option ~~rather than a rarity~~, which makes the 18048 a liquid, well-understood watch; the exotic examples are the special dials and the diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet rather than the reference itself.		The 18048 is the diamond-bezel Day-Date of the sapphire-crystal era, the 5-digit successor to the 4-digit gem-set [[Reference:1804\|1804]]. It is a yellow-gold President with a factory diamond-set bezel of 44 round brilliants, caliber 3055 and a sapphire crystal, and it ran from the late 1970s to 1988. The diamond bezel was a common catalogue option, which makes the 18048 a liquid, well-understood watch; the exotic examples are the special dials and the diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet rather than the reference itself.

	[[File:Ref 18048 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 18048 diamond bezel champagne dial\|Rolex Day-Date 18048 in yellow gold — the factory 44-diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial that define the reference, on the solid-link President.]]		[[File:Ref 18048 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 18048 diamond bezel champagne dial\|Rolex Day-Date 18048 in yellow gold — the factory 44-diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial that define the reference, on the solid-link President.]]
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	The 18048 wears the President bracelet, reference 8385, with the concealed Crownclasp and the solid links of the 5-digit era, heavier and more rigid than the hollow-link 4-digit bracelets. The headline factory upgrade is the diamond-set President, nicknamed the "Octopus" for the way the stones run down the bracelet, which turns an ordinary diamond Day-Date into an auction-grade object. As with any President, a clasp date code dates the bracelet ~~rather~~ than the head, and the cross-family bracelet detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]].		The 18048 wears the President bracelet, reference 8385, with the concealed Crownclasp and the solid links of the 5-digit era, heavier and more rigid than the hollow-link 4-digit bracelets. The headline factory upgrade is the diamond-set President, nicknamed the "Octopus" for the way the stones run down the bracelet, which turns an ordinary diamond Day-Date into an auction-grade object. As with any President, a clasp date code dates the bracelet, which may be older or newer than the head, and the cross-family bracelet detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]].

	==Special branches==		==Special branches==
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	==Auction record==		==Auction record==

	The 18048 is a liquid, well-understood reference ~~rather than a headline auction lot~~, since the diamond bezel was a catalogue option ~~rather than a rarity~~. The exceptions are the special configurations. Antiquorum sold a champagne-dial "Octopus", with the diamond-set President bracelet, in Monaco in 2022 for EUR 96,200, and Sotheby's catalogued a black-lacquer "Octopus" the following year. A standard champagne diamond-index 18048 sold at Monaco Legend in 2022 for EUR 22,100, which is closer to the reference's everyday level. For a standard yellow-gold diamond-bezel 18048 with a diamond-index dial, the secondary market sits roughly in the high-five-figure dollar range, with special dials, original factory gem-setting and full sets driving the premium.		The 18048 is a liquid, well-understood reference, since the diamond bezel was a common catalogue option. The exceptions are the special configurations. Antiquorum sold a champagne-dial "Octopus", with the diamond-set President bracelet, in Monaco in 2022 for EUR 96,200, and Sotheby's catalogued a black-lacquer "Octopus" the following year. A standard champagne diamond-index 18048 sold at Monaco Legend in 2022 for EUR 22,100, which is closer to the reference's everyday level. For a standard yellow-gold diamond-bezel 18048 with a diamond-index dial, the secondary market sits roughly in the high-five-figure dollar range, with special dials, original factory gem-setting and full sets driving the premium.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"