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<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] | <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. | 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. | ||
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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 18348. The 5-digit references split by metal and bezel | 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, down to the 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== | ||
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 | 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 and single-spec. | ||
==Movement notes== | ==Movement notes== | ||
The 18048 runs the caliber 3055, the first quickset Day-Date movement | The 18048 runs the caliber 3055, the first quickset Day-Date movement, at 27 jewels and 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== | ||
[[File:Ref 18048 stella.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Yellow gold Rolex 18048 green Stella dial with Omani Khanjar|A green-Stella 18048 carrying the red Omani Khanjar emblem — the reference's variety lives in the dial, here a Gulf special order.]] | [[File:Ref 18048 stella.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Yellow gold Rolex 18048 green Stella dial with Omani Khanjar|A green-Stella 18048 carrying the red Omani Khanjar emblem — the reference's variety lives in the dial, here a Gulf special order.]] | ||
The diamond bezel is the constant on the 18048, and the dial is where the variety lives. The common configuration is a champagne or silvered dial with diamond hour markers, often with baguette diamonds at six and nine. Beyond that the reference carries the full range of Day-Date special dials of the period, from mother-of-pearl, onyx and lapis through Roman-numeral, diamond pavé and blue dégradé to the lacquered Stella colours. A green-Stella 18048 with the red Omani Khanjar emblem, sold at Phillips in 2015, documents the reference's reach into the Gulf special orders. The deep dial taxonomy that spans the President line sits on the [[Reference:1803|1803]] entry. | |||
The diamond bezel is the constant on the 18048 | |||
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown== | ==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown== | ||
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==Bracelets, end links, and clasps== | ==Bracelets, end links, and clasps== | ||
[[File:Ref 18048 octopus.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 18048 Octopus diamond-set President bracelet|The diamond-set "Octopus" President bracelet — the factory upgrade that turns a diamond Day-Date into an auction-grade object.]] | [[File:Ref 18048 octopus.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 18048 Octopus diamond-set President bracelet|The diamond-set "Octopus" President bracelet — the factory upgrade that turns a diamond Day-Date into an auction-grade object.]] | ||
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]]. | 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]]. | ||
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===Special dials=== | ===Special dials=== | ||
Blue dégradé and black-lacquer diamond dials are the most sought of the 18048's special faces, with the Gulf special orders, the green-Stella Khanjar example among them, close behind. Each is a catalogue or special-order dial on the same diamond-bezel case, so the dial is the identity of the individual watch. | |||
===The "Octopus"=== | ===The "Octopus"=== | ||
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==Auction record== | ==Auction record== | ||
The | The special configurations are what lift an 18048 out of its everyday band. 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" | ||
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| published lot reference | | published lot reference | ||
|} | |} | ||
== Related references == | == Related references == | ||
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[[Category:Day-Date]] | [[Category:Day-Date]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:55, 9 August 2026
Day-Date -> 18048
The 18048 is the diamond-bezel Day-Date of the sapphire-crystal era, the 5-digit successor to the 4-digit gem-set 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.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 18048 |
| family | Day-Date |
| production | circa 1977/78 to 1988 |
| movement | caliber 3055, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, single quickset (date); sapphire era |
| case | 36mm 18k yellow gold President |
| crystal | sapphire |
| bezel | factory diamond-set, 44 round brilliants |
| bracelet | President 8385 with hidden Crownclasp, solid links |
| dial | diamond-index champagne and silver, mother-of-pearl, stone, Stella, Roman, pavé |
| crown | Twinlock screw-down |
| siblings | 18038 (fluted), 18039 (white-gold fluted), 18049 (white-gold diamond), 18046 (platinum diamond), 18078 / 18079 (bark) |
| predecessor | 1804 (4-digit gem-set) |
| successor | 18348 (caliber 3155, double quickset) |
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 1804 through the 18048 to the caliber-3155 18348. The 5-digit references split by metal and bezel. The 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, down to the 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 18038 entry holds the shared account.
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 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 and single-spec.
Movement notes
The 18048 runs the caliber 3055, the first quickset Day-Date movement, at 27 jewels and 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 18038 entry covers the 3055 in detail.
Dial map
The diamond bezel is the constant on the 18048, and the dial is where the variety lives. The common configuration is a champagne or silvered dial with diamond hour markers, often with baguette diamonds at six and nine. Beyond that the reference carries the full range of Day-Date special dials of the period, from mother-of-pearl, onyx and lapis through Roman-numeral, diamond pavé and blue dégradé to the lacquered Stella colours. A green-Stella 18048 with the red Omani Khanjar emblem, sold at Phillips in 2015, documents the reference's reach into the Gulf special orders. The deep dial taxonomy that spans the President line sits on the 1803 entry.
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.
Bracelets, end links, and clasps
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 dials
Blue dégradé and black-lacquer diamond dials are the most sought of the 18048's special faces, with the Gulf special orders, the green-Stella Khanjar example among them, close behind. Each is a catalogue or special-order dial on the same diamond-bezel case, so the dial is the identity of the individual watch.
The "Octopus"
The fully diamond-set President bracelet, the "Octopus", is the reference's headline branch and the configuration that reaches the major auction houses. Where a standard diamond-bezel 18048 trades as a liquid known quantity, an "Octopus" with a special dial is the version that draws the strongest results.
Auction record
The special configurations are what lift an 18048 out of its everyday band. 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.
| date | house | configuration | result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Antiquorum Monaco, lot 81 | champagne diamond dial, diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet, c.1981 | EUR 96,200 |
| 2023 | Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, lot 51 | black-lacquer diamond dial, "Octopus" bracelet, c.1981 | not sold (est. CHF 40,000–60,000) |
| 2022 | Monaco Legend, Exclusive Timepieces 28, lot 243 | champagne diamond-index dial, President bracelet, 1985 | EUR 22,100 |
| 2019 | Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 1063 | blue dégradé diamond dial, 44-diamond bezel, c.1980 | published lot reference |
Related references
- Day-Date 18028 — 1977–1988
- Day-Date 18038 — Cal 3055 President (1977–1988)
- Day-Date 18078 — 1977–1988
- Day-Date 19018 — Oysterquartz President (1977–2001)
- Day-Date 18208 — 1988–2000
- Day-Date 18238 — 1988–2000
See also the Day-Date family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.
Sources
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date "Octopus", 18k yellow gold with diamond bezel and diamond-set President bracelet — Antiquorum Monaco, lot 81", Antiquorum, 2022
- Phillips, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with green Stella dial and Omani Khanjar emblem — Phillips Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 11", Phillips, 2015
- Sotheby's, "Rolex Ref. 18048/18000 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with 44-diamond bezel and blue dégradé dial — Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 1063", Sotheby's, 2019
- Sotheby's, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date "Octopus", 18k yellow gold with black lacquer diamond dial and diamond-set bracelet — Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, lot 51", Sotheby's, 2023
- Monaco Legend Group, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial — Monaco Legend Group, Exclusive Timepieces 28, lot 243", Monaco Legend Group, 2022
- Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's
- Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter
- Monochrome editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Day-Date, The Presidential Watch", Monochrome Watches
- WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 3155 (registry page)", WatchBase
- Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches
- WatchBase editorial, "Rolex Day-Date History", WatchBase, 2015-02-21