Reference:18038

A checked version of this page, approved on 28 May 2026, was based on this revision.

Day-Date -> 18038

The 18038 is the benchmark 5-digit Day-Date. Production runs eleven years, 1977 through 1988, on the cal 3055. It is the first Day-Date to wear sapphire crystal, the first to carry quickset date, and the first to move from the 1556's 19,800 vph to the modern 28,800 vph. The 36mm President case the 1803 established carries over unchanged, and yellow gold still wears the fluted bezel. This is where the Day-Date moves from vintage spec to modern spec without changing the case dimensions, and where the dial-variant experimentation of the 1803 era runs straight into the sapphire-crystal generation: Stella third-series in T SWISS MADE T marking, the Stern stone-dial expansion of 1980 to 1990, the wood-burl revival, and the uncatalogued Pleiade diamond-pattern sub-variant that surfaces with a documented factory surcharge of roughly 7,000 CHF.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	18038
family	Day-Date
production	1977 to 1988, eleven years
movement	caliber 3055, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, ~48h power reserve, single quickset (date only — day still requires running hands)
case	36mm 18k yellow gold President
crystal	sapphire (first Day-Date with sapphire)
bezel	fluted (smooth on 18028, factory diamond on 18048, bark on 18078)
crown	Twinlock screw-down — 100m water resistance
bracelet	President 8385 with 55B end-links, hidden Crownclasp
lume	tritium ("T SWISS T" early sub-generation, "T SWISS MADE T" later)
siblings	18028 (smooth bezel), 18048 (diamond bezel, 44 brilliants), 18078 (bark finish), 18039 / 18049 / 18079 white gold, 18026 platinum
predecessor	1803
successor	18238

Where it sits in the line

The 18038 is the sapphire-crystal step in the Day-Date line. The 1803 carried the 4-digit Day-Date through 1977 and 1978 on acrylic and the cal 1556. The 18038 keeps the 36mm Oyster case, drops in sapphire crystal, swaps the movement to the cal 3055, and adds quickset date. That last change is the one that pulls the Day-Date into the modern era. The 18238 takes the line forward again in 1988 with the cal 3155 and double quickset.

Caliber-wise the 18038 carries the cal 3055, the third-generation Day-Date movement after the 1055 of the originals era (1956 to 1959) and the 1555 and 1556 of the 1803 era (1959 to 1978). The 3055 inherits the day-and-date complication and adds quickset on the date only; the day still requires running the hands through midnight. Dual quickset, indexed from the crown on both day and date, arrives in 1988 with the cal 3155 on the 18238. Sources occasionally describe the 18038 as "double quickset"; the phrasing conflates the cal 3055 with the cal 3155 / 3156 of later 6-digit references. The 18038 has single quickset.

The catalogue siblings split the 5-digit Day-Date by bezel finish and case material. The 18038 is the yellow gold fluted-bezel volume reference. The 18028 is the same case in yellow gold with a smooth bezel, the dressy outlier and notably rare. The 18048 wears 44 round brilliants in a factory diamond bezel, again on yellow gold. The 18078 carries a bark-finish bezel and bark center links, a limited-production configuration. White gold runs through the 18039 (fluted, the under-the-radar option), the 18049 (factory diamond bezel), and the 18079 (bark, with yellow gold bark also documented under the same number — a market-naming inconsistency rather than a separate spec). The 18026 is the platinum smooth-bezel reference and extremely rare.

There is no pink-gold 5-digit single-quickset Day-Date. Pink gold pauses through the 1970s and returns in the 6-digit era with the 118135 and the Everose 118235. Catalogue listings of "18058" or "18068" pink-gold 5-digit Day-Dates conflate the 1803-era pink gold with the 6-digit successors; no factory production exists at the 18038 spec.

Production outline

1977 — sapphire-crystal introduction

The 18038 launches in 1977 inside the broader Rolex 5-digit transition. Sapphire crystal replaces acrylic across the Day-Date for the first time. Cal 3055 replaces the cal 1556, frequency jumps to 28,800 vph, quickset date lets the wearer correct the date from the crown without running the hands through 24-hour cycles, and water resistance rises to 100 metres with the Twinlock screw-down crown.

Serial-year correlation across the run runs roughly as follows, per the WatchGuys / Belmont chart that applies to all Rolex of the period (the Day-Date drew from the same number stream): 1977 around 5,085,000; 1979 around 5,865,000; 1980 around 6,205,000; 1981 around 6,560,000; 1982 around 7,130,000; 1983 around 7,600,000; 1984 around 8,375,000; 1985 around 9,155,000; 1987 into the early R-prefix in the R'500,000s; and 1988 closing at R'999,999.

1980s — dial-variant experimentation

Production-volume dials are the silver, champagne, white, and black stick (and Roman) configurations on 18k yellow gold. From approximately 1980 onward, the dial experimentation that defined the 1803 era continues straight into the sapphire-crystal generation.

The Stella lacquer dials carry forward under the T SWISS MADE T marking, which distinguishes the 18038 generation from the 1803's earlier T SWISS T print. Documented colours include turquoise (asking around USD 147,000 in current dealer-market listings), oxblood (Chrono24 NOS example documented at USD 125,179), coral and salmon (among the rarest 18038 Stellas), green (the USD 73,500 band), and the Middle Eastern market dials in yellow, pink, orange, and red.

Stern Frères continues to supply stone-cut dials. The 18038 roster runs onyx (the most production-stable variant, with specialist-dealer 1979 and 1986 examples documented), lapis lazuli (deep blue with golden pyrite shimmer, a 1979 example documented at Craft & Tailored), malachite (green wavy pattern, restricted to Day-Date and Datejust per Fratello), and coral. Production peaks across 1980 to 1990.

Wood-marquetry dials surface in the 18038 era: sequoia, mahogany, birch, madrona, walnut. The configuration is most strongly associated with 18078 bark-case examples, but it appears on 18038 fluted cases too (the S.Song's Burl Wood listing and the RVM 1981 and 1982 examples). The period claim that Rolex would mill ten wooden dials and select the best is repeated across the specialist literature without a surfaced production-document anchor.

The Pleiade is a seven-star diamond pattern referencing the Pleiades myth. Introduced as an uncatalogued option in the early 1980s with a documented factory surcharge of roughly 7,000 CHF over standard. A 1987 Pleiade 18038 asked USD 35,000.

Early 18038 production carries T SWISS T at the bottom of the dial; later production carries T SWISS MADE T. VRF thread t=561098 documents both marks across the run, supporting two sub-generations within the eleven-year window rather than a single mark.

1988 — end of production

Production ends with the 18238 introduction. Final retail in 1988 was USD 19,500. Earlier 1980s catalogue figures sit in the USD 7,000 to 10,000 band.

Movement notes

The cal 3055 is the third-generation Day-Date movement. It measures 28.5mm by 6.6mm and runs 27 jewels (up from the cal 1556's 26) at 28,800 vph (up from 19,800 vph) with roughly 48 hours of power reserve. The architecture is the familiar Rolex specification: free-sprung Microstella balance, Glucydur balance with Microstella weights, Nivarox hairspring, hacking seconds, COSC chronometer certification. The functional change against the 1556 is single quickset on the date: crown position 2 advances the date directly, while the day still requires running the hands through midnight.

The cal 3055 is the architectural ancestor of the cal 3155, 3156, and 3255 that follow. Service intervals run 10 years officially at the Rolex Service Centre and 5 to 7 years per independent watchmakers. A full Rolex Service Centre overhaul sits in the USD 1,000 to 1,500 band; independents run USD 500 to 800.

The bracelet and clasp evolution from the 1803 to the 18038 is a cleaner visual divider than the movement transition itself. The 1803's earlier visible-clasp 7205 and 7836 bracelets had already been replaced by the President 8385 with hidden Crownclasp from approximately 1969, well inside the 1803's own run, so the 18038 ships on the same 8385 / 55B / Crownclasp combination with only subtle finish refinements across its eleven-year production span.

Dial map

Production-volume dials

Silver, champagne, white, and black stick indices on 18k yellow gold are the production-volume 18038 dials. Roman-numeral configurations are also catalogued. Diamond-hour-marker variants appear from the early 1980s, with the champagne dial carrying 8 round and 2 baguette diamond hour markers among the more-traded configurations. Sapphire accents at 6 and 9 appear on some champagne and black variants.

Stella third-series

18038 oxblood Stella — deep lacquer dial from the canonical Stella production window. Among the rarest factory dial colors of the 18038 era.

The Stella supplier carries from the 1803 era into the sapphire-crystal generation, with the dial marking refined to T SWISS MADE T as the broader industry-wide marking convention shifts. The documented 18038 Stella roster runs from the rarest turquoise (asking around USD 147,000 in 2024 dealer-market listings, up from roughly USD 40,000 in 2015) through oxblood (deep brick-red, Chrono24 NOS example at USD 125,179), coral and salmon (top-tier collector configurations and among the rarest), and green (around USD 73,500, often paired with white gold on the 18039). The Middle East distribution channel adds yellow, pink, orange, and red Stellas per Beckertime.

Stone dials

18038 onyx stone dial — black onyx slab from the Stern Frères stone-dial production. The 18038 era is the canonical stone-dial production window.

Stern Frères supplied stone-cut dials through 1980 to 1990 in increasing variety. The 18038 stone-dial roster concentrates around four configurations. Onyx (dyed agate, deep glossy black) is the most production-stable variant. Lapis lazuli is the deep blue with golden pyrite shimmer, with a 1979 example documented at Craft & Tailored. Malachite is the green wavy pattern, restricted to Day-Date and Datejust per Fratello research. Coral is the natural pink-orange, often paired with the white gold case.

Other stone materials documented across the broader Day-Date line — tiger's eye, jasper, bloodstone, mother-of-pearl, jade, opal, sodalite, chrysoprase, rubellite, petrified wood, howlite, pyrite — surface more frequently on the 1803 era. The 18038 stone-dial concentration stays inside the onyx, lapis, malachite, and coral cluster.

Wood / burl

The wood-marquetry dial revival of the late 1970s and 1980s lands more often on 18078 bark cases than on 18038 fluted ones, but documented 18038 examples surface. The catalogue covers sequoia, mahogany, birch (with the "Birch Burlwood" specialist-coined sub-variant), madrona, and walnut. Surfaced 18038 wood-dial examples include the S.Song's Burl Wood listing and a pair of RVM examples from 1981 and 1982. The repeated period claim that Rolex would mill ten wooden dials and select the best is not anchored in any surfaced production document.

Pleiade

The Pleiade is a seven-star diamond pattern referencing the Pleiades myth. It was introduced as an uncatalogued option in the early 1980s with a documented factory surcharge of roughly 7,000 CHF over the standard dial price. Catalogue presence is sparse; the specialist literature treats it as the tiniest fraction of production. A 1987 Pleiade 18038 is documented at USD 35,000 asking.

Mother-of-pearl

Mother-of-pearl dials appear from approximately 1980, often paired with diamond hour markers. White gold (18039) carries them more frequently than yellow gold (18038). Aftermarket MOP dials surface in the secondary market; authentication against the factory-original MOP signature is the standard check.

Vignette

Vignette dials, with a centre colour fading to a darker border, appear on the 18038 as a factory variant. They are distinct from sun-faded original dials that mimic the vignette pattern; same-batch documentation is the way to tell them apart.

Roman "Woman in Red"

A red-Roman-numeral 18038 is documented in Pucci Papaleo's Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex monograph as "Woman in Red": yellow gold case with red Roman numerals on a white-printed ground. Sub-five-known sub-variant of the standard Roman dial.

Tritium dial-mark transition

Early 18038 production carries T SWISS T at the bottom of the dial; later production carries T SWISS MADE T. Collectors use the dial mark as the indicator that separates first-half and second-half production examples. VRF thread t=561098 documents the boundary across surfaced cases.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The case is 36mm three-piece Oyster construction with thickness approximately 12mm, lug-to-lug 44mm, lug width 20mm. Total bracelet weight runs approximately 130g. Water resistance is 100 metres, the first Day-Date to reach this rating, raised from the 1803's 50 metres with the Twinlock screw-down crown.

The inner caseback is stamped with the reference number plus quarter-year Roman-numeral lot codes (e.g. "18038 III.79") that date the caseback's manufacturing lot. The outer caseback is plain gold on civilian production.

The crystal is sapphire, the first Day-Date to carry it; the acrylic crystal of the 1803 era is gone. Sapphire enables both the thinner case profile and the higher water-resistance rating. The crown is the Twinlock screw-down; the Triplock does not arrive on the Day-Date until later 6-digit production.

The fluted bezel on the 18038 is carved from solid 18k yellow gold. The 18028 carries a smooth bezel, the 18048 carries 44 round-brilliant diamonds in a factory diamond bezel, and the 18078 carries a bark-finish bezel paired with bark center links on the bracelet. Bezel finish is the cleanest visual diagnostic between the four siblings of the 5-digit Day-Date cluster.

The coronet engraving on the case evolves subtly across the eleven-year run. Early 18038 production carries an open-base coronet; later production carries a closed-base coronet. The transition year inside the 18038 run is not pinned in the surfaced record; collectors use the coronet style as a secondary dating diagnostic alongside the dial-mark T SWISS T / T SWISS MADE T transition.

Bracelet, end-links, clasp

The 18038 wears the President bracelet 8385 with 55B end-links and the hidden Crownclasp. Construction is three-piece semicircular: a flat centre link flanked by two semicircular outer links per row, solid 18k gold throughout. The centre link is polished, with brushed (and later polished) outer links. The Crownclasp folds inward and locks beneath the centre link; nothing is visible on the closed bracelet, and the Rolex coronet sits on the clasp cover.

Stretch is the first visual check on any 18038 bracelet: hold the watch face-down and look at the bracelet edge for sag at the link pivots. The President does not handle stretch well, because link weight runs heavier than the Oyster's, so stretched examples mark heavy daily wear or extended service.

Bracelets were made by Gay Frères through 1998, when Rolex acquired the supplier. Clasp date codes inside the clasp leaf should roughly match the watch-head serial year; service-replaced bracelets carry later clasp codes.

Special branches

Tiffany & Co. double-signed

Tiffany double-signed production continues into the 18038 era. Sotheby's Important Watches 2023 lot 89 documented an 18038 Tiffany double-signed example with case R'509'XXX, dated c.1987, on a champagne dial with the cal 3055. Tiffany 18038 examples trade at two to three times standard equivalents. Counterfeit risk on Tiffany dials is high; same-batch documentation and clasp-code chronology are the authentication tools.

UAE Armed Forces

Falcon emblem with the UAE flag and seven stars. The dial appears in champagne, silver, and brown, with very rare white examples. The configuration was used as a period diplomatic gift following UAE independence in 1971. A 1978 Rolex Passion Market example and a 1983 brown Momentum Dubai example are both documented.

Omani Khanjar

Curved Omani dagger over crossed swords with a belt: the royal crest of Oman introduced in 1970 by Sultan Qaboos. Documented combinations include champagne dial and white-Stella-Khanjar configurations. Distribution ran through Asprey of London and Khimji Ramdas in Muscat, with examples gifted to British Armed Forces and SAS personnel.

Saudi Albilad

Arabic Albilad ("country") day disk. Stocked as a specialist option through retailers serving the Saudi market.

Pucci Papaleo "Woman in Red"

Roman-numeral 18038 with red Roman numerals, published in Pucci Papaleo's Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex (Spin Edizioni, 2015). Sub-five-known sub-variant.

Auction record

date	house	configuration	result
2023-06	Sotheby's Important Watches lot 89	18038 Tiffany & Co. double-signed c.1987, case R'509'XXX, champagne, cal 3055	estimate USD 30,000–50,000
various	Phillips Geneva	18038 yellow gold 1984 production-volume	just over USD 40,000
2020	Sotheby's Watches Online	18038/18000 c.1984 white dial, mvt 0793254, case 8457708	estimate USD 7,000–9,000 (catalogue typo — Sotheby's listed 35mm; every other source 36mm)

Market bands as of 2024 to 2026 run roughly as follows. A standard yellow gold 18038 champagne with box and papers sits at USD 15,000 to 22,000, with a head-only example around USD 13,000 and a full-set premium of 5 to 15 percent over head-and-bracelet. Tiffany double-signed examples run USD 40,000 to 80,000. The Omani Khanjar yellow gold band runs USD 40,000 to 50,000. Stella dials span USD 73,000 to 147,000 depending on colour. The uncatalogued Pleiade is documented at roughly USD 35,000.

Sources

Primary and specialist

The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore) — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore
Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015-05
Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's
Daniel Bourn, "Bourn in Oman: The Rolex Collection", Revolution Watches