Reference:118208 - Revision history

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2026-09-05T01:19:51Z

site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] -> '''118208'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] › '''118208'''</small>

	The 118208 is the smooth-bezel Day-Date 36 of the 6-digit era, the understated yellow-gold President that leaves the bezel plain. It is the 6-digit successor to the 5-digit smooth [[Reference:18208\|18208]], on the broader 6-digit case and the caliber 3155, and unlike the fluted [[Reference:118238\|118238]] it was offered on the sporty Oyster bracelet as well as the President. The smooth bezel was the minority taste, which makes the 118208 the sleeper of the generation. Where it commands real money is the dial, and specifically the hardstone dials, coral and bloodstone and garnet, that turn an understated President into a headline result.		The 118208 is the smooth-bezel Day-Date 36 of the 6-digit era, the understated yellow-gold President that leaves the bezel plain. It is the 6-digit successor to the 5-digit smooth [[Reference:18208\|18208]], on the broader 6-digit case and the caliber 3155, and unlike the fluted [[Reference:118238\|118238]] it was offered on the sporty Oyster bracelet as well as the President. The smooth bezel was the minority taste, which makes the 118208 the sleeper of the generation. Where it commands real money is the dial, and specifically the hardstone dials, coral and bloodstone and garnet, that turn an understated President into a headline result.
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	==Core facts==		==Core facts==

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable rp-facts"
	\|-		\|-
	! detail		! detail

Admin: Cleanup: remove stale Category:Working Draft — page is fully published, category has no functional gate in code

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Cleanup: remove stale Category:Working Draft — page is fully published, category has no functional gate in code

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	\| USD 10,710		\| USD 10,710
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	== Related references ==		== Related references ==
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	[[Category:Day-Date]]		[[Category:Day-Date]]
	~~[[Category:Working Draft]]~~

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

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Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''118208'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] -> '''118208'''</small>

	The 118208 is the smooth-bezel Day-Date 36 of the 6-digit era, the understated yellow-gold President that leaves the bezel plain. It is the 6-digit successor to the 5-digit smooth [[Reference:18208\|18208]], on the broader 6-digit case and the caliber 3155, and unlike the fluted [[Reference:118238\|118238]] it was offered on the sporty Oyster bracelet as well as the President. The smooth bezel was the minority taste, so the 118208 is the sleeper of the generation~~, and where~~ it commands real money is the dial: the hardstone dials, coral and bloodstone and garnet, that turn an understated President into a headline result.		The 118208 is the smooth-bezel Day-Date 36 of the 6-digit era, the understated yellow-gold President that leaves the bezel plain. It is the 6-digit successor to the 5-digit smooth [[Reference:18208\|18208]], on the broader 6-digit case and the caliber 3155, and unlike the fluted [[Reference:118238\|118238]] it was offered on the sporty Oyster bracelet as well as the President. The smooth bezel was the minority taste, which makes the 118208 the sleeper of the generation. Where it commands real money is the dial, and specifically the hardstone dials, coral and bloodstone and garnet, that turn an understated President into a headline result.

	[[File:Ref 118208 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 118208 smooth bezel champagne dial\|Rolex Day-Date 36 118208 in yellow gold — the plain smooth/domed bezel and champagne dial, here on the Oyster bracelet, one of the bracelet options that set the smooth 6-digit Day-Date apart.]]		[[File:Ref 118208 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 118208 smooth bezel champagne dial\|Rolex Day-Date 36 118208 in yellow gold — the plain smooth/domed bezel and champagne dial, here on the Oyster bracelet, one of the bracelet options that set the smooth 6-digit Day-Date apart.]]
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	==Where it sits in the line==		==Where it sits in the line==

	The 118208 is the smooth member of the 6-digit Day-Date 36. The [[Reference:118238\|118238]] is the fluted volume reference, the [[Reference:118235\|118235]] the Everose, and the 118208 the plain-bezel one. The 6-digit generation broadened the case, and on the smooth references it offered the Oyster bracelet alongside the President, ~~giving the 118208~~ a sportier option the fluted models ~~did not have~~. In white gold the smooth is the 118209, ~~and~~ in platinum the ice-blue 118206. The ~~smooth bezel is the minority taste against the fluted, which makes the 118208 the sleeper of the generation, and the 6-digit continuation of~~ the smooth thread that runs from the 5-digit [[Reference:18028\|18028]] and [[Reference:18208\|18208]]. The 2019 caliber-3255 Day-Date 36 kept the fluted and Everose references but appears to have dropped the yellow-gold smooth, so the 118208 has no direct successor ~~reference~~.		The 118208 is the smooth member of the 6-digit Day-Date 36. The [[Reference:118238\|118238]] is the fluted volume reference, the [[Reference:118235\|118235]] the Everose, and the 118208 the plain-bezel one. The 6-digit generation broadened the case, and on the smooth references Rolex offered the Oyster bracelet alongside the President, a sportier option the fluted models never had. In white gold the smooth is the 118209, in platinum the ice-blue 118206. The reference continues the smooth thread that runs from the 5-digit [[Reference:18028\|18028]] and [[Reference:18208\|18208]]. The 2019 caliber-3255 Day-Date 36 kept the fluted and Everose references but appears to have dropped the yellow-gold smooth, so the 118208 has no direct successor.

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

	The 118208 ran from 2000, when the 6-digit references took over from the 5-digit line, to about 2019~~. The smooth bezel was a catalogue option across the run but a minority one, and the reference is a liquid modern watch~~. No Rolex production figure has surfaced. ~~Across the run the dial is where the range lives; the case~~, bezel and movement stay constant, ~~and~~ the ~~variety~~ that matters is which dial an example carries and whether it sits on the President or the Oyster bracelet.		The 118208 ran from 2000, when the 6-digit references took over from the 5-digit line, to about 2019. No Rolex production figure has surfaced. Case, bezel and movement stay constant across the whole run, so the only variation that matters is which dial an example carries and whether it sits on the President or the Oyster bracelet.

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

	The 118208 runs the caliber 3155, the double-quickset Day-Date movement: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, a roughly 48-hour reserve and COSC certification, ~~with~~ both the day and the date set from the crown. Later production carries the Parachrom hairspring Rolex rolled across the line from around 2005. It is the same movement as the fluted 118238 and the Everose 118235; the plain bezel is ~~the only thing~~ that separates the 118208 from its fluted sibling~~. The [[Reference:Movements]] page holds the caliber lineage, and the [[Reference:118238\|118238]] entry covers the 3155 in detail~~.		The 118208 runs the caliber 3155, the double-quickset Day-Date movement, with 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, a roughly 48-hour reserve and COSC certification, and both the day and the date set from the crown. Later production carries the Parachrom hairspring Rolex rolled across the line from around 2005. It is the same movement the fluted 118238 and the Everose 118235 carry, and the 118238 entry covers the caliber in detail. The plain bezel is all that separates the 118208 from its fluted sibling.

	==Dial map==		==Dial map==
	[[File:Ref 118208 garnet.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex 118208 grossular garnet stone dial\|A grossular-garnet stone dial set with diamonds — the hardstone dials are where the understated 118208 commands its strongest results.]]		[[File:Ref 118208 garnet.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Yellow gold Rolex 118208 grossular garnet stone dial\|A grossular-garnet stone dial set with diamonds — the hardstone dials are where the understated 118208 commands its strongest results.]]

			The smooth bezel keeps the eye on the dial, and the 118208's range lives there. The standard configuration is a champagne or silvered stick dial, with Roman, black, green-index, mother-of-pearl, meteorite and diamond-set dials all in the catalogue. The headline is the hardstone. Coral, bloodstone and grossular garnet, frequently diamond-set, read especially well against a plain bezel that has nothing on it to compete, and those are the examples that carry the reference at auction. The deeper dial taxonomy spanning the President line is on the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry.
	The smooth bezel keeps the eye on the dial, and the 118208's ~~dial~~ range ~~is where its interest sits~~. The standard configuration is a champagne or silvered stick dial; Roman, black, green-index, mother-of-pearl, meteorite and diamond-set dials all ~~appear~~. The headline~~, though,~~ is the hardstone ~~dials~~. Coral, bloodstone and grossular garnet ~~stone dials~~, ~~often~~ diamond-set, read especially well against ~~the~~ plain bezel, and ~~they~~ are the ~~configurations~~ that carry the reference at auction. The ~~deep~~ dial taxonomy ~~that spans~~ the President line ~~sits~~ on the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry~~; on the 118208 the dial is the story~~.

	==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==		==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

	The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster of the 6-digit Day-Date, with the broader lugs of the generation, a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback with the engraved rehaut of the later production. The defining feature is the smooth, gently domed bezel, plain polished gold with none of the fluting of the 118238. That plainness is the ~~whole~~ character of the reference~~, and it pairs naturally with the Oyster bracelet for a more understated, less formal President~~.		The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster of the 6-digit Day-Date, with the broader lugs of the generation, a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback with the engraved rehaut of the later production. The defining feature is the smooth, gently domed bezel, plain polished gold with none of the fluting of the 118238. That plainness is the character of the reference.

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

	The 118208 is an Oyster-bracelet reference in practice. The three-piece flat-link Oyster with a folding clasp is what ~~the~~ catalogued examples wear, and no President-bracelet 118208 has surfaced in the auction record, though the President 8385 appears as a catalogue option. ~~That is what sets the smooth 6-digit Day-Date apart from the fluted models, which run overwhelmingly on the President: a~~ Day-Date on the sportier Oyster reads quite differently from the dress-watch President. ~~As with any of these bracelets, a~~ clasp date code dates the bracelet, which may be older or newer than the head~~, and~~ the cross-family detail ~~sits~~ on [[Reference:Bracelets]].		The 118208 is an Oyster-bracelet reference in practice. The three-piece flat-link Oyster with a folding clasp is what catalogued examples wear, and no President-bracelet 118208 has surfaced in the auction record, though the President 8385 appears as a catalogue option. A gold Day-Date on the sportier Oyster reads quite differently from the dress-watch President, and that is the clearest separation between the smooth 6-digit references and the fluted ones, which run overwhelmingly on the President. A clasp date code dates the bracelet, which may be older or newer than the head; the cross-family detail is on [[Reference:Bracelets]].

	~~==Special branches==~~

	~~===The Oyster-bracelet option===~~

	The smooth 6-digit Day-Date is one of the few Day-Dates that came on the Oyster bracelet rather than the President. On a plain-bezel yellow-gold case the Oyster bracelet gives the watch a sportier, more casual character, a notable departure from the President-only formula that defines the rest of the line.

	~~===Stone dials===~~

	The hardstone dials are the 118208's headline. Coral, bloodstone and grossular-garnet stone dials, frequently diamond-set, are the configurations that command the strongest results, far above any standard example. Christie's sold a coral-dial 118208 in Hong Kong in 2014 for HKD 525,000, the high-water mark for the reference, and a green-bloodstone example for HKD 225,000 in 2018. On a smooth case the stone, with nothing on the bezel to compete with it, is the whole watch.

	==Market==		==Market==

	The 118208 is a liquid modern reference that trades through the dealer and certified-pre-owned market and rarely reaches the catalogued auctions~~, and it~~ carries no premium ~~for the smooth bezel: it sits in the same band as~~, ~~or slightly softer than, the fluted 118238, the less-liquid sleeper of the pair. A~~ standard ~~yellow-gold smooth-bezel 118208~~ with a stick, Roman or plain dial sits roughly in the high-teens to low-thirties of thousands of dollars. ~~The exceptions are the stone~~ and diamond dials~~, which~~ are the only 118208s to reach the auction headlines: the ~~coral~~ and ~~bloodstone examples above against~~ a plain ~~silvered~~ example ~~that made USD 10,710 at Sotheby~~'s in ~~2021~~. The value attaches to the dial, not the bezel.		The 118208 is a liquid modern reference that trades through the dealer and certified-pre-owned market and rarely reaches the catalogued auctions. The smooth bezel carries no premium of its own, and a standard example with a stick, Roman or plain dial sits in the same band as the fluted 118238 or slightly softer, roughly the high teens to low thirties of thousands of dollars. Stone and diamond dials are the only 118208s that reach the auction headlines, and the gap between them and a plain example runs to several multiples. Christie's Hong Kong sold a coral-dial example for HKD 525,000 in 2014, the high-water mark for the reference. The value attaches to the dial, not to the bezel.

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

Admin: Style: canonical '== Sources ==' heading spacing per AGENTS.md

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	See also the [[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].		See also the [[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

	==Sources==		== Sources ==

	* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra		* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

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Admin: Fact fix: replace two wrong Christie's URLs, correct bracelet claim against the auction record, mark unsold lot

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Fact fix: replace two wrong Christie's URLs, correct bracelet claim against the auction record, mark unsold lot

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:41, 3 August 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\| bracelet		\| bracelet
	\| President 8385 ~~or Oyster, with concealed Crownclasp / solid links~~		\| Oyster three-piece flat-link with folding clasp is the documented norm; President 8385 catalogued but absent from the auction record
	\|-		\|-
	\| dial		\| dial
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	==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==		==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

	The 118208 ~~wears either the President~~ bracelet, reference ~~8385, with the concealed Crownclasp and solid links, or the~~ three-piece flat-link Oyster bracelet. ~~The Oyster option~~ is ~~one of the things that~~ sets the smooth 6-digit Day-Date apart from the fluted models, which ~~stayed~~ on the President: a Day-Date on the sportier Oyster reads quite differently from the dress-watch President. As with any of these bracelets, a clasp date code dates the bracelet, which may be older or newer than the head, and the cross-family detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]].		The 118208 is an Oyster-bracelet reference in practice. The three-piece flat-link Oyster with a folding clasp is what the catalogued examples wear, and no President-bracelet 118208 has surfaced in the auction record, though the President 8385 appears as a catalogue option. That is what sets the smooth 6-digit Day-Date apart from the fluted models, which run overwhelmingly on the President: a Day-Date on the sportier Oyster reads quite differently from the dress-watch President. As with any of these bracelets, a clasp date code dates the bracelet, which may be older or newer than the head, and the cross-family detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]].

	==Special branches==		==Special branches==
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	===The Oyster-bracelet option===		===The Oyster-bracelet option===

	The smooth 6-digit Day-Date is one of the few Day-Dates ~~offered~~ on the Oyster bracelet ~~as well as~~ the President. On a plain-bezel yellow-gold case the Oyster bracelet gives the watch a sportier, more casual character, a notable departure from the President-only formula that defines the rest of the line.		The smooth 6-digit Day-Date is one of the few Day-Dates that came on the Oyster bracelet rather than the President. On a plain-bezel yellow-gold case the Oyster bracelet gives the watch a sportier, more casual character, a notable departure from the President-only formula that defines the rest of the line.

	===Stone dials===		===Stone dials===
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	\| Sotheby's New York, lot 131		\| Sotheby's New York, lot 131
	\| grossular-garnet diamond-set dial		\| grossular-garnet diamond-set dial
	\| ~~published lot reference~~		\| not sold (est. USD 25,000–50,000)
	\|-		\|-
	\| 2021		\| 2021
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	* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra		* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
	* [https://www.christies.com/en/~~lot~~/~~lot~~-~~5847012~~ Christie's, "Rolex Ref. 118208 Day-Date 36, 18k yellow gold smooth bezel with coral stone dial — Christie's Hong Kong, lot 2732", Christie's, 2014]		* [https://www.christies.com/en/auction/important-watches-24775/ Christie's, "Rolex Ref. 118208 Day-Date 36, 18k yellow gold smooth bezel with coral stone dial — Christie's Hong Kong, Important Watches, sale 3369, lot 2732", Christie's, 26 November 2014]
	* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-~~6151447~~ Christie's, "Rolex Ref. 118208 Day-Date 36, 18k yellow gold with green bloodstone diamond-set dial — Christie's Hong Kong", Christie's, 2018]		* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6146292 Christie's, "Rolex Ref. 118208 Day-Date 36, 18k yellow gold with green bloodstone and diamond-set dial — Christie's Hong Kong, Important Watches and Private Collections, sale 16128, lot 2272", Christie's, 28 May 2018]
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2/reference-118208-day-date-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby's, "Reference 118208 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with grossular-garnet diamond-set dial — Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 131", Sotheby's, 2024]		* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2/reference-118208-day-date-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby's, "Reference 118208 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with grossular-garnet diamond-set dial — Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 131", Sotheby's, 2024]
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021 Sotheby's, "Rolex Ref. 118208 Day-Date 36, 18k yellow gold with silvered dial — Sotheby's", Sotheby's, 2021]		* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021 Sotheby's, "Rolex Ref. 118208 Day-Date 36, 18k yellow gold with silvered dial — Sotheby's", Sotheby's, 2021]

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 | USD 10,710
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 ==Sources==

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	\|title=Rolex Day-Date 36 118208 — The Smooth-Bezel 6-Digit President		\|title=Rolex Day-Date 36 118208 — The Smooth-Bezel 6-Digit President
	\|~~titlemode~~=~~replace~~		\|description=The Rolex 118208 is the yellow-gold smooth/domed-bezel 6-digit Day-Date 36 (caliber 3155, 2000-2019), offered on President or Oyster bracelet. The understated sleeper of the generation; value lives in the hardstone dials.
	\|keywords=Rolex 118208, Day-Date 118208, smooth bezel Day-Date, domed bezel, Oyster bracelet Day-Date, caliber 3155, stone dial, 6-digit Day-Date		\|keywords=Rolex 118208, Day-Date 118208, smooth bezel Day-Date, domed bezel, Oyster bracelet Day-Date, caliber 3155, stone dial, 6-digit Day-Date
	\|description=The Rolex 118208 is the yellow-gold smooth/domed-bezel 6-digit Day-Date 36 (caliber 3155, 2000-2019), offered on President or Oyster bracelet. The understated sleeper of the generation; value lives in the hardstone dials.
	\|image=Ref 118208 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 118208 hero.webp
			\|image_alt=Yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 118208 smooth bezel champagne dial
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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''118208'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''118208'''</small>