Reference:18048 - Revision history

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

2026-09-05T01:20:45Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:20, 5 September 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.		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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	==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

2026-08-09T23:55:13Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:55, 9 August 2026
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	==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, 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.
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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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	\| published lot reference		\| published lot reference
	\|}		\|}


	== Related references ==		== Related references ==
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	[[Category:Day-Date]]		[[Category:Day-Date]]
	~~[[Category:Working Draft]]~~

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

2026-08-09T21:19:12Z

Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:19, 9 August 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.		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~~ [[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, 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~~, 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 and single-spec.

	==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 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.		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==
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	The diamond bezel is the constant on the 18048; 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: mother-of-pearl, ~~stone dials such as~~ onyx and lapis, Roman-numeral, diamond pavé, blue dégradé~~, and~~ lacquered Stella colours. A green-Stella 18048 with the red Omani Khanjar emblem documents the reference's reach into the Gulf special orders. The ~~dial does not change the reference, but on a watch whose bezel is a catalogue option, the dial is what sets one 18048 apart from the next; 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, 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.

	==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==		==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
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	===Special dials===		===Special dials===

	The 18048's variety is in its dials. Documented examples run from mother-of-pearl and pavé through onyx and other stone dials to lacquered Stella colours, including a green-Stella example carrying the Omani Khanjar emblem. The blue dégradé and black-lacquer diamond dials are ~~among~~ the ~~more~~ sought ~~configurations~~. Each is a catalogue or special-order dial on the same diamond-bezel case, so the dial is the identity of the individual watch.		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 ~~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.		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"

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

2026-08-08T21:31:15Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:31, 8 August 2026
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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

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

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

2026-08-04T00:10:38Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

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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==