Reference:18238 - Revision history

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

2026-09-05T01:20:51Z

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]] -> '''18238'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] › '''18238'''</small>

	The 18238 is the Day-Date that finally became easy to set. It took over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] in 1988 and kept the same 36mm yellow-gold President, the same fluted bezel and sapphire crystal, but swapped in the caliber 3155. That movement added the one thing the line had never had: a quickset for the day as well as the date, both indexed from the crown. For the first time an owner could correct a stopped Day-Date in seconds instead of running the hands around the dial to bring the day and date forward. The 18238 ran until about 2000, when the 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] replaced it.		The 18238 is the Day-Date that finally became easy to set. It took over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] in 1988 and kept the same 36mm yellow-gold President, the same fluted bezel and sapphire crystal, but swapped in the caliber 3155. That movement added the one thing the line had never had: a quickset for the day as well as the date, both indexed from the crown. For the first time an owner could correct a stopped Day-Date in seconds instead of running the hands around the dial to bring the day and date forward. The 18238 ran until about 2000, when the 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] replaced it.
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	==Core facts==		==Core facts==

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

Admin: Dial map: add the burlwood dial branch (burl grain, four species, lacquering change, condition and interchangeability caveats), grounded in Hodinkee and RolexForums collector research

2026-08-18T02:11:36Z

Dial map: add the burlwood dial branch (burl grain, four species, lacquering change, condition and interchangeability caveats), grounded in Hodinkee and RolexForums collector research

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:11, 18 August 2026
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	The 18238 was offered across the standard President dial range: champagne and silver with applied gold markers as the volume choice, Roman-numeral and diamond-hour-marker dials, mother-of-pearl, textured linen-weave grounds in black and champagne, and the occasional stone or special-order dial. By the 1990s the wilder Stella lacquer and Stern Frères stone dials of the 1803 era had largely given way to more restrained options, so a special-dial 18238 is scarcer than a special-dial 1803. The dial-variant taxonomy that spans the whole President line sits on the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry.		The 18238 was offered across the standard President dial range: champagne and silver with applied gold markers as the volume choice, Roman-numeral and diamond-hour-marker dials, mother-of-pearl, textured linen-weave grounds in black and champagne, and the occasional stone or special-order dial. By the 1990s the wilder Stella lacquer and Stern Frères stone dials of the 1803 era had largely given way to more restrained options, so a special-dial 18238 is scarcer than a special-dial 1803. The dial-variant taxonomy that spans the whole President line sits on the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry.

			Wood is the branch that list leaves out, and it is the one that moves the price. Rolex fitted genuine wood dials to the gold President from the mid-1970s, and the 18238 carried them to the end of the 5-digit run. Every wood dial of this generation is cut from burl, the knotted growth that swells on a tree trunk. Burl names a grain pattern and any species can produce one, so the dials appear in several woods and no two share a figure. Malaika Crawford's collector's guide to wooden dials for Hodinkee (10 March 2023) illustrates a walnut 18238 dated circa 1996 and sets out the change that separates this generation from the 180x wood dials before it: the 5-digit dials were lacquered before the printing went on, which sharpened the text and sealed the wood, where the earlier straight-grain dials went out matte and unsealed.

			Species is where the record splits. Crawford names three woods for the 5-digit generation, birch, African mahogany and walnut. Collector research collated on RolexForums documents a fourth, madrona, also written madrone, citing a period Rolex advertisement that offers "real madrona wood dials in 18 karat yellow gold" alongside birch and walnut, and reporting that madrona, birch and walnut all stayed orderable as service dials long after mahogany ran out. Birch, mahogany and walnut examples of the 18238 all circulate with their original papers. Walnut was the last one standing, still supplied as a replacement dial into the 2000s, and it turns up in 6-digit President cases for that reason.

			Condition carries more weight here than on any other 18238 dial. Moisture warps and splits wood, so gasket history matters, and a lifted or cracked dial is a structural fault. Dials interchange freely across the 182xx and 1182xx cases, so the dial alone establishes nothing about a particular watch; papers or a service record do.

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

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

2026-08-09T23:55:17Z

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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	The 18238 is a liquid, well-understood watch rather than an auction-record reference. Plain champagne and silver examples trade as the accessible entry to a gold President; the value moves with metal, dial, and the condition of the soft 18k gold case and bracelet, which wear and stretch with use. Special-order dials and full sets with box and papers carry the premiums. Because the run is long and the spec stable, condition rather than rarity sets price across most of the reference.		The 18238 is a liquid, well-understood watch rather than an auction-record reference. Plain champagne and silver examples trade as the accessible entry to a gold President; the value moves with metal, dial, and the condition of the soft 18k gold case and bracelet, which wear and stretch with use. Special-order dials and full sets with box and papers carry the premiums. Because the run is long and the spec stable, condition rather than rarity sets price across most of the reference.


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

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

2026-08-09T21:12:53Z

Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:12, 9 August 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] → '''18238'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:day-date\|Day-Date]] -> '''18238'''</small>

	The 18238 is the Day-Date that finally became easy to set. It took over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] in 1988 and kept the same 36mm yellow-gold President, the same fluted bezel and sapphire crystal, but swapped in the caliber 3155. That movement added the one thing the line had never had: a quickset for the day as well as the date, both indexed from the crown. For the first time an owner could correct a stopped Day-Date in seconds instead of ~~winding~~ the hands ~~through midnight twice~~. The 18238 ran until about 2000, when the 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] replaced it.		The 18238 is the Day-Date that finally became easy to set. It took over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] in 1988 and kept the same 36mm yellow-gold President, the same fluted bezel and sapphire crystal, but swapped in the caliber 3155. That movement added the one thing the line had never had: a quickset for the day as well as the date, both indexed from the crown. For the first time an owner could correct a stopped Day-Date in seconds instead of running the hands around the dial to bring the day and date forward. The 18238 ran until about 2000, when the 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] replaced it.

	[[File:Ref 18238 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Day-Date 18238 in yellow gold with fluted bezel and black tapestry dial\|The 18238 in yellow gold: fluted bezel, sapphire crystal, black tapestry dial, "T SWISS MADE T" tritium.]]		[[File:Ref 18238 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Day-Date 18238 in yellow gold with fluted bezel and black tapestry dial\|The 18238 in yellow gold: fluted bezel, sapphire crystal, black tapestry dial, "T SWISS MADE T" tritium.]]
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	==Where it sits in the line==		==Where it sits in the line==

	The 18238 is the second of the three sapphire-crystal President generations. The [[Reference:18038\|18038]] brought sapphire and quickset date to the 36mm Day-Date in 1977 on the caliber 3055. The 18238 follows in 1988 with the caliber 3155 and double quickset. The 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] takes over around 2000 with the same 3155 movement in a redesigned case with the Cyclops-free crystal and solid-link bracelet. The 18238 is the bridge between the vintage-derived 5-digit Presidents and the modern 6-digit ones, and ~~the cheapest way into a sapphire-crystal President that~~ still wears the slim 1803-era case.		The 18238 is the second of the three sapphire-crystal President generations. The [[Reference:18038\|18038]] brought sapphire and quickset date to the 36mm Day-Date in 1977 on the caliber 3055. The 18238 follows in 1988 with the caliber 3155 and double quickset. The 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] takes over around 2000 with the same 3155 movement in a redesigned case with the Cyclops-free crystal and solid-link bracelet. The 18238 is the bridge between the vintage-derived 5-digit Presidents and the modern 6-digit ones, and it still wears the slim 1803-era case that the 6-digit references thickened.

	The catalogue splits the 3155 generation by bezel and metal the way the 18038 family did. The 18238 is the yellow-gold fluted reference and the volume seller. The [[Reference:18248\|18248]] carries the bark finish and the [[Reference:18348\|18348]] the factory diamond bezel; the 18239 and 18249 are the white-gold fluted and bark versions, and smooth-bezel and platinum variants round out the generation. Pink gold stays absent at this spec, returning only with the 6-digit Everose references. The full bezel-and-metal taxonomy carries over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] entry.		The catalogue splits the 3155 generation by bezel and metal the way the 18038 family did. The 18238 is the yellow-gold fluted reference and the volume seller. The [[Reference:18248\|18248]] carries the bark finish and the [[Reference:18348\|18348]] the factory diamond bezel; the 18239 and 18249 are the white-gold fluted and bark versions, and smooth-bezel and platinum variants round out the generation. Pink gold stays absent at this spec, returning only with the 6-digit Everose references. The full bezel-and-metal taxonomy carries over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] entry.
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	==Production outline==		==Production outline==

	The 18238 ran for roughly twelve years, one of the longest single-reference runs in the Day-Date catalogue. Across that span the only running change of note is the lume. Early examples carry tritium, marked "T SWISS MADE T" at the foot of the dial; the latest examples, near the 2000 handover to the 6-digit line, switch to Luminova without the tritium designation. ~~No quartz~~, ~~no case change, no movement change inside the reference:~~ the 18238 is a stable, single-spec watch for its whole run~~, which is~~ part of why it trades as a dependable known quantity rather than a variant hunt.		The 18238 ran for roughly twelve years, one of the longest single-reference runs in the Day-Date catalogue. Across that span the only running change of note is the lume. Early examples carry tritium, marked "T SWISS MADE T" at the foot of the dial; the latest examples, near the 2000 handover to the 6-digit line, switch to Luminova without the tritium designation. Case and movement carried through untouched, which makes the 18238 a stable, single-spec watch for its whole run and part of why it trades as a dependable known quantity rather than a variant hunt.

	Serial numbers track the standard Rolex stream for the period, running through the letter-prefix series of the 1990s. The reference overlaps the start of the 6-digit era briefly before giving way to the 118238.		Serial numbers track the standard Rolex stream for the period, running through the letter-prefix series of the 1990s. The reference overlaps the start of the 6-digit era briefly before giving way to the 118238.
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	==Movement notes==		==Movement notes==

	The caliber 3155 is the 18238's reason to exist. It keeps the 28,800 vph rate and roughly 48-hour reserve of the 3055 and adds the day quickset, so both the day disc and the date wheel index from crown position two. The ~~earlier~~ 3055 quickset the date ~~only~~; the day still had to be advanced by running the hands. The 3155 closes that gap and becomes the long-serving modern Day-Date movement, carried forward unchanged into the 6-digit 118238. The 31-jewel, COSC-certified 3155 also underpins the Day-Date II caliber 3156 that follows in 2008. The full caliber lineage sits on [[Reference:Movements]].		The caliber 3155 is the 18238's reason to exist. It keeps the 28,800 vph rate and roughly 48-hour reserve of the 3055 and adds the day quickset, so both the day disc and the date wheel index from crown position two. The 3055 before it offered a quickset for the date alone; the day still had to be advanced by running the hands. The 3155 closes that gap and becomes the long-serving modern Day-Date movement, carried forward unchanged into the 6-digit 118238. The 31-jewel, COSC-certified 3155 also underpins the Day-Date II caliber 3156 that follows in 2008. The full caliber lineage sits on [[Reference:Movements]].

	==Dial map==		==Dial map==
	[[File:Ref 18238 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 18238 with a stone dial and diamond hour markers\|A stone-dial 18238 with diamond hour markers, one of the special-order dials offered across the President range.]]		[[File:Ref 18238 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 18238 with a stone dial and diamond hour markers\|A stone-dial 18238 with diamond hour markers, one of the special-order dials offered across the President range.]]

			The 18238 was offered across the standard President dial range: champagne and silver with applied gold markers as the volume choice, Roman-numeral and diamond-hour-marker dials, mother-of-pearl, textured linen-weave grounds in black and champagne, and the occasional stone or special-order dial. By the 1990s the wilder Stella lacquer and Stern Frères stone dials of the 1803 era had largely given way to more restrained options, so a special-dial 18238 is scarcer than a special-dial 1803. The dial-variant taxonomy that spans the whole President line sits on the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry.
	The 18238 was offered across the standard President dial range: champagne and silver with applied gold markers as the volume choice, Roman-numeral and diamond-hour-marker dials, mother-of-pearl, textured linen-weave grounds in black and champagne, and the occasional stone or special-order dial. By the 1990s the wilder Stella lacquer and Stern Frères stone dials of the 1803 era had largely given way to more restrained options, so a special-dial 18238 is scarcer than a special-dial 1803. The ~~dial does not define the reference; for the deep~~ dial-variant taxonomy that spans the President line, the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry ~~carries the full account~~.

	==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==		==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
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	==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==		==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

	The 18238 wears the President bracelet, reference 8385, with the concealed Crownclasp that hides the buckle under a flip-up crown medallion. The bracelet is solid 18k gold ~~and integral to the watch's wrist feel~~. 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 18238 wears the President bracelet, reference 8385, with the concealed Crownclasp that hides the buckle under a flip-up crown medallion. The bracelet is solid 18k gold. 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]].

	==Special branches==		==Special branches==
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	===The 3155 generation siblings===		===The 3155 generation siblings===

	~~The 18238 anchors a~~ generation ~~that splits by bezel and metal:~~ the ~~bark~~-~~finished [[Reference:18248\|18248]],~~ the diamond-bezel [[Reference:18348\|18348]], the white-gold 18239 and 18249, and the smooth-bezel and platinum variants. They share the caliber 3155 and the sapphire-crystal President case, and differ only in finish and material the way the 18038 family did before them. The diamond and white-gold versions are scarcer than the yellow-gold fluted 18238; the platinum variant is the rarity of the group.		Within the 3155 generation the yellow-gold fluted 18238 is much the most common. The diamond-bezel [[Reference:18348\|18348]] and the white-gold 18239 and 18249 come up less often, and the platinum variant is the rarity of the group.

	==Auction record==		==Auction record==

Admin: Fix banned vocabulary: replace "tapestry" per Slop Cop word list, aligning to the 1803 linen/textured dial taxonomy

2026-08-08T21:38:03Z

Fix banned vocabulary: replace "tapestry" per Slop Cop word list, aligning to the 1803 linen/textured dial taxonomy

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:38, 8 August 2026
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	The 18238 was offered across the standard President dial range: champagne and silver with applied gold markers as the volume choice, Roman-numeral and diamond-hour-marker dials, mother-of-pearl, textured ~~tapestry and~~ linen-weave grounds in black and champagne, and the occasional stone or special-order dial. By the 1990s the wilder Stella lacquer and Stern Frères stone dials of the 1803 era had largely given way to more restrained options, so a special-dial 18238 is scarcer than a special-dial 1803. The dial does not define the reference; for the deep dial-variant taxonomy that spans the President line, the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry carries the full account.		The 18238 was offered across the standard President dial range: champagne and silver with applied gold markers as the volume choice, Roman-numeral and diamond-hour-marker dials, mother-of-pearl, textured linen-weave grounds in black and champagne, and the occasional stone or special-order dial. By the 1990s the wilder Stella lacquer and Stern Frères stone dials of the 1803 era had largely given way to more restrained options, so a special-dial 18238 is scarcer than a special-dial 1803. The dial does not define the reference; for the deep dial-variant taxonomy that spans the President line, the [[Reference:1803\|1803]] entry carries the full account.

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

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

2026-08-08T21:31:22Z

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

Admin: Fix: remove banned dealer photo credit from captions per CLAUDE.md hard rule #5

2026-08-08T18:15:52Z

Fix: remove banned dealer photo credit from captions per CLAUDE.md hard rule #5

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:15, 8 August 2026
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	The 18238 is the Day-Date that finally became easy to set. It took over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] in 1988 and kept the same 36mm yellow-gold President, the same fluted bezel and sapphire crystal, but swapped in the caliber 3155. That movement added the one thing the line had never had: a quickset for the day as well as the date, both indexed from the crown. For the first time an owner could correct a stopped Day-Date in seconds instead of winding the hands through midnight twice. The 18238 ran until about 2000, when the 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] replaced it.		The 18238 is the Day-Date that finally became easy to set. It took over from the [[Reference:18038\|18038]] in 1988 and kept the same 36mm yellow-gold President, the same fluted bezel and sapphire crystal, but swapped in the caliber 3155. That movement added the one thing the line had never had: a quickset for the day as well as the date, both indexed from the crown. For the first time an owner could correct a stopped Day-Date in seconds instead of winding the hands through midnight twice. The 18238 ran until about 2000, when the 6-digit [[Reference:118238\|118238]] replaced it.

	[[File:Ref 18238 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Day-Date 18238 in yellow gold with fluted bezel and black tapestry dial\|The 18238 in yellow gold: fluted bezel, sapphire crystal, black tapestry dial, "T SWISS MADE T" tritium. ~~Photo: CollectorsSquare~~]]		[[File:Ref 18238 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Day-Date 18238 in yellow gold with fluted bezel and black tapestry dial\|The 18238 in yellow gold: fluted bezel, sapphire crystal, black tapestry dial, "T SWISS MADE T" tritium.]]

	==Core facts==		==Core facts==
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	==Dial map==		==Dial map==
	[[File:Ref 18238 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 18238 with a stone dial and diamond hour markers\|A stone-dial 18238 with diamond hour markers, one of the special-order dials offered across the President range. ~~Photo: CollectorsSquare~~]]		[[File:Ref 18238 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 18238 with a stone dial and diamond hour markers\|A stone-dial 18238 with diamond hour markers, one of the special-order dials offered across the President range.]]

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

2026-08-04T00:19:24Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

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