Jump to content

Reference:118238: Difference between revisions

From Rolexopedia
[checked revision][checked revision]
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
Add reference-specific Bonhams auction lot sourcing (118238 diamond-dial/Jubilee examples) to replace generic family-level citations
Tighten 118238 chronology and case wording
 
(3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 2: Line 2:
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 118238 Day-Date — Modern 36mm Cal 3155, Parachrom Blu, Engraved Rehaut | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex 118238 Day-Date — Modern 36mm Cal 3155, Parachrom Blu, Engraved Rehaut | Rolexopedia
|description=The 118238 is the modern 36mm Day-Date — 2000 to 2019, cal 3155 with double quickset, 36mm 18k yellow gold President, fluted bezel. Solid centre links and concealed Crownclasp generation. Parachrom Blu (from 2005) and engraved rehaut (from 2006-07) mid-run rollouts.
|description=The Rolex 118238 is the six-digit Day-Date 36 in yellow gold, with a fluted bezel, President bracelet, caliber 3155, and documented mid-run changes to the hairspring, rehaut, and clasp.
|keywords=Rolex 118238, Day-Date, cal 3155, double quickset, Parachrom Blu, engraved rehaut, solid centre links, Crownclasp, 118239, 118235, Everose, 118206 platinum
|keywords=Rolex 118238, Day-Date, cal 3155, double quickset, Parachrom Blu, engraved rehaut, solid centre links, Crownclasp, 118239, 118235, Everose, 118206 platinum
|image=Ref 118238 hero.webp
|image=Ref 118238 hero.webp
Line 19: Line 19:
</div>
</div>


The 118238 is the modern-era 36mm Day-Date, in production for nineteen years from 2000 through 2019 on the cal 3155. The caliber number carries over from the late-run 18238, and both run double quickset, but the 6-digit case and bracelet read as a clearly newer watch: broader lugs, fully polished flanks, solid centre links in place of the 18238's hollow links, and the concealed Crownclasp replacing the earlier visible folding clasp. Two technical rollouts the 18238 never saw arrive mid-run on the 118238. The blue Parachrom hairspring appears from approximately 2005. The engraved rehaut follows in 2006 or 2007 and is universal by 2008. The 118238 is the final 36mm Day-Date before the 128238 takes over in 2019 with the cal 3255 and the modern Superlative Chronometer ±2-seconds-per-day certification.
The 118238 is the yellow-gold Day-Date 36 of the six-digit generation, documented from 2000 through about 2019. It keeps caliber 3155 and double quickset from the late 18238 period while changing the case and bracelet: broader polished lugs, solid centre links, and a concealed Crownclasp. Later examples add a Parachrom hairspring and an engraved rehaut. The 128238 replaced it with caliber 3255 in 2019.




==Core facts==
==Core facts==
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
Line 36: Line 35:
|-
|-
| production
| production
| 2000 to 2019, nineteen years
| 2000–about 2019
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
Line 64: Line 63:


==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==
The 118238 is the yellow-gold fluted member of the six-digit Day-Date generation. The 18238 carried the 36 mm Day-Date through the 1990s with the same caliber family. The 118238 has broader polished lugs, solid centre links, and a concealed Crownclasp.


The 118238 is the volume reference of the 6-digit Day-Date generation. The 18238 carried the 36mm Day-Date through the 1990s on the cal 3155 in its late-run double-quickset form. The 118238 takes the same caliber number forward into the 6-digit case, with the bracelet and clasp upgrades that visually mark the generation: broader and fully-polished lugs, solid centre links in place of the hollow 18238 links, and the concealed Crownclasp in place of the visible folding clasp.
The 118238 uses caliber 3155, as did late 18238 examples, with double quickset for the day and date. The caliber number alone therefore does not separate the two references; bracelet and case details are more useful when identifying an individual watch.
 
Caliber-wise the 118238 sits on the cal 3155, same number as the late-run 18238, with double quickset indexing day and date independently from the crown. Some sources read the caliber number as the dividing line between 18238 and 118238 production. In practice the 18238's late-run cal 3155 already carried double quickset, so the bracelet and case dimensions are the cleaner visual diagnostic between the two references.


The 118 generation covers the full Day-Date metal range:
The 118 generation covers the full Day-Date metal range:


* 118238 — 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel, President bracelet. Volume reference, subject of this article.
* 118238: 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel, President bracelet.
* 118239 — 18k white gold, fluted bezel, President.
* 118239: 18k white gold, fluted bezel, President bracelet.
* 118235 — 18k Everose gold, fluted bezel, President. Everose launches 2005; the 118235 carries it on the President from that point.
* 118235: 18k Everose gold, fluted bezel, President bracelet; introduced with the Everose range in the mid-2000s.
* 118205 — 18k Everose gold, smooth bezel, Oyster bracelet. The casual-aesthetic outlier in the President family, on Oyster instead of President.
* 118205: 18k Everose gold, smooth bezel, Oyster bracelet.
* 118206 — 950 platinum, smooth domed bezel, President. Ice-blue dial is the platinum signature.
* 118206: 950 platinum, smooth domed bezel, President bracelet.
* 118138 — 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel, leather strap. Basel 2013 launch.
* 118138: 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel, leather strap; catalogued from 2013.
* 118135 — 18k Everose gold, fluted bezel, leather strap. Basel 2013.
* 118135: 18k Everose gold, fluted bezel, leather strap; catalogued from 2013.
* 118139 — 18k white gold, fluted bezel, leather strap. Basel 2013.
* 118139: 18k white gold, fluted bezel, leather strap; catalogued from 2013.


There is no 118288 or 118289 in the Day-Date catalogue. Sources that reference these are either typos or confusion with the 18288 / 18289 Tridor-era predecessors, which ended around 2000 with the 18239B closeout. There is no Tridor in the 118 generation; the tri-tone gold President discontinued at the 18239B closeout.
The cited catalogues do not list 118288 or 118289. Those numbers are often confused with the 18288 and 18289 Tridor-era references; an individual listing needs its case and papers checked.


There is no 118208 platinum either. The platinum 36mm Day-Date is the 118206, smooth-domed bezel, ice-blue dial. Dealer listings that reference a "118208" are typos or confusion with the 18238 / 18206 reference siblings.
The platinum 36 mm Day-Date in this generation is the 118206, with a smooth domed bezel. The 118208 is the yellow-gold smooth-bezel reference; listings that mix the two should be checked against the case and dial.


The 118238 is not a 2009-production-end reference. Some sources record 2009 as the model-year tail; this conflates the serial-letter rollover (M / V / G prefixes through 2010, then random scrambled serials) with the actual production end of 2019. The 118238 ships through the 2010s on scrambled rehaut serials.
Some secondary sources stop the 118238 at 2009. That date conflicts with later catalogued examples and the 2019 transition to the 128238. Serial format is a dating clue, not proof of a reference's production end.


==Production outline==
==Production outline==
===2000 — Basel launch===
===2000 — Basel launch===
 
The 118 generation appeared around 2000. The 118238, 118239, and 118206 cover yellow gold, white gold, and platinum; the Everose 118235 followed later. Compared with the 18238, the documented case and bracelet changes include broader lugs, polished flanks, and solid centre links.
Rolex unveils the 118 generation at Basel 2000. The 118238, 118239, and 118206 launch together in yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. The 118235 Everose follows in 2005 with the broader Everose rollout. The case and bracelet refinements relative to the 18238 are visible without measurement: lugs widen, flanks polish, centre links go solid.
 
Launch retail for the 118238 yellow gold sat in the broader Day-Date 36 retail band, and catalogue prices through the 2000s tracked the broader luxury-watch inflation cycle.


===2005 — Parachrom Blu hairspring rollout===
===2005 — Parachrom Blu hairspring rollout===
 
Rolex introduced the blue Parachrom hairspring across the catalogue from about 2005. Later 118238 examples can carry it, but the cited sources do not establish a transition serial for this reference.
Rolex rolls the blue Parachrom hairspring (paramagnetic niobium-zirconium alloy) across the catalogue from 2005. Late-run 118238 examples carry it; early-run examples do not. The transition serial within the 118238 production is not pinned in the published literature, which describes Parachrom as "available from 2005" without a 118238-specific cutoff serial.


===2006-2007 — engraved rehaut===
===2006-2007 — engraved rehaut===
 
The engraved rehaut appears on 118238 production around 2006–07. Sources differ on the exact introduction date; by the later 2000s it is common. Earlier watches place the serial between the lugs, while later watches show it on the inner ring.
The engraved rehaut (inner crystal ring engraved with "ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX" plus the serial number) arrives on 118238 production from approximately 2006 or 2007, with sources split on the precise year and universal coverage by 2008. The pre-rehaut 118238s carry the serial between the lugs at 6 o'clock; post-rehaut 118238s carry the serial on the inner crystal ring, and the lug-side engraving is gone.


===2010 — random scrambled serial rollover===
===2010 — random scrambled serial rollover===
 
Rolex moved from letter-prefix serials to random alphanumeric serials around 2010. The 118238 spans that change, so the serial format helps date an example but does not replace caseback, rehaut, and paperwork checks.
Rolex switches the entire catalogue from sequential letter-prefix serials (M / V / G the final letters before the transition) to random scrambled 8-character alphanumeric serials in 2010. The 118238 production straddles the rollover: pre-2010 examples have M / V / G serials, post-2010 examples have random rehaut-engraved alphanumeric strings.


===2013 — leather-strap subset===
===2013 — leather-strap subset===
 
The 2013 range added 118138, 118135, and 118139 Day-Date 36 references on leather straps with deployant clasps. Catalogues show several strap and dial combinations; the cited catalogues do not establish how common the subset was.
The Basel 2013 launch adds the 118138 (yellow gold), 118135 (Everose), and 118139 (white gold), Day-Date 36 references on alligator leather with deployant clasp. Cognac, green, and chocolate alligator on yellow gold; cherry, blue, and bordeaux on white gold; standard pairings on Everose. The leather-strap subset is the rarest 118 cluster, and collectors flag the leather-strap configurations as the dressier outlier of the modern Day-Date 36 family.


===2019 — discontinuation===
===2019 — discontinuation===
 
The 128238 replaced the 118238 around 2019 with caliber 3255, a longer stated power reserve, and the Superlative Chronometer specification. The exact final delivery date for an individual 118238 should be checked against its papers and serial evidence.
The 128238 takes over at Baselworld 2019 with the cal 3255: 70-hour power reserve against the 3155's 48, Chronergy escapement, Superlative Chronometer ±2-seconds-per-day certification against the older COSC ±6. The 118238 ends production with the 128238 launch, and catalogue presence clears by the end of 2019.


==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==
 
Caliber 3155 carried over from the late-run 18238 and provides double quickset.
Caliber 3155, same number as the late-run 18238 with double quickset.


Specifications:
Specifications:
Line 129: Line 117:
* KIF Elastor shock absorbers
* KIF Elastor shock absorbers
* Nivarox hairspring on early production; Parachrom Blu hairspring on late production (rolled out from 2005)
* Nivarox hairspring on early production; Parachrom Blu hairspring on late production (rolled out from 2005)
* COSC chronometer certified — pre-2015 examples at ±4 / +6 seconds per day; examples cased from 2015 onward carry the tighter Superlative Chronometer ±2, the same catalogue-wide caliber 3155 upgrade mid-run
* COSC chronometer certified on earlier examples; later examples may carry Rolex's tighter Superlative Chronometer specification
 
Rolex re-regulated caliber 3155 catalogue-wide to the tighter Superlative Chronometer ±2-seconds-per-day standard in 2015, mid-way through the 118238's own production run, which continued to 2019. Early 118238 examples carry the older COSC ±4 / +6 certification; examples cased from 2015 onward should carry the tighter ±2 spec, the same movement upgrade the 128238 successor inherited at launch.


Service: Rolex Service Centre runs USD 800 to 1,200 for full service; independent watchmakers run USD 400 to 700. Service intervals are 10 years officially, 5 to 7 years per independent practice.
Rolex introduced the tighter ±2 seconds-per-day Superlative Chronometer standard in the mid-2010s. It is a production-period and certification question, not a guarantee for every serviced 3155; check the watch's certificate and movement history.


==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==
 
The 118238 keeps the 36mm three-piece Oyster case. Compared with the 18238, documented changes include broader fully polished lugs, whereas the 18238 has narrower lugs with brushed sides, and solid bracelet centre links that add weight.
36mm three-piece Oyster construction. The visible case-and-bracelet changes from the 18238 are subtle but consistent: broader fully-polished lugs (the 18238's lugs were narrower with brushed sides), more visual weight to the watch on wrist despite the same nominal dimensions, and solid bracelet centre links accounting for most of the additional gram weight.


Inner caseback stamped with the reference and quarter-year Roman-numeral lot codes. Outer caseback engraved with the Rolex crown.
Inner caseback stamped with the reference and quarter-year Roman-numeral lot codes. Outer caseback engraved with the Rolex crown.
Line 143: Line 128:
The fluted bezel is carved from solid 18k yellow gold. The 118239 carries white-gold fluted, 118235 Everose fluted, 118205 Everose smooth-domed paired with Oyster bracelet, and 118206 platinum smooth-domed.
The fluted bezel is carved from solid 18k yellow gold. The 118239 carries white-gold fluted, 118235 Everose fluted, 118205 Everose smooth-domed paired with Oyster bracelet, and 118206 platinum smooth-domed.


The crown is the Twinlock screw-down. Triplock does not arrive on the 36mm Day-Date until the 128238.
The documented 118238 uses a Twinlock screw-down crown; a replacement crown should be checked against the individual case and service record.


The crystal is sapphire, continuing from the 18038 generation. The 118238 generation is the first to wear the engraved rehaut, which arrives from approximately 2006 or 2007 and is universal by 2008. The ring reads "ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX" repeated around the inner edge plus the serial number, with pre-2010 production carrying letter-prefix serials and post-2010 production carrying random scrambled alphanumeric strings.
The crystal is sapphire, continuing from the 18038 generation. Day-Date examples with engraved rehauts appear from approximately 2006 or 2007 and are common in later production. The ring repeats “ROLEX” around the inner edge with the serial number at six o'clock; pre-2010 examples generally carry letter-prefix serials, while later examples use random alphanumeric strings.


==Bracelet, end-links, clasp==
==Bracelet, end-links, clasp==
President bracelet with solid centre links, the visible 18238-to-118238 bracelet upgrade. The President's three-piece semicircular construction continues from the 1803 generation; the centre link goes from hollow on the 18238 to solid on the 118238, and the bracelet weight increases proportionally. The clasp moves from the visible folding configuration of the late-1990s 18238 to the concealed Crownclasp, which hides the entire folding mechanism under the centre link. The Rolex coronet appears on the closed clasp cover.
President bracelet with solid centre links, the visible 18238-to-118238 bracelet upgrade. The President's three-piece semicircular construction continues from the 1803 generation; the centre link goes from hollow on the 18238 to solid on the 118238, and the bracelet weight increases proportionally. The clasp moves from the visible folding configuration of the late-1990s 18238 to the concealed Crownclasp, which hides the entire folding mechanism under the centre link. The Rolex coronet appears on the closed clasp cover.


Made by Gay Frères through 1998 when Rolex acquired the supplier; the 118238 launched in 2000 wears Rolex-internal bracelet production from launch.
The 118238 bracelet belongs to the Rolex production period of the reference. Clasp date codes date the bracelet component, not the watch head; a service or replacement bracelet can carry a later code.
 
Clasp date codes inside the clasp leaf should roughly match the watch-head serial year. Service-replaced bracelets carry later clasp codes, and many 118238s wear post-2010 random clasp codes that do not match the watch-head serial era.


==Dial variants==
==Dial variants==
[[File:Ref 118238 champagne diamond dial.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 36 reference 118238 dial closeup — factory champagne dial with diamond hour markers, fluted yellow gold bezel, President bracelet visible at edge.|118238 factory champagne diamond dial — production-volume configuration with 8 round-cut diamond hour markers on the champagne sunburst dial.]]
Documented dials include stick or Roman-numeral indices on champagne, silver, white, and black grounds, along with mother-of-pearl, diamond-set, and selected stone dials. The surviving catalogues do not establish a complete production sequence. Examples include:
 


Production-volume dials carry stick or Roman-numeral indices on champagne, silver, white, or black grounds. The dial-variant explosion of the 1803 era does not continue into the 118238 generation at the same scale; Rolex narrowed the Day-Date catalogue dial offering through the modern era. Documented configurations:
* Silver luminescent stick, documented standard modern dial.
 
* Silver luminescent stick, production-volume modern dial.
* White "anniversary" Roman, 50th-anniversary Day-Date-line dial introduced approximately 2006.
* White "anniversary" Roman, 50th-anniversary Day-Date-line dial introduced approximately 2006.
* Champagne stick and champagne Roman, both production-volume.
* Champagne stick and champagne Roman, both documented standard layouts.
* Mother-of-pearl, with and without diamond hour markers.
* Mother-of-pearl, with and without diamond hour markers.
* Decorated mother-of-pearl, with guilloché or floral patterns on the MOP ground.
* Decorated mother-of-pearl, with guilloché or floral patterns on the MOP ground.
* Diamond-paved dial, factory pavé Day-Date dial, occasional production-period examples.
* Diamond-paved dial, factory pavé Day-Date dial, occasional production-period examples.
* Stone dials, surfaced case-by-case (mother-of-pearl most common; the broader Stella revival of the 2013 era is more associated with the 118138 / 118139 leather-strap launch than with the 118238 itself).
* Stone dials, documented case by case.
* Tropical dial, black dials aging to chocolate. Less common than on the vintage 1803 generation; the modern dial-print process produces fewer factory-tropical configurations.
* Black dials with age-related color change, which should be separated from an original factory dial.


Tritium does not appear on 118238 dials. The catalogue is post-1998, so all 118238 dials are SuperLumiNova-based with "SWISS MADE" marking. Chromalight rolls in c.2008 across the broader Rolex line, and late-run 118238 examples on Chromalight surface in the same window as the engraved-rehaut transition.
Tritium is not expected on this post-1998 reference. Later dials use Super-LumiNova or Chromalight markings, but the lume material and service history should be checked on the individual dial.
 
[[File:Ref 118238 champagne diamond dial.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 36 reference 118238 champagne dial with diamond hour markers|118238 champagne dial with diamond hour markers]]


==Serial-year correlation==
==Serial-year correlation==
The 118238 production straddles Rolex's 2010 serial-system rollover. Pre-2010 letter-prefix serials follow the catalogue-wide chart:
The 118238 production straddles Rolex's 2010 serial-system rollover. Pre-2010 letter-prefix serials follow the catalogue-wide chart:


* prefix K — 2001
* prefix K: 2001
* prefix Y — 2002
* prefix Y: 2002
* prefix F — 2003-2004
* prefix F: 2003–04
* prefix D — 2005-2006
* prefix D: 2005–06
* prefix Z — 2006-2007
* prefix Z: 2006–07
* prefix M — 2007-2008
* prefix M: 2007–08
* prefix V — 2008-2009
* prefix V: 2008–09
* prefix G — 2010 (final letter prefix)
* prefix G: around 2010 (final letter prefix)
* random scrambled — late 2010 onward
* random scrambled: late 2010 onward


Late 118238 production runs on random rehaut-engraved serials through to 2019. The market sees pre-rehaut, rehaut-with-letter-prefix, and rehaut-with-random-serial examples in roughly equal supply for the 118238 specifically, a longer transition window than most modern Rolex references because of the 118238's nineteen-year production span.
Later 118238 examples use random rehaut-engraved serials. The serial format helps narrow a date, but the transition was not a single reference-specific cutoff and should be cross-checked with the case, rehaut, and documents.


==Auction record + market bands==
<span id="auction-record-market-bands"></span><span id="Auction_record_+_market_bands"></span>
==Auction record==
The lots below provide dial, bracelet and provenance details. Their prices belong to those individual watches and do not define a general market range.


The 118238 trades primarily through dealer channels rather than headline auction lots. Aggregated dealer-market data, April 2026 snapshot:
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
* Unworn yellow gold 118238 — USD 28,000 to 45,000
! date
* Used yellow gold 118238 — USD 22,000 to 32,000
! house and lot
* Platinum 118206 with ice-blue dial — USD 55,000 to 95,000 (largest premium in the family)
! documented configuration
* Everose 118235 — USD 30,000 to 50,000
! result
* Leather-strap 118138 / 118135 / 118139 — USD 25,000 to 40,000 (rarer than President-bracelet siblings, traded as a specialist subset)
|-
* 5-year price change +34.7%
| circa 2004
* 1-year price change +23.8%
| Bonhams, lot 152
 
| Silvered sunburst dial with diamond hour markers and diamond bezel; 83208 President bracelet
The 118238 is in a price-appreciation cycle post-discontinuation. The 2019 retirement set the supply floor, and the broader luxury-watch market cycle of 2020-2023 lifted prices across the modern Rolex sport-and-dress lineup. The 2025-2026 secondary market is settling above 2019 retail but below the 2021-2022 peak.
| £16,575 including premium
|-
| circa 2009
| Bonhams Hong Kong, lot 1331
| Champagne Jubilee dial with round and baguette diamond indexes
| HK$153,600 (estimate HK$110,000–200,000)
|}


Individual Bonhams lots corroborate the diamond-set dial and bezel variants named above with case-specific detail rather than aggregated ranges. A circa-2004 example (case No. F092462, cal. 3155 movement No. 39450649) carries a sunburst silvered dial with diamond-set hour markers, a black outer minute track with Roman-numeral five-minute markers, and a diamond-set bezel; fitted to an 83208 President bracelet with a concealed folding clasp stamped AD7, it sold for £16,575 including premium. A circa-2009 Hong Kong lot (case No. V240060) carries a Jubilee champagne dial with round and baguette diamond-set indexes on the standard 36mm yellow gold case and full set of box, certificate, and swing tags, selling for HK$153,600 against a HK$110,000–200,000 estimate. Both case-number prefixes — F and V — fall inside the 2003-2004 and 2008-2009 serial windows given above, which matches each lot's own catalogued date.
The case prefixes in these two catalogues are F and V. They are consistent with the catalogued dates, but serial prefixes date the case approximately and do not prove original dial or bracelet fitment.


==Special branches==
==Special branches==
===Tiffany & Co. double-signed===
===Tiffany & Co. double-signed===
 
Double-signed Tiffany examples are reported in the 118238 era, especially in late-2000s material. The signature should be checked against the dial, case, papers, and the documented retailer history; the article does not infer a general price multiple.
Documented in the 118238 era through the late 2000s, trailing off as Rolex tightened retail-partnership cross-signature production. Tiffany 118238 examples trade at two to three times standard equivalents. Counterfeit risk is high, and same-batch documentation and clasp-code chronology are the authentication tools.


===Diplomatic / royal-gift commissions===
===Diplomatic / royal-gift commissions===
Modern Day-Date 36s also appear in diplomatic and regional-market records, including Oman and Gulf-market commissions. Those inscriptions are provenance claims that require watch-specific documentation.


Modern Day-Date 36s surface as diplomatic gifts in the same channels as the vintage era: Khanjar Oman, UAE-market dials, Saudi-market commissions. The 118238 retains its position as the "President's watch" advertising-anchor reference into the modern era, and named heads of state surface with 118 generation examples in published catalogue records.


==Related references==
* [[Reference:118208|Day-Date 118208]]: 2000–2019
* [[Reference:218206|Day-Date 218206]]: 2008–2015
* [[Reference:218238|Day-Date 218238]]: 2008–2015
* [[Reference:118235|Day-Date 118235]]: 2005–2019
* [[Reference:118138|Day-Date 118138]]: 2013–2019
* [[Reference:18208|Day-Date 18208]]: 1988–2000


== Related references ==
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]].
 
* [[Reference:118208|Day-Date 118208]] — 2000–2019
* [[Reference:218206|Day-Date 218206]] — 2008–2015
* [[Reference:218238|Day-Date 218238]] — 2008–2015
* [[Reference:118235|Day-Date 118235]] — 2005–2019
* [[Reference:118138|Day-Date 118138]] — 2013–2019
* [[Reference:18208|Day-Date 18208]] — 1988–2000


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]].
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 118238 hero.webp|118238 yellow-gold Day-Date 36
File:Ref 118238 champagne diamond dial.webp|Champagne dial with diamond markers
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
===Primary and specialist===
===Primary and specialist===
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
Line 236: Line 223:
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/28032/lot/152/rolex-an-18k-gold-diamond-set-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-day-date-ref-118238-circa-2004/ Bonhams auction lot, "Rolex, an 18k gold diamond-set automatic calendar bracelet watch, Day-Date, ref. 118238, circa 2004", Bonhams]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/28032/lot/152/rolex-an-18k-gold-diamond-set-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-day-date-ref-118238-circa-2004/ Bonhams auction lot, "Rolex, an 18k gold diamond-set automatic calendar bracelet watch, Day-Date, ref. 118238, circa 2004", Bonhams]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/30008/lot/1331/rolex-or-day-date-ref118238-a-yellow-gold-bracelet-watch-with-jubilee-dial-diamond-set-indexes-day-and-date-circa-2009/ Bonhams Hong Kong auction lot, "Rolex, or, Day-Date, ref. 118238, a yellow gold bracelet watch with Jubilee dial, diamond-set indexes, day and date, circa 2009", Bonhams]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/30008/lot/1331/rolex-or-day-date-ref118238-a-yellow-gold-bracelet-watch-with-jubilee-dial-diamond-set-indexes-day-and-date-circa-2009/ Bonhams Hong Kong auction lot, "Rolex, or, Day-Date, ref. 118238, a yellow gold bracelet watch with Jubilee dial, diamond-set indexes, day and date, circa 2009", Bonhams]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29154/lot/135/rolex-an-18k-gold-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-day-date-ref-118238-circa-2007/ Bonhams auction lot, "Rolex, an 18k gold automatic calendar bracelet watch, Day-Date, ref. 118238, circa 2007", Bonhams]


===Editorial and market===
===Editorial and market===
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/quickset-vintage-day-date-models.html Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/quickset-vintage-day-date-models.html Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1556 Watchbase editorial, "Rolex Caliber 1556 — Watchbase", Watchbase]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/3155 Watchbase, "Rolex Caliber 3155 — Watchbase", Watchbase]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/history-rolex-tiffany-dials Bob's Watches editorial, "History of Rolex Tiffany Dials", Bob's Watches]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/history-rolex-tiffany-dials Bob's Watches editorial, "History of Rolex Tiffany Dials", Bob's Watches]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/watch-guide-rolex-stone-dials/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "Watch Guide: Rolex Stone Dials", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/watch-guide-rolex-stone-dials/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "Watch Guide: Rolex Stone Dials", Italian Watch Spotter]

Latest revision as of 08:32, 29 September 2026


Day-Date › 118238

Rolex Day-Date 118238 — 18k yellow gold President, champagne stick-index dial.
Rolex Day-Date 118238 — 18k yellow gold President, champagne stick-index dial.

The 118238 is the yellow-gold Day-Date 36 of the six-digit generation, documented from 2000 through about 2019. It keeps caliber 3155 and double quickset from the late 18238 period while changing the case and bracelet: broader polished lugs, solid centre links, and a concealed Crownclasp. Later examples add a Parachrom hairspring and an engraved rehaut. The 128238 replaced it with caliber 3255 in 2019.


Core facts

detail value
reference 118238
family Day-Date
production 2000–about 2019
movement caliber 3155, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, ~48h power reserve, double quickset (day + date both independent)
case 36mm 18k yellow gold President, fluted bezel
crystal sapphire
crown Twinlock screw-down
bracelet President with solid centre links + concealed Crownclasp
sister refs 118239 white gold, 118235 Everose, 118205 Everose Oyster smooth, 118206 platinum, 118138 / 118135 / 118139 leather (2013)
predecessor 18238
successor 128238 (cal 3255, 2019)

Where it sits in the line

The 118238 is the yellow-gold fluted member of the six-digit Day-Date generation. The 18238 carried the 36 mm Day-Date through the 1990s with the same caliber family. The 118238 has broader polished lugs, solid centre links, and a concealed Crownclasp.

The 118238 uses caliber 3155, as did late 18238 examples, with double quickset for the day and date. The caliber number alone therefore does not separate the two references; bracelet and case details are more useful when identifying an individual watch.

The 118 generation covers the full Day-Date metal range:

  • 118238: 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel, President bracelet.
  • 118239: 18k white gold, fluted bezel, President bracelet.
  • 118235: 18k Everose gold, fluted bezel, President bracelet; introduced with the Everose range in the mid-2000s.
  • 118205: 18k Everose gold, smooth bezel, Oyster bracelet.
  • 118206: 950 platinum, smooth domed bezel, President bracelet.
  • 118138: 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel, leather strap; catalogued from 2013.
  • 118135: 18k Everose gold, fluted bezel, leather strap; catalogued from 2013.
  • 118139: 18k white gold, fluted bezel, leather strap; catalogued from 2013.

The cited catalogues do not list 118288 or 118289. Those numbers are often confused with the 18288 and 18289 Tridor-era references; an individual listing needs its case and papers checked.

The platinum 36 mm Day-Date in this generation is the 118206, with a smooth domed bezel. The 118208 is the yellow-gold smooth-bezel reference; listings that mix the two should be checked against the case and dial.

Some secondary sources stop the 118238 at 2009. That date conflicts with later catalogued examples and the 2019 transition to the 128238. Serial format is a dating clue, not proof of a reference's production end.

Production outline

2000 — Basel launch

The 118 generation appeared around 2000. The 118238, 118239, and 118206 cover yellow gold, white gold, and platinum; the Everose 118235 followed later. Compared with the 18238, the documented case and bracelet changes include broader lugs, polished flanks, and solid centre links.

2005 — Parachrom Blu hairspring rollout

Rolex introduced the blue Parachrom hairspring across the catalogue from about 2005. Later 118238 examples can carry it, but the cited sources do not establish a transition serial for this reference.

2006-2007 — engraved rehaut

The engraved rehaut appears on 118238 production around 2006–07. Sources differ on the exact introduction date; by the later 2000s it is common. Earlier watches place the serial between the lugs, while later watches show it on the inner ring.

2010 — random scrambled serial rollover

Rolex moved from letter-prefix serials to random alphanumeric serials around 2010. The 118238 spans that change, so the serial format helps date an example but does not replace caseback, rehaut, and paperwork checks.

2013 — leather-strap subset

The 2013 range added 118138, 118135, and 118139 Day-Date 36 references on leather straps with deployant clasps. Catalogues show several strap and dial combinations; the cited catalogues do not establish how common the subset was.

2019 — discontinuation

The 128238 replaced the 118238 around 2019 with caliber 3255, a longer stated power reserve, and the Superlative Chronometer specification. The exact final delivery date for an individual 118238 should be checked against its papers and serial evidence.

Movement notes

Caliber 3155 carried over from the late-run 18238 and provides double quickset.

Specifications:

  • 28.5mm × 6.0mm
  • 31 jewels
  • 28,800 vph / 4 Hz
  • Approximately 48-hour power reserve
  • Double quickset (day and date both advance independently via the crown)
  • Hacking seconds
  • Free-sprung Microstella balance
  • KIF Elastor shock absorbers
  • Nivarox hairspring on early production; Parachrom Blu hairspring on late production (rolled out from 2005)
  • COSC chronometer certified on earlier examples; later examples may carry Rolex's tighter Superlative Chronometer specification

Rolex introduced the tighter ±2 seconds-per-day Superlative Chronometer standard in the mid-2010s. It is a production-period and certification question, not a guarantee for every serviced 3155; check the watch's certificate and movement history.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The 118238 keeps the 36mm three-piece Oyster case. Compared with the 18238, documented changes include broader fully polished lugs, whereas the 18238 has narrower lugs with brushed sides, and solid bracelet centre links that add weight.

Inner caseback stamped with the reference and quarter-year Roman-numeral lot codes. Outer caseback engraved with the Rolex crown.

The fluted bezel is carved from solid 18k yellow gold. The 118239 carries white-gold fluted, 118235 Everose fluted, 118205 Everose smooth-domed paired with Oyster bracelet, and 118206 platinum smooth-domed.

The documented 118238 uses a Twinlock screw-down crown; a replacement crown should be checked against the individual case and service record.

The crystal is sapphire, continuing from the 18038 generation. Day-Date examples with engraved rehauts appear from approximately 2006 or 2007 and are common in later production. The ring repeats “ROLEX” around the inner edge with the serial number at six o'clock; pre-2010 examples generally carry letter-prefix serials, while later examples use random alphanumeric strings.

Bracelet, end-links, clasp

President bracelet with solid centre links, the visible 18238-to-118238 bracelet upgrade. The President's three-piece semicircular construction continues from the 1803 generation; the centre link goes from hollow on the 18238 to solid on the 118238, and the bracelet weight increases proportionally. The clasp moves from the visible folding configuration of the late-1990s 18238 to the concealed Crownclasp, which hides the entire folding mechanism under the centre link. The Rolex coronet appears on the closed clasp cover.

The 118238 bracelet belongs to the Rolex production period of the reference. Clasp date codes date the bracelet component, not the watch head; a service or replacement bracelet can carry a later code.

Dial variants

Documented dials include stick or Roman-numeral indices on champagne, silver, white, and black grounds, along with mother-of-pearl, diamond-set, and selected stone dials. The surviving catalogues do not establish a complete production sequence. Examples include:

  • Silver luminescent stick, documented standard modern dial.
  • White "anniversary" Roman, 50th-anniversary Day-Date-line dial introduced approximately 2006.
  • Champagne stick and champagne Roman, both documented standard layouts.
  • Mother-of-pearl, with and without diamond hour markers.
  • Decorated mother-of-pearl, with guilloché or floral patterns on the MOP ground.
  • Diamond-paved dial, factory pavé Day-Date dial, occasional production-period examples.
  • Stone dials, documented case by case.
  • Black dials with age-related color change, which should be separated from an original factory dial.

Tritium is not expected on this post-1998 reference. Later dials use Super-LumiNova or Chromalight markings, but the lume material and service history should be checked on the individual dial.

Rolex Day-Date 36 reference 118238 champagne dial with diamond hour markers
118238 champagne dial with diamond hour markers

Serial-year correlation

The 118238 production straddles Rolex's 2010 serial-system rollover. Pre-2010 letter-prefix serials follow the catalogue-wide chart:

  • prefix K: 2001
  • prefix Y: 2002
  • prefix F: 2003–04
  • prefix D: 2005–06
  • prefix Z: 2006–07
  • prefix M: 2007–08
  • prefix V: 2008–09
  • prefix G: around 2010 (final letter prefix)
  • random scrambled: late 2010 onward

Later 118238 examples use random rehaut-engraved serials. The serial format helps narrow a date, but the transition was not a single reference-specific cutoff and should be cross-checked with the case, rehaut, and documents.

Auction record

The lots below provide dial, bracelet and provenance details. Their prices belong to those individual watches and do not define a general market range.

date house and lot documented configuration result
circa 2004 Bonhams, lot 152 Silvered sunburst dial with diamond hour markers and diamond bezel; 83208 President bracelet £16,575 including premium
circa 2009 Bonhams Hong Kong, lot 1331 Champagne Jubilee dial with round and baguette diamond indexes HK$153,600 (estimate HK$110,000–200,000)

The case prefixes in these two catalogues are F and V. They are consistent with the catalogued dates, but serial prefixes date the case approximately and do not prove original dial or bracelet fitment.

Special branches

Tiffany & Co. double-signed

Double-signed Tiffany examples are reported in the 118238 era, especially in late-2000s material. The signature should be checked against the dial, case, papers, and the documented retailer history; the article does not infer a general price multiple.

Diplomatic / royal-gift commissions

Modern Day-Date 36s also appear in diplomatic and regional-market records, including Oman and Gulf-market commissions. Those inscriptions are provenance claims that require watch-specific documentation.


Related references

See also the Day-Date family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

  • 118238 yellow-gold Day-Date 36
    118238 yellow-gold Day-Date 36
  • Champagne dial with diamond markers
    Champagne dial with diamond markers

Sources

Primary and specialist

Editorial and market

Retrieved from "https://rolexopedia.net/index.php?title=Reference:118238&oldid=11372"