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|title=Rolex Day-Date 18048 — The Yellow-Gold Diamond-Bezel President
|title=Rolex Day-Date 18048 — The Yellow-Gold Diamond-Bezel President
|description=The Rolex 18048 is the yellow-gold factory-diamond-bezel 5-digit Day-Date President — caliber 3055, sapphire crystal, 44-diamond bezel, circa 1977-1988. The 5-digit successor to the gem-set 1804; headline branch is the diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet.
|description=The Rolex 18048 is the yellow-gold factory-diamond-bezel 5-digit Day-Date President — caliber 3055, sapphire crystal, 44-diamond bezel, circa 1977-1988. The 5-digit successor to the gem-set 1804; documented branches include diamond-set “Octopus” bracelets.
|keywords=Rolex 18048, Day-Date 18048, diamond bezel Day-Date, yellow gold President, caliber 3055, Octopus bracelet, 5-digit Day-Date
|keywords=Rolex 18048, Day-Date 18048, diamond bezel Day-Date, yellow gold President, caliber 3055, Octopus bracelet, 5-digit Day-Date
|image=Ref 18048 hero.webp
|image=Ref 18048 hero.webp
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[[File:Ref 18048 stella.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 18048 in yellow gold — the factory 44-diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial that define the reference, on the solid-link President.|Rolex Day-Date 18048 in yellow gold — the factory 44-diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial that define the reference, on the solid-link President.]]
[[File:Ref 18048 stella.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 18048|Rolex Day-Date 18048]]
</div>
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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 cited catalogues show the factory diamond bezel with several dial and bracelet configurations, including diamond-set “Octopus” bracelets.




==Core facts==
==Core facts==
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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. The 18048 shares the 36mm case, caliber 3055, sapphire crystal and President-bracelet family with the 18038. Its factory diamond bezel is the principal distinction from the fluted 18038; the [[Reference:18038|18038]] entry covers the shared specifications.
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 appears in the cited 5-digit Day-Date catalogues. No Rolex production figure has surfaced, and dealer estimates for the diamond and bark references are not factory data. Dial and bracelet configurations vary among surviving examples.
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, 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.
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==
 
The diamond bezel is the constant on the 18048, and the dial is where the variety lives. Cited examples include champagne and silvered dials with diamond markers, mother-of-pearl, onyx, lapis, Roman-numeral, diamond-pavé, blue dégradé and Stella dials. This is an example list, not a complete factory register. 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.


==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
 
The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster shared across the 5-digit Day-Date, with a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback. The defining feature is the factory diamond-set bezel, a single row of 44 round brilliants. Aftermarket diamond bezels and dials appear on watches described as 18048s, so factory origin is a central authenticity question for an individual example. The 44-stone specification should be checked against the setting and any available Rolex documentation. Count, stone matching and mount details can help distinguish a replacement, but no single visual feature proves factory origin.
The case is the 36mm yellow-gold Oyster shared across the 5-digit Day-Date, with a sapphire crystal and Cyclops, a Twinlock screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback. The defining feature is the factory diamond-set bezel, a single row of 44 round brilliants. Because the case is gold and the bezel is straightforward to set, aftermarket diamond bezels and dials are common on the 18048, and they are the main authenticity question on the reference. A factory bezel carries 44 hand-matched stones of even table size and orientation; aftermarket bezels often use a different count, frequently 42, with mismatched stones, so attribution rests on the quality and proportion of the setting and on Rolex paperwork.


==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, documented on individual auction examples.]]


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. A diamond-set President bracelet is nicknamed the “Octopus” in collector and auction usage. Its fitment and originality should be checked on the individual watch. 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]].


==Special branches==
==Special branches==
===Special dials===
===Special dials===
 
Blue dégradé, black-lacquer, Stella and Gulf special-order dials are documented on individual 18048 examples. Each should be described by its own catalogue and provenance.
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"===
 
The fully diamond-set President bracelet, called the “Octopus” in the cited catalogues, is documented on several auction examples. Results vary with dial, condition, provenance and completeness.
The fully diamond-set President bracelet, the "Octopus", is the reference's headline branch and the configuration that reaches the major auction houses. Where a standard diamond-bezel 18048 trades as a liquid known quantity, an "Octopus" with a special dial is the version that draws the strongest results.


==Auction record==
==Auction record==
 
The auction table records several configurations, including diamond-set bracelets and special dials. 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 champagne diamond-index 18048 sold at Monaco Legend in 2022 for EUR 22,100. The result applies to that configuration and venue. These results differ by dial, bracelet, provenance and condition; they do not establish a current price range.
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.


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== Related references ==
==Related references==
 
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]], 1977–1988
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]] — 1977–1988
* [[Reference:18038|Day-Date 18038]], caliber 3055 President (1977–1988)
* [[Reference:18038|Day-Date 18038]] — Cal 3055 President (1977–1988)
* [[Reference:18078|Day-Date 18078]], 1977–1988
* [[Reference:18078|Day-Date 18078]] — 1977–1988
* [[Reference:19018|Day-Date 19018]], Oysterquartz President (1977–2001)
* [[Reference:19018|Day-Date 19018]] — Oysterquartz President (1977–2001)
* [[Reference:18208|Day-Date 18208]], 1988–2000
* [[Reference:18208|Day-Date 18208]] — 1988–2000
* [[Reference:18238|Day-Date 18238]], 1988–2000
* [[Reference:18238|Day-Date 18238]] — 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]].
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
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-18048-day-date-lot-347-81 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date "Octopus", 18k yellow gold with diamond bezel and diamond-set President bracelet — Antiquorum Monaco, lot 81", Antiquorum, 2022]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-18048-day-date-lot-347-81 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date "Octopus", 18k yellow gold with diamond bezel and diamond-set President bracelet — Antiquorum Monaco, lot 81", Antiquorum, 2022]
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