Reference:18048: Difference between revisions
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
Deep audit: 18048 bezel, dial variants, auction limits and anti-slop prose |
Tighten 18048 bezel and auction wording |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
{{#seo: | {{#seo: | ||
|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; | |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 | ||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
==Core facts== | ==Core facts== | ||
{| class="wikitable rp-facts" | {| class="wikitable rp-facts" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 70: | Line 69: | ||
==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. | |||
==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 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. | ||
==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. 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. | ||
==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. | |||
==Bracelets, end links, and clasps== | ==Bracelets, end links, and clasps== | ||
| Line 95: | Line 89: | ||
==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, black-lacquer, Stella and Gulf special-order dials are documented on individual 18048 examples. Each should be described by its own catalogue and provenance. | ||
===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, called the “Octopus” in the cited catalogues, is documented on several auction examples. Results vary with dial, condition, provenance and completeness. | ||
==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 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 | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| Line 136: | Line 126: | ||
|} | |} | ||
== 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]], caliber 3055 President (1977–1988) | ||
| Line 148: | Line 137: | ||
== 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] | ||
Latest revision as of 08:37, 29 September 2026
Day-Date › 18048
The 18048 is the diamond-bezel Day-Date of the sapphire-crystal era, the 5-digit successor to the 4-digit gem-set 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
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 18048 |
| family | Day-Date |
| production | circa 1977/78 to 1988 |
| movement | caliber 3055, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, single quickset (date); sapphire era |
| case | 36mm 18k yellow gold President |
| crystal | sapphire |
| bezel | factory diamond-set, 44 round brilliants |
| bracelet | President 8385 with hidden Crownclasp, solid links |
| dial | diamond-index champagne and silver, mother-of-pearl, stone, Stella, Roman, pavé |
| crown | Twinlock screw-down |
| siblings | 18038 (fluted), 18039 (white-gold fluted), 18049 (white-gold diamond), 18046 (platinum diamond), 18078 / 18079 (bark) |
| predecessor | 1804 (4-digit gem-set) |
| successor | 18348 (caliber 3155, double quickset) |
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 1804 through the 18048 to the caliber-3155 18348. The 5-digit references split by metal and bezel. The 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 18038 entry covers the shared specifications.
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.
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 18038 entry covers the 3055 in detail.
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 1803 entry.
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.
Bracelets, end links, and clasps
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 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.
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.
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.
| date | house | configuration | result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Antiquorum Monaco, lot 81 | champagne diamond dial, diamond-set "Octopus" bracelet, c.1981 | EUR 96,200 |
| 2023 | Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, lot 51 | black-lacquer diamond dial, "Octopus" bracelet, c.1981 | not sold (est. CHF 40,000–60,000) |
| 2022 | Monaco Legend, Exclusive Timepieces 28, lot 243 | champagne diamond-index dial, President bracelet, 1985 | EUR 22,100 |
| 2019 | Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 1063 | blue dégradé diamond dial, 44-diamond bezel, c.1980 | published lot reference |
Related references
- Day-Date 18028, 1977–1988
- Day-Date 18038, caliber 3055 President (1977–1988)
- Day-Date 18078, 1977–1988
- Day-Date 19018, Oysterquartz President (1977–2001)
- Day-Date 18208, 1988–2000
- Day-Date 18238, 1988–2000
See also the Day-Date family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.
Sources
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date "Octopus", 18k yellow gold with diamond bezel and diamond-set President bracelet — Antiquorum Monaco, lot 81", Antiquorum, 2022
- Phillips, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with green Stella dial and Omani Khanjar emblem — Phillips Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 11", Phillips, 2015
- Sotheby's, "Rolex Ref. 18048/18000 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with 44-diamond bezel and blue dégradé dial — Sotheby's Important Watches, lot 1063", Sotheby's, 2019
- Sotheby's, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date "Octopus", 18k yellow gold with black lacquer diamond dial and diamond-set bracelet — Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, lot 51", Sotheby's, 2023
- Monaco Legend Group, "Rolex Ref. 18048 Day-Date, 18k yellow gold with diamond bezel and champagne diamond-index dial — Monaco Legend Group, Exclusive Timepieces 28, lot 243", Monaco Legend Group, 2022
- Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's
- Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter
- Monochrome editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Day-Date, The Presidential Watch", Monochrome Watches
- WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 3155 (registry page)", WatchBase
- Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches
- WatchBase editorial, "Rolex Day-Date History", WatchBase, 2015-02-21