Rolex 18038 Day-Date

Day-Date › 18038

The 18038 is a five-digit Day-Date 36 documented from 1977 through 1988. It introduced sapphire crystal and the single quickset date with caliber 3055, while keeping the 36 mm yellow-gold President case and fluted bezel. Its surviving dials include Stella lacquer, stone, wood, diamond-set, and special-commission examples; each branch needs watch-specific evidence.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	18038
family	Day-Date
production	1977 to 1988, eleven years
movement	caliber 3055, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, ~48h power reserve, single quickset (date only — day still requires running hands)
case	36mm 18k yellow gold President
crystal	sapphire (first Day-Date with sapphire)
bezel	fluted (smooth on 18028, factory diamond on 18048, bark on 18078)
crown	Twinlock screw-down — 100m water resistance
bracelet	President 8385 with 55B end-links, hidden Crownclasp
lume	tritium ("T SWISS T" early sub-generation, "T SWISS MADE T" later)
siblings	18028 (smooth bezel), 18048 (diamond bezel, 44 brilliants), 18078 (bark finish), 18039 / 18049 / 18079 white gold, 18026 platinum
predecessor	1803
successor	18238

Where it sits in the line

The 18038 is the sapphire-crystal step in the Day-Date line. The 1803 used acrylic and caliber 1556; the 18038 keeps the 36 mm case, changes to sapphire, and uses caliber 3055 with a quickset date. The 18238 followed in 1988 with caliber 3155 and double quickset.

Caliber-wise the 18038 carries the cal 3055, the third-generation Day-Date movement after the 1055 of the originals era (1956 to 1959) and the 1555 and 1556 of the 1803 era (1959 to 1978). The 3055 inherits the day-and-date complication and adds quickset on the date only; the day still requires running the hands through midnight. Dual quickset, indexed from the crown on both day and date, arrives in 1988 with the cal 3155 on the 18238. Sources occasionally describe the 18038 as "double quickset"; the phrasing conflates the cal 3055 with the cal 3155 / 3156 of later 6-digit references. The 18038 has single quickset.

The five-digit siblings split by bezel finish and case material. The 18028 is yellow gold with a smooth bezel; the 18048 has a factory diamond bezel; and the 18078 uses a bark-finish bezel and bark centre links. White-gold references include 18039, 18049, and 18079. The 18026 is the platinum smooth-bezel reference. Catalogues and surviving watches should be checked together because collector names do not always match factory descriptions.

The sources used here do not list a pink-gold five-digit single-quickset reference. Listings for “18058” or “18068” should be checked against the case and movement because those numbers are easily confused with other Day-Date generations.

Production outline

1977 — sapphire-crystal introduction

The 18038 appears in the 1977 five-digit transition. Sapphire replaces acrylic, caliber 3055 replaces caliber 1556, frequency rises to 28,800 vph, and the quickset date changes the date without a full hand cycle. The documented case specification gives 100 m water resistance with a Twinlock crown.

Serial-year correlation is approximate. The published period charts place 18038 examples across the late 5-million through R-prefix ranges; use the serial-number guide with the caseback and papers rather than treating a range as a reference-specific cutoff.

1980s — dial-variant experimentation

Production-volume dials are the silver, champagne, white, and black stick (and Roman) configurations on 18k yellow gold. From approximately 1980 onward, the dial experimentation that defined the 1803 era continues straight into the sapphire-crystal generation.

The Stella lacquer dials carry forward under T SWISS T and T SWISS MADE T markings. Documented colours include turquoise, oxblood, coral, salmon, green, and Middle Eastern-market yellow, pink, orange, and red examples. The public record does not establish a complete colour sequence or rarity ranking.

Stone-cut dials in the 18038 record include onyx, lapis lazuli, malachite, and coral. The sources establish examples rather than a complete Stern production roster or a production peak.

Wood-marquetry dials surface in the 18038 era, including sequoia, mahogany, birch, madrona, and walnut. The configuration is more often associated with 18078 bark cases, but 18038 fluted examples are also documented. The period claim that Rolex milled ten wooden dials and selected the best is not anchored in a surfaced production document.

The Pleiade is a seven-star diamond pattern named for the Pleiades. Specialist sources describe it as an uncatalogued early-1980s option; the page does not state a surcharge or asking price without a primary document.

Early 18038 production carries T SWISS T at the bottom of the dial; later production carries T SWISS MADE T. VRF thread t=561098 documents both marks across the run, supporting two sub-generations within the eleven-year window rather than a single mark.

1988 — end of production

Production ends as the 18238 enters the line in 1988. Retail figures are market data and are omitted here because the surviving catalogues are not consistent enough to establish a single series.

Movement notes

The cal 3055 is the third-generation Day-Date movement. It measures 28.5mm by 6.6mm and runs 27 jewels (up from the cal 1556's 26) at 28,800 vph (up from 19,800 vph) with roughly 48 hours of power reserve. The architecture is the familiar Rolex specification: free-sprung Microstella balance, Glucydur balance with Microstella weights, Nivarox hairspring, hacking seconds, COSC chronometer certification. The functional change against the 1556 is single quickset on the date: crown position 2 advances the date directly, while the day still requires running the hands through midnight.

The cal 3055 is an earlier member of the automatic Day-Date movement family that includes the later 3155, 3156, and 3255. Service history should be recorded separately from the movement's factory specification.

The 18038 is commonly documented with President bracelet 8385, 55B end-links, and a hidden Crownclasp. Bracelet and clasp fitment still needs to be checked on the individual watch because later replacements are common.

Dial map

Production-volume dials

Silver, champagne, white, and black stick indices on 18k yellow gold are the common 18038 dials. Roman-numeral configurations are also catalogued. Diamond-hour-marker variants appear from the early 1980s, including champagne dials with round and baguette markers. Sapphire accents at 6 and 9 appear on some champagne and black variants. A full pavé-diamond dial with calibre-cut sapphires at 6 and 9 and a diamond-set bezel, case no. 5724381, surfaced at Bonhams with provenance back to Christie's Geneva, 13 November 2006, lot 303, catalogued there as "Property of a Royal House." Its auction entry is listed below.

Tropical dial

A sunburst dial that has shifted to a plum or brown "tropical" tone through UV and chemical aging is documented on the 18038. Bonhams catalogued a c.1978 example as "sunburst tropical plum" with its box, chronometer certificate, and a spare link; the auction entry is listed below.

Stella third-series

The Stella supplier carries from the 1803 era into the sapphire-crystal generation, with T SWISS T and T SWISS MADE T markings across the run. Documented 18038 colours include turquoise, oxblood, coral, salmon, green, and Middle Eastern-market yellow, pink, orange, and red dials. The public examples do not establish a complete roster or a ranking by rarity.

Stone dials

Stone-cut dials in the 18038 record include onyx, lapis lazuli, malachite, coral, and dark blue aventurine. Bonhams catalogued an aventurine example in 2019; its auction result is listed below.

Other stone materials are documented across the broader Day-Date line, but the 18038 examples checked here are concentrated in onyx, lapis, malachite, coral, and aventurine.

Wood / burl

The wood-marquetry revival of the late 1970s and 1980s appears more often on 18078 bark cases, but 18038 examples are documented. The catalogue record includes sequoia, mahogany, birch, madrona, and walnut. The repeated claim that Rolex milled ten wooden dials and selected the best is not anchored in a surfaced production document.

Pleiade

The Pleiade is a seven-star diamond pattern named for the Pleiades. Specialist sources describe it as an uncatalogued early-1980s option, but do not establish a production total.

Mother-of-pearl

Mother-of-pearl dials appear from approximately 1980, often paired with diamond hour markers. White gold (18039) carries them more frequently than yellow gold (18038). Aftermarket MOP dials surface in the secondary market; authentication against the factory-original MOP signature is the standard check.

Vignette

Vignette dials, with a centre colour fading to a darker border, appear on the 18038 as a factory variant. They are distinct from sun-faded original dials that mimic the vignette pattern; same-batch documentation is the way to tell them apart.

Roman "Woman in Red"

A red-Roman-numeral 18038 is documented in Pucci Papaleo's Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex monograph as "Woman in Red": yellow gold case with red Roman numerals on a white-printed ground. Only a few public examples are cited in the sources used here.

Tritium dial-mark transition

Early 18038 production carries T SWISS T at the bottom of the dial; later production carries T SWISS MADE T. Collectors use the dial mark as the indicator that separates first-half and second-half production examples. VRF thread t=561098 documents the boundary across surfaced cases.

Oxblood Stella dial
Onyx stone dial

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The case is 36 mm three-piece Oyster construction, with period examples measured at roughly 12 mm thick and 20 mm lug width. Water resistance is documented as 100 m with a Twinlock crown; the exact rating and seals on a serviced watch should be checked separately.

The inner caseback is stamped with the reference number plus quarter-year Roman-numeral lot codes (e.g. "18038 III.79") that date the caseback's manufacturing lot. The outer caseback is plain gold on civilian production.

The crystal is sapphire, replacing the acrylic used on earlier 1803 examples. The crown is Twinlock; later six-digit Day-Date references introduced Triplock on some configurations.

The fluted bezel on the 18038 is carved from solid 18k yellow gold. The 18028 carries a smooth bezel, the 18048 carries 44 round-brilliant diamonds in a factory diamond bezel, and the 18078 carries a bark-finish bezel paired with bark center links on the bracelet. Bezel finish is one useful way to distinguish the four siblings in the 5-digit Day-Date cluster.

The coronet engraving changes subtly across the eleven-year run. Early 18038 production carries an open-base coronet; later production carries a closed-base coronet. The transition year is not fixed by the cited records, so the coronet style is only a secondary dating clue alongside the T SWISS T / T SWISS MADE T dial-mark transition.

Bracelet, end-links, clasp

The 18038 wears the President bracelet 8385 with 55B end-links and the hidden Crownclasp. Construction is three-piece semicircular: a flat centre link flanked by two semicircular outer links per row, solid 18k gold throughout. The centre link is polished, with brushed (and later polished) outer links. The Crownclasp folds inward and locks beneath the centre link; nothing is visible on the closed bracelet, and the Rolex coronet sits on the clasp cover.

Bracelet stretch can be checked by holding the watch face-down and looking for sag at the link pivots. Because the President bracelet is heavy, pronounced stretch usually points to extended wear or service; the bracelet and clasp should still be assessed as individual components.

Clasp date codes date the bracelet component, not the watch head. A service or replacement bracelet can carry a later code, so fitment must be assessed from the watch and bracelet together.

Special branches

Tiffany & Co. double-signed

Tiffany double-signed production continues into the 18038 era. Sotheby's Important Watches 2023 lot 89 documented an 18038 Tiffany double-signed example with case R'509'XXX, dated c.1987, on a champagne dial with caliber 3055. Aftermarket and counterfeit Tiffany dials exist. Same-batch documentation, case and movement consistency, and retailer records are useful checks. A second documented example, retailed by Tiffany & Co. and dated c.1979 (case no. 6333874, movement no. 0475122, champagne dial), sold at Bonhams in December 2025; the lot carried a Tiffany pouch, an appraisal letter, and a Rolex service receipt.

UAE Armed Forces

Falcon emblem with the UAE flag and seven stars. Documented dials include champagne, silver, and brown, with white examples also reported. The configuration is associated with period diplomatic gifts after UAE independence in 1971; provenance must be checked on the individual watch.

Omani Khanjar

Curved Omani dagger over crossed swords with a belt: the royal crest of Oman introduced in 1970 by Sultan Qaboos. Documented combinations include champagne dial and white-Stella-Khanjar configurations. Distribution ran through Asprey of London and Khimji Ramdas in Muscat, with examples gifted to British Armed Forces and SAS personnel.

Bonhams catalogued a silvered-dial Khanjar 18038 (case no. 5729359, movement no. 0156888) in June 2025 with named provenance from an engineer who worked in Oman under Sultan Qaboos; the auction entry is listed below. A second example pairs a green Khanjar with an orange Stella lacquer dial and was offered by Bonhams in 2020 from the family of Colonel Tony Lewis, DSO, MBE; its auction entry is also listed below.

Saudi Albilad

Arabic Albilad ("country") day disk. The cited records describe it as a Saudi-market option; fitment and originality remain watch-specific.

Pucci Papaleo "Woman in Red"

Roman-numeral 18038 with red Roman numerals, published in Pucci Papaleo's Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex (Spin Edizioni, 2015). Only a few public examples are cited in the sources used here.

Auction record

date	house	configuration	result
2023-06	Sotheby's Important Watches lot 89	18038 Tiffany & Co. double-signed c.1987, case R'509'XXX, champagne, cal 3055	estimate USD 30,000–50,000
various	Phillips Geneva	18038 yellow gold 1984 production-volume	just over USD 40,000
2020	Sotheby's Watches Online	18038/18000 c.1984 white dial, mvt 0793254, case 8457708	estimate USD 7,000–9,000 (the catalogue lists 35mm; standard reference dimensions are 36mm)
2020-08	Bonhams	orange Stella dial, green Khanjar, c.1982, Colonel Tony Lewis DSO MBE provenance	hammer GBP 46,000 (est. GBP 25,000–35,000)
2025-06	Bonhams	Khanjar dial, c.1978, case 5729359, named Omani-service provenance	hammer GBP 15,000 (est. GBP 15,000–20,000)
2025-12	Bonhams	Tiffany & Co.-retailed, c.1979, case 6333874, champagne dial	hammer USD 22,000 (est. USD 5,500–6,500)
2019-06	Bonhams	diamond-set Aventurine dial, c.1978	hammer GBP 11,000 (est. GBP 12,000–18,000)
2011-06	Bonhams	full pavé-diamond dial, diamond bezel, case 5724381, ex-Christie's Geneva 2006 ("Property of a Royal House")	unsold, estimate USD 18,000–22,000
2017-12	Bonhams	tropical plum dial, c.1978	hammer GBP 4,800 (est. GBP 4,000–6,000)

Related references

Day-Date 18028: 1977–1988
Day-Date 18048: 1977–1988
Day-Date 18078: 1977–1988
Day-Date 19018: Oysterquartz President (1977–2001)
Day-Date 18208: 1988–2000
Day-Date 18238: 1988–2000

18038 Day-Date 36
Oxblood Stella dial
Onyx stone dial