Rolex Day-Date 18039
Day-Date → 18039
The 18039 is a 36 mm white-gold Day-Date with a fluted bezel and caliber 3055. It appeared alongside the yellow-gold 18038. Antiquorum dates its introduction to 1977; caliber 3155 replaced the 3055 in 1988. The related 18039B pairs a white-gold case with a yellow-gold bezel and a three-colour Tridor bracelet.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 18039 |
| family | Day-Date |
| production | generally dated 1977–1988; examples are catalogued from circa 1977 through 1986 |
| movement | caliber 3055, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph; quickset date, day advances with the hands |
| case | 36 mm, 18k white gold |
| bezel | Fluted white gold |
| crystal | Sapphire with Cyclops date magnifier |
| bracelet | White-gold President with concealed deployant clasp on documented examples |
| related variant | 18039B, catalogued with white-gold case, yellow-gold bezel, and Tridor bracelet |
Where it sits in the line
The 18039 is the white-gold counterpart to yellow-gold reference 18038. Other five-digit Day-Dates used smooth or diamond-set bezels, or a bark finish: 18028, 18048, and 18078 in yellow gold, and 18049 and 18079 in white gold. Reference 1803 came before it; 18238 followed with caliber 3155. The 18039B is the Tridor variant.
Production outline
Antiquorum’s 2015 catalogue dates the 18039’s introduction to 1977 and describes it as the 1803’s successor. Auction records date individual examples from circa 1977, circa 1978, 1981, and 1983, with Tridor examples identified as 1985 and 1986. They do not establish exact production boundaries.
Antiquorum’s dates for the 18039B conflict. A 2013 note gives 1985–1988; later listings date two examples circa 1984. The 2022 catalogue then says its circa-1984 watch was manufactured in 1987. A separate Fratello article calls its Tridor 18039BIC and dates it to 1977–1989. The sources use different designations and do not establish whether they refer to the same configuration; the introduction date remains unsettled.
Movement notes
Caliber 3055 has 27 jewels and runs at 28,800 beats per hour. Its quickset changes the date; the day advances with the hands. Caliber 3155 added independent day correction in 1988. See the movement reference for the caliber details.
Dial map
Auction records show 18039 examples with charcoal-grey baton, copper-coloured, green dégradé with diamond indexes, wood with a German day disc, and red Stella lacquer with diamond indexes. Antiquorum labels one red Stella example “Oman-market”; the catalogue does not establish its original destination.
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Red Stella lacquer dial with diamond indexes, catalogued on a 1983 example -
Wood dial and German day disc on a circa-1978 example
Catalogued 18039B examples add champagne Roman, midnight-blue diamond-index, Silver Jubilee diamond-index, black onyx, and gem-set dials.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Auction descriptions give a 36 mm 18k white-gold Oyster case, fluted bezel, sapphire crystal with Cyclops, and screw-down caseback and crown. Published thickness and weight figures refer to individual watches.
The Tridor 18039B is described with a white-gold case and yellow-gold bezel. One 2015 catalogue records a sapphire crystal with Cyclops and gives that watch’s thickness as 13 mm; the 2013 Tridor lot gives 12.5 mm. Those measurements belong to their respective lots.
Bracelet and clasp
Auction catalogues show 18039 examples on white-gold President bracelets with concealed deployant clasps. Tridor examples have President bracelets with white-, yellow-, and pink-gold centre links. One 2013 18039B lot is fitted with a gold-plated buckle; its catalogue does not explain the watch’s earlier bracelet history.
A clasp or bracelet date applies to that component, not automatically to the watch head. The bracelet guide covers bracelet construction and dating.
Special branch: Tridor 18039B
Antiquorum uses 18039B for the variant and calls 18000 its “base reference” in a 2013 lot. The catalogue describes a white-gold case, yellow-gold bezel, and President bracelet with white-, yellow-, and pink-gold centre links.
The onyx-dial lot records a Gobbi Milan sale in December 1986 and includes a box and guarantee. Another catalogue describes sapphire, ruby, and emerald indexes.
Auction record
These auction results identify individual watches and reported prices. The 2013 18039B lot was catalogued on a gold-plated buckle; the other Tridor examples listed here have Tridor President bracelets.
| sale date | house and lot | configuration | result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | Antiquorum Monaco, lot 147 | Red Stella diamond-index dial, 1983, case 7,522,088 | EUR 55,104 |
| Dec 2021 | Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 271 | Green dégradé diamond-index dial, circa 1978, case 5,257,859 | HKD 300,000 |
| Jun 2015 | Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 663 | 18039B, midnight-blue dial with 10 diamond indexes, 1986 | HKD 175,000 |
| Oct 2024 | Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 197 | Diamond-index dial, circa 1981, case 6,724,084 | HKD 118,750 |
| Nov 2018 | Antiquorum Geneva, lot 197 | Red Stella diamond-index dial, circa 1977, case 5,425,270; catalogued as Oman-market | CHF 35,000 |
| Jun 2021 | Antiquorum Forte dei Marmi, lot 158 | Wood dial, German day disc, circa 1978, case 5,507,421 | EUR 31,250 |
| May 2015 | Antiquorum Geneva, lot 482 | 18039B, black onyx dial, sold by Gobbi in 1986 | CHF 25,000 |
| Mar 2015 | Antiquorum Geneva, lot 292 | Charcoal-grey baton dial, 1981, case 6,739,240 | CHF 20,000 |
| Dec 2015 | Antiquorum New York, lot 101 | 18039B, Silver Jubilee diamond-index dial, 1986 | USD 13,750 |
| Nov 2020 | Antiquorum Geneva, lot 131 | 18039B, circa-1984 catalogue date, case 8,799,117 | CHF 12,500 |
| Nov 2019 | Antiquorum Geneva, lot 171 | Copper-coloured dial, circa 1977, case 5,302,014 | CHF 10,625 |
| May 2013 | Antiquorum Geneva, lot 253 | 18039B, champagne Roman dial, gold-plated buckle | CHF 5,500 |
Related references
- Day-Date 18038, yellow gold, fluted bezel
- Day-Date 18028, yellow gold, smooth bezel
- Day-Date 18048, yellow gold, diamond-set bezel
- Day-Date 18049, white gold, diamond-set bezel
- Day-Date 18078, yellow gold, bark finish
- Day-Date 18079, white gold, bark finish
- Day-Date 1803, preceding four-digit generation
- Day-Date 18238, caliber-3155 generation
See also the Day-Date family index, movement reference, bracelet guide, and serial-number guide.
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Red Stella dial with diamond indexes
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Wood dial and German day disc
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Tridor 18039B with black onyx dial
Sources
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039 Day-Date, 18k white gold with red Stella diamond dial — Antiquorum Monaco, lot 147", Antiquorum, 2025-12-12
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039 Day-Date, 18k white gold with green dégradé diamond dial — Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 271", Antiquorum, 2021-12-05
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039 Day-Date with wood dial and German day disc, 18k white gold — Antiquorum Forte dei Marmi, lot 158", Antiquorum, 2021-06-26
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039 Day-Date, 18k white gold with red Stella dial and diamond indexes — Antiquorum Geneva, lot 197", Antiquorum, 2018-11-11
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039/18038 Day-Date, 18k white gold with charcoal-grey baton dial — Antiquorum Geneva, lot 292", Antiquorum, 2015-03-15
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039 Day-Date, 18k white gold with copper-coloured dial — Antiquorum Geneva, lot 171", Antiquorum, 2019-11-10
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039 Day-Date, 18k white gold — Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 197", Antiquorum, 2024-10-26
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039B/18000 Day-Date "Tridor", 18k white and yellow gold with champagne Roman dial — Antiquorum Geneva, lot 253", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039B Day-Date "Tridor" with black onyx dial, box and guarantee — Antiquorum Geneva, lot 482", Antiquorum, 2015-05-10
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039B/18000 Day-Date "Tridor" with midnight-blue diamond dial — Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 663", Antiquorum, 2015-06-27
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 18039B/18000 Day-Date "Tridor" with Silver Jubilee diamond dial — Antiquorum New York, lot 101", Antiquorum, 2015-12-15
- Antiquorum, "Rolex set of three Day-Date "Tridor", refs 18039B and 18239B with gem-set indexes — Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 340", Antiquorum, 2019-10-27
- Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Day-Date Tridor 18039B, circa 1984 — Antiquorum Geneva lot 131", Antiquorum, 2020-11-08
- Antiquorum, "Rolex Day-Date Tridor 18039B — Antiquorum Forte dei Marmi lot 146", Antiquorum, 2022-06-24
- Jorg Weppelink, "Fratello’s Top 5 Oddball Rolex Watches — Day-Date Tridor 18039BIC", Fratello Watches, 2024-02-02