Rolex 19038 Oysterquartz Day-Date

Day-Date → 19038

Yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date Oysterquartz 19038 with a burlwood dial and diamond-set pyramid bezel — Case 9171361, burlwood-dial example. Antiquorum, lot 476, 2024.

The 19038 is the yellow-gold Day-Date Oysterquartz with a diamond-set pyramid bezel. It uses caliber 5055 and has a matching pyramid-finished bracelet in the 2001 price-list transcription. That list distinguishes it from the plain pyramid-bezel 19028 by specifying twelve bezel diamonds. Oysterquartz.net, 2001 price-list transcription

Core facts

detail	value
reference	19038
family	Day-Date Oysterquartz
production	Auction records date examples to circa 1985–1987; a 2001 price-list transcription also lists the reference.
movement	Quartz caliber 5055, 11 jewels, recorded in multiple auction catalogues; Rolex's technical information covers the 5035/5055 movement family.
case	18k yellow gold in documented examples; catalogue measurements range from 35 to 36 mm.
bezel	Yellow-gold pyramid finish set with twelve diamonds in the 2001 price-list transcription and several lot descriptions.
crystal	Antiquorum describes a sapphire crystal with Cyclops; Heritage lists sapphire on its example.
bracelet	Integrated yellow-gold bracelet with pyramid-finished center links; auction catalogues also describe it as style or ref. 19028.
crown	Screw-down crown on Antiquorum's 1986 lot description.
dial examples	Gilt with diamond indexes; silver-toned with pyramid markers; black with round and baguette diamond markers; champagne with diamond and emerald indexes; burlwood.
distinction	Pyramid bezel and bracelet with twelve bezel diamonds; the 19028 has the pyramid finish without the documented bezel diamonds.

Where it sits in the line

The 2001 list places 19038 between the plain pyramid-bezel 19028 and more heavily gem-set Day-Date Oysterquartz models. It describes the 19048 with 44 bezel diamonds and ten dial stones. Auction examples show that dial and marker combinations varied within the 19038. Oysterquartz.net, 2001 price-list transcription

Phillips uses “Egyptian” for the lot’s pyramid treatment; the 2001 list identifies the model as ref. 19038. Phillips, lot 136 Oysterquartz.net, 2001 price-list transcription

Production outline

Phillips dates case 9,171,386 to circa 1986; Antiquorum dates case 9,153,967 to 1986; Heritage dates case 9,631,612 to circa 1987. A surviving catalogue transcript of Sotheby’s 2012 lot 66 dates another example to circa 1985. Antiquorum records an August 1994 sale date for case 9,171,361. The 2001 price-list transcription lists the reference. Together, these records document examples from circa 1985 to 1987 and catalogue presence in 2001; the start and end of production remain unknown. Sotheby’s 2012, lot 66 catalogue transcript Phillips, lot 136 Antiquorum, New York 2012, lot 166 Heritage, lot 56220 Antiquorum, Geneva 2024, lot 476 Oysterquartz.net, 2001 price-list transcription

Movement notes

The auction records identify the 19038 with caliber 5055, Rolex's quartz Day-Date movement. Phillips, Antiquorum and Heritage each list eleven jewels. Rolex's technical document covers calibers 5035 and 5055. Auction catalogues give movement numbers for individual watches; the 2001 list identifies the model as ref. 19038. Rolex Technical Information, calibers 5035 and 5055 Phillips, lot 136 Antiquorum, New York 2012, lot 166 Heritage, lot 56220 Oysterquartz.net, 2001 price-list transcription

Dial map

Five separately catalogued examples show different dial executions. The transcript of Sotheby's 2012 lot 66 describes a gilt dial with diamond-set indexes. Antiquorum's 1986 example has a champagne dial with fifty diamonds and ten emerald indexes. Heritage describes a black dial with round and baguette diamond markers. The Phillips lot shows a silver-toned dial with pyramid-shaped gold markers. Antiquorum's 2024 example has a burlwood dial; its day disc reads “DIMANCHE.” The burlwood example is shown above; the Phillips dial is pictured below. The sources document these configurations, but not their frequency or the full factory range.

Silver-toned dial with pyramid markers, case 9,171,386. Phillips, lot 136, 2017.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The documented cases are yellow gold, with a stepped pyramid pattern on the bezel. The 2001 price-list transcription specifies twelve diamonds on that bezel. Antiquorum's 1986 description also counts twelve round brilliants, while Heritage describes twelve brilliant-cut stones on its circa-1987 example. The dial stones are a separate feature and vary by watch.

Measurements vary by catalogue. Heritage records 35 mm; Phillips and both Antiquorum lots give 36 mm. Sotheby's lot transcript also lists 36 mm. Antiquorum describes a sapphire crystal with Cyclops lens and a screw-down crown and caseback on its 1986 example. Heritage lists a sapphire crystal on its 1987 watch. These are lot-specific descriptions. Phillips, lot 136 Antiquorum, New York 2012, lot 166 Sotheby's 2012, lot 66 catalogue transcript Heritage, lot 56220 Antiquorum, Geneva 2024, lot 476

Bezel, crown and pyramid-finished bracelet center links on case 9,171,386. Phillips, lot 136, 2017.

Bracelets, clasps, and packaging

The price-list transcription describes an integral pyramid-finished yellow-gold bracelet with a concealed clasp. Phillips calls its example “Pyramide”-finished; Antiquorum and Heritage describe theirs as style or ref. 19028. The catalogues document those configurations; they do not establish original delivery for every surviving watch. The 2024 Antiquorum lot includes a punched warranty, booklet and fitted box with an incorrect insert. Those accessories belong to case 9,171,361. Oysterquartz.net, 2001 price-list transcription Antiquorum, Geneva 2024, lot 476

Case 9,171,361 with paperwork catalogued by Antiquorum, 2024.

Historical market and auction record

date	house	case and configuration	result
April 2012	Antiquorum New York, lot 166	9,153,967; champagne dial with diamonds and emerald markers; dated 1986	$16,250
December 2012	Sotheby's, lot 66 (catalogue transcript)	9,153,949; gilt dial with diamond indexes; circa 1985	$10,000 including buyer's premium
May 2015	Heritage, lot 56220	9,631,612; black dial with diamond markers; circa 1987	$18,750
May 2017	Phillips Geneva, lot 136	9,171,386; silver-toned dial with pyramid markers; circa 1986	CHF 26,250
November 2024	Antiquorum Geneva, lot 476	9,171,361; burlwood dial; catalogue records a sale date in August 1994	Estimate CHF 30,000–50,000; no result on the lot page

The case numbers identify five separately catalogued examples. The amounts are tied to their individual sales and estimates. Heritage, lot 56220 Antiquorum, New York 2012, lot 166 Sotheby's 2012, lot 66 catalogue transcript Phillips, lot 136 Antiquorum, Geneva 2024, lot 476

Case 9,171,361, burlwood dial. Antiquorum, 2024.
Case 9,171,386, silver-toned dial and pyramid markers. Phillips, 2017.
Case 9,171,386, oblique case and bracelet view. Phillips, 2017.
Case 9,171,361 with accompanying booklet and paperwork. Antiquorum, 2024.

Sources