Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 10, 2015

LOT 468

ROLEX REF. 18038 DAY-DATE BURGUNDY STELLA DIAL QABOOS SIGNATURE DIAMOND INDEXES YELLOW GOLD Rolex, Oyster Perpetual, Day-Date, Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified, case No. 5429285, Ref. 18038. Made in 1977. Very fine, and extremely rare center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with burgundy stella dial, day and date and an 18K yellow gold President bracelet with concealed deployant clasp.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

HKD 160,000 - 240,000 / USD 21,000 - 31,000

Sold: CHF 25,000

Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, screw-down case back and crown, fluted bezel, sapphire crystal with cyclops lens. Burgundy with applied diamond indexes and Qaboos signature, outer minute/seconds divisions, aperture for the day and date. Luminous yellow gold baton hands. Cal. 3055, rhodium-plated, oeil-de-perdrix decoration, 27 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions and temperature, shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws, hack mechanism.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 36 mm. THICKNESS 13 mm. Approx. bracelet length 180 mm. The present watch is part of an exceedingly rare series made especially for the Sultan of Oman, so called the 'Qaboos', Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, as written in arab below the hands on the dial. Being the ruler of the Sultanate of Oman since the early 1970's, the 'Qaboos' ordered some special watches for the Royal Court to Rolex, among which the famous model Day Date. Some were inscribed on the dial with the Oman emblem, two swords symbol with a palm tree, but very few bearing his signature, like the present one. This characteristic makes this present watch the most desirable for all watch collectors due to its extreme rarity on the auction market.