98 Rolex A very attractive and esteemed Rolex Datejust reference 16018 in yellow gold with rare onyx dial and papers

Estimate: € 12,000 –⁠ 25,000

Sold € 17,550

Model: Datejust
Material: Yellow gold
Reference N°: 16018
Year: 1978
Case N°: 5656967
Caliber: 3035
Movement N°: 165692
Bracelet: Yellow Gold
Dimensions: 36
Signed: Dial, Case and movement
Accessories: Papers

It is often forgotten that Rolex occasionally used precious hard stones in Datejusts and Day-Dates. These creations are now at the center of a whirling interest from collectors or anyone looking for something rare and unusual. Due to their fragile nature, many of these dials tended to break during their production, this problematic increased the manufacturing cost and that’s why these watches are highly sought after by collectors. Rolex’s Datejust model was released in 1945 in celebration of the brands 40th anniversary as its first self-winding wristwatch with date window. The Datejust represented and still represents a turning point in Rolex history, bringing together all the features that its founder Hans Wilsdorf prized. It was indeed engineered as a resistant, automatic, and precise timepiece and, as said, sometimes featured some very special dials released with hard stones. These rare watches offer a totally different design, since the dial does not show any indexes aside from the applied crown logo at 12. The present reference 16018 with original papers is one of these examples with a very striking onyx dial. The superb overall state of preservation of both the case and the president bracelet pass almost in the background when compared with the perfection of the black onyx dial with gilt printing, hands and applied logo which grants immediate and crystal-clear legibility.