216 Rolex A very fascinating and fine, Day-Date, automatic wristwatch in yellow gold, with red lacquered “Stella” dial, reference 18038.
Estimate: € 25.000 – 50.000
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| model | Day Date |
|---|---|
| year | 1977 |
| reference | 18038 |
| case material | 18K yellow gold |
| case number | 5'486'629 |
| bracelet material | 18K yellow gold Rolex bracelet, approximate length 185mm |
| movement type | Automatic, cal. 3055, 27 jewels |
| dimension | 36mm Diameter |
| signed | Case, dial and movement |
| accessories | Accompanied by Rolex fitted presentation box and outer packaging. |
The Rolex Day-Date needs no introduction. It is the watch of presidents, visionaries, and tastemakers — an icon of success that transcends cultures and eras. But nestled within this pantheon of prestige is a sub-variant so bold, so audacious, that it almost feels like a joyful rebellion against the Day-Date’s otherwise conservative heritage: the Stella. Born in the exuberance of the 1970s — a decade unafraid of expression, the so-called “Stella” dials were unlike anything Rolex had ever dared before. Imagine a brand synonymous with discretion and restraint, suddenly splashing its most dignified model with an artist’s palette of high-gloss, candy-colored lacquer dials: electric turquoise, mint green, sunflower yellow, hot pink… and yes, the smoldering coral red you see here. These were not just dials — they were declarations. Produced in collaboration with a Geneva-based lacquer specialist, each dial was crafted by hand, the colors individually mixed, the finishes meticulously applied in thick layers of rich enamel. The result? A wildly unique spectrum of tones and shades — some brighter, others deeper, but each a singular work of art. No two were exactly alike. And crucially, they were not a hit. Too daring for the period’s taste, many languished on shelves, unsold and uncelebrated. The present Day Date reference 18038, from 1977, is an uncompromising expression of the genre: a watch that juxtaposes the warm opulence of its 18-carat yellow gold case with the arresting intensity of a coral-red lacquer dial that practically glows from within. It is in these improbable combinations — the institutional gravitas of the Day-Date married to the irreverent joy of the Stella dial — that the poetry of vintage Rolex reveals itself. Here is a timepiece that was misunderstood at birth, only to become mythologized decades later. And like all great art, its power lies not just in how it tells time, but in how it tells a story.
Condition Report
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