
Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
This auction has ended. View lot details



Sold for £19,200 inc. premium
Our Watches specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialist
Head of Department

Global Head

Head of sale, Knightsbridge

Senior Specialist

Senior Cataloguer

Cataloguer
Sale Coordinator
The Day-Date was introduced in 1956 as a luxury dress watch to sit alongside Rolex's tool watches which included the Submariner and GMT Master. Only offered in precious metals, the Day-Date has seen iterations in yellow, white and rose gold, as well as platinum. The 18038 is a significant iteration; first released in 1977 it was the first to have a flat dial, sapphire crystal and the calibre 3055 movement with quickset date function and increased accuracy.
This example, dating to circa 1978 belonged to a Scottish gentleman who worked for the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said al Said, in the 1970s. Responding to an Omani employment advert placed in a UK construction magazine in 1975, he went on to hold several high-ranking positions in Oman including Chief Engineer, Inspector of His Majesty's Properties (North) and Deputy Director General of the Properties Department. During his ten years working there, the original owner was the recipient of many gifts from the Sultan, all featuring the Omani Khanjar symbol.
The watch is offered for sale here by the family of the gentleman and comes with the original Rolex box featuring the Khanjar symbol to the interior.