Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18238 - Blue 'Sunburst' Dial

When the Day-Date was released in 1956, Rolex had made numerous attempts to capture the market with more complicated timepieces such as the Ref. 6036, the Ref. 8171, and the Ref. 6062, but it seemed like buyers were not particularly fond of complicated Rolexes. All of that changed when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was spotted wearing one Rolex in particular: a Day-Date. The model has since become known worldwide as ‘The President’ and as a symbol of success and prestige. Simply put, this one stuck. The Day-Date was available for many years on a leather strap with a matching gold buckle, but also on a solid gold bracelet (called a 'President' bracelet), like the example that we have here. Dating to circa 1996, this Reference 18238 offers a number of attractive features and is offered in excellent overall condition. The case shows signs of a having been lightly previously polished, retaining thick and symmetrical lugs and showing normal signs of wear throughout. The characteristic 'fluted' yellow gold bezel as well as the matching 'President' bracelet is in matching condition. The gorgeous blue dial inside is virtually flawless, retaining a vibrant blue color and its sunburst finishing with applied yellow gold 'baton' indices and fully-intact Tritium plots. The handset matches perfectly both to the naked eye and under UV inspection. Additionally, being a neo-vintage Day-Date, this piece featured the almost magical 'double quickset' movement function for setting the day and date. A real treat if you have ever owned a 4-digit Day-Date! This is a fantastic, well-rounded example of an icon with a splash of color.