Introduced in 1956, it was the first wristwatch to display both the date and the day of the week in apertures on the dial. Made exclusively from precious metals, it has always been synonymous with luxury, elegance and prestige.

With a diameter of 36mm, reference 18038 was produced between 1978 and 1989. A wide variety of dial configurations were offered at the time, including some in wood or semi-precious stone, as shown here with this superb lapis lazuli dial.

Natural stone dials, such as Lapis lazuli, Onyx or Tiger eye, began to be manufactured by Stern Frères in the early 1970s, thanks to the development of ultrasonic drilling techniques. Rolex, a loyal customer of Stern, was among the first to use these dials in its watches, notably in the Datejust model with four-digit references, and they were later mounted on Day-Dates with the introduction of five-digit references like the 18038 we have here.

The special feature of lapis lazuli is that it gives each watch a unique appearance due to the stone's natural variations, thanks in particular to inclusions of white calcite and golden pyrite.

The condition of a stone dial is an essential factor in its value, as they are relatively fragile and tend to crack over time. So a perfectly intact dial like this one will be much more sought-after and valued.

This watch is delivered as watch only.

Condition report on request.

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