Rolex Day-Date "Wood & Diamonds"

Few Rolex Day-Date watches left the factory with a wood dial, and fewer still with diamonds set directly into the burl. Reference 18238 offers exactly that combination: a factory Beyeler wood dial, brilliant-cut diamonds set into the figured grain, and an 18k yellow gold case that Rolex introduced in 1988 as the sapphire-crystal successor to the long-running 18038. By 1991, the year of this example, the wood-dial Day-Date had become one of the quieter chapters of late-twentieth-century Rolex experimentation, ordered only by clients who knew to ask for it.

The burl gives every dial a unique fingerprint, the grain swirling behind ten brilliant-cut diamonds and a date window at three under the cyclops. Applied indices and matching hands pass over the wood without disturbing it. The 36 mm yellow gold case has a fluted bezel and a screw-down crown, and the watch is presented on a brown leather strap with a yellow gold plated Rolex pin buckle. Inside, calibre 3155 brought the quickset day function to this generation.

The watch comes with its original Rolex box. The case shows minor signs of wear consistent with regular use. Professional polishing can be arranged free of charge upon request.