Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18239 'Chinese' 1991 w/ Box & Service Papers

$49,500.00 NZD

The Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18239 in 18k white gold is among the most distinguished references in the Day-Date's long catalogue — produced from 1988 to 2000, and representing the reference in its most precious and formally resolved configuration. Where the yellow gold Day-Date is the archetype, the white gold variant is the exception: rarer in production, cooler in tone, and considerably more uncommon on the secondary market. This 1991 example takes that rarity several steps further.

The dial is a sunburst silver with diamond hour markers, set with baguette diamonds at 6 and 9 o'clock — a factory configuration that places this example well beyond the standard Day-Date offering. What elevates it further still is the day and date wheel: printed in Chinese characters, with white text windows framing black characters in a configuration produced by Rolex in extremely limited numbers for specific markets. The Chinese character Day-Date is among the most sought-after dial variants in the entire Day-Date family — genuinely rare, immediately identifiable to those who know, and almost never encountered in this state of preservation. This is a watch that someone who understood exactly what they had kept in a safe. It shows.

Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18239 'Chinese' 1991 w/ Box & Service Papers

The Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18239 in 18k white gold is among the most distinguished references in the Day-Date's long catalogue — produced from 1988 to 2000, and representing the reference in its most precious and formally resolved configuration. Where the yellow gold Day-Date is the archetype, the white gold variant is the exception: rarer in production, cooler in tone, and considerably more uncommon on the secondary market. This 1991 example takes that rarity several steps further.

The dial is a sunburst silver with diamond hour markers, set with baguette diamonds at 6 and 9 o'clock — a factory configuration that places this example well beyond the standard Day-Date offering. What elevates it further still is the day and date wheel: printed in Chinese characters, with white text windows framing black characters in a configuration produced by Rolex in extremely limited numbers for specific markets. The Chinese character Day-Date is among the most sought-after dial variants in the entire Day-Date family — genuinely rare, immediately identifiable to those who know, and almost never encountered in this state of preservation. This is a watch that someone who understood exactly what they had kept in a safe. It shows.

Details
- Maker
  
  Rolex
- Model
  
  Day-Date
- Reference
  
  18239
- Year
  
  1991
- Serial
  
  X57XXXX
- Box & Papers
  
  Yes; Inner and outer box (labelled 18239), brown leather booklet holder, brown leather cardholder, Day-Date, Your Oyster, & Japanese Your Oyster booklets, green serial swing tag; Papers: No; Rolex Japan service card (2015)
- Movement
  
  Caliber. 3155, automatic w/ quickset date and day
- Dial & Hands
  
  Sunburst silver dial w/ diamond hour markers; Chinese character day and date wheel; 18k white gold hands w/ no lume
- Bezel
  
  Fluted, 18k white gold
- Crystal
  
  Sapphire
- Bracelet/Strap
  
  Rolex President 8385 w/ 20 links, 18k white gold
- Performance
  
  Watch is fully functioning and running at +7 seconds per day
- Service History
  
  Serviced by Rolex Japan in 2015; no further service history known
Dimensions
- Diameter: 36mm
- Lug-to-lug: 46mm
- Lug width: 20mm
- Thickness: 12.5mm
Materials

18k white gold

The Chinese character day and date wheel is the detail that defines this example above all others — a factory configuration produced by Rolex in extremely limited numbers for specific markets, featuring white text windows framing black Chinese characters on both the day and date displays
The original green Rolex swing tag bearing the serial number and original MSRP accompanies this watch — one of the rarest survivals in Day-Date collecting, and direct evidence of how this piece has been kept. Together with the Rolex Japan service papers from 2015, the labelled outer box, brown leather booklet holder and cardholder, and three booklets, this example arrives with a provenance package that is as complete as the secondary market is likely to offer on a 1991 Day-Date of this specification

Minor hairline scratches on the case, bracelet, and bezel

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