Pre-owned Rolex Day-Date 36 ref. 18038 with an elegant champagne dial on a generic leather strap. Released in 1977, the Rolex Day-Date ref. 18038 is recognized as one of the best value propositions of any in the watch’s long history. As an older model, it marries both vintage charm and modern day functionality. The first of the five-digit references, it took over from the ref. 1803, a highly popular and well-respected example which had been around since the end of the 50s. The Rolex ref. 1803, one of the very earliest Rolex Day-Date watches ever released. The Day-Date, otherwise known as the President for its association with the world’s elite (both famous and infamous), had set itself as the Rolls Royce of timepieces from its earliest appearance. The first automatic, waterproof wristwatch to have both a date aperture and a day of the week display written out in full, it had become the immediate go-to for those who stalked the corridors of power. Many former US Presidents were known to wear the Day-Date, including Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and John F. Kennedy – although his association with the watch was much more scandalous than the rest. It’s rumored that Marilyn Monroe gifted JFK his gold Day-Date and that he never even wore the timepiece because of the implications that it would have had. However, Lyndon B. Johnson, president from 1963 until 1969, was rumored to have led to the Day-Date acquiring its prestigious nickname, the “President.” Brand: Rolex Model: Day-Date Reference: 18038 Case Material: Yellow Gold Movement: Automatic Dimension: 36 mm Dial: Champagne Crystal: Sapphire Bracelet Type: Strap (Generic) Bracelet Material: Leather Bezel Material: Yellow Gold Original Box: No Original Papers: No Condition: Very Good NOTE: If you participate in an auction that will close after the 20th of December, please consider that we might not make the delivery in time for the holiday period. In this next two weeks there are a lot of delays both due to holidays and due to delays of shippers. So consider some extra days in our deliveries. We will be able to return to the normal shipping times after the 2nd of January.