page transition image
Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

1984 Rolex Day-Date Oysterquartz 19018 - 18K Yellow Gold Pyramid Onyx Roman Dial

Details
Rolex's Answer To Quartz, In Solid Gold
When quartz arrived, Rolex declined to buy a movement off the shelf and spent years building its own, then housed it in a case that shared almost nothing with the rest of the catalog. The Oysterquartz Day-Date is where that project reached its highest point. Sharp facets, flat planes and a bracelet drawn straight into the case, all in solid 18K yellow gold, and none of it borrowed from the Oyster line. It looks like a Rolex designed by someone who had been given permission to start over.
The Onyx Pyramid Dial
This example carries a Pyramid Onyx dial with applied Roman numerals, and that is the specification which lifts the watch out of the ordinary. Black onyx is worked into a repeating pyramid structure so the surface breaks light into facets instead of reflecting it flat, with gold Romans applied over the top. These turn up less often than the diamond set dials that get most of the attention, which makes this the harder version of the reference to find. It has to be seen moving under a light to be properly understood.
Very Good, With A Perfect Dial
This watch is in very good overall condition. The solid yellow gold case and integrated bracelet are both very good, with the sharp facets of the design still well defined. The Pyramid Onyx dial is perfect. Service papers are included with the watch. As with every watch we offer, this piece has been verified as mechanically sound and is ready to wear.
A Rolex That Reads As Design
This is for the collector who values the moments when Rolex took a real risk. The Oysterquartz was expensive to develop, sold in modest numbers, and then discontinued, which leaves it a closed chapter rather than a line that continues today. In solid gold with an onyx dial it stops being a curiosity and becomes a genuine statement, heavy on the wrist and unlike anything else in the brand's history. It is a piece of Rolex design that never got a sequel.
Key Specs
Reference: 19018
Model: Day-Date Oysterquartz
Year: 1984
Movement: Quartz
Case Size: 36mm
Bezel: Fluted
Bracelet: Integrated Yellow Gold
Bracelet Length: 7.25in
Dial: Pyramid Onyx with Roman Numerals
Metal: 18K Yellow Gold
Weight: 149g
Includes: Service Papers
SKU: 1451