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Rolex Day-Date 118239 – Cherry Dial

Details

We’re proud to offer this exceptional Rolex Day-Date Ref. 118239, an automatic example in solid 18k white gold with a striking cherry red dial, dated to 2001 (K serial). Known as the “President” watch, the Day-Date has long stood as Rolex’s flagship model, combining precious metal construction with technical sophistication and timeless design. This reference showcases one of the most distinctive and uncommon dial variations, elevating it into the realm of both refinement and collectability.

The watch features a 36mm case with a 20mm lug width, crafted in 18k white gold and paired with its original President bracelet, which fits up to a 6.75-inch wrist. The dial is finished in a vivid cherry red lacquer, a rarely seen configuration that contrasts beautifully against the cool tones of white gold. Functionality is provided by Rolex’s caliber 3155 automatic movement, offering both quickset day and date complications displayed at 12 and 3 o’clock, respectively.

This piece retains all of its original components—including crown, dial, movement, and caseback—and is accompanied by its original papers, further enhancing its desirability to collectors. The overall condition is excellent, preserving the crisp lines of the case and bracelet alongside the vibrancy of the dial.

A unique twist on one of Rolex’s most iconic models, this Ref. 118239 demonstrates the maison’s ability to balance tradition with individuality. With its rare cherry red dial, full white gold construction, and complete set of papers, it represents both a bold design statement and a highly collectible expression of the Day-Date legacy.

SKU - 1039

Reference number - 118239

Crystal - Sapphire

Movement - Automatic Cal. 3155

Year - 2001

Dial color - Cherry Red

Case material - 18K White Gold

Bracelet styles - 18K White Gold Presidential

Case size - 36mm

Bezel type - 18K White Gold Fluted

Key Specs
History

When Rolex introduced the Day-Date in 1956, it did two things no watch had done before: it displayed the day of the week spelled out in full at 12 o'clock, and it did so only in 18-karat gold or platinum — never steel, never silver. The message was clear. This was the watch for people who had arrived.

The President bracelet, created exclusively for the Day-Date, added another layer of distinction: a three-piece link design in solid precious metal that became so associated with power that the watch earned the unofficial name "the President's watch." Dwight Eisenhower was among its earliest recipients; the list of heads of state, CEOs, and cultural figures who followed runs long.

References 1803 and 18038 define the classic era — the 1803 from the late 1960s through mid-1970s, and the 18038 through the 1980s. Dial options across these years are staggering: champagne, black, onyx, diamond-set, baguette, wood, and stone dials all appeared in regular production. The Day-Date is the watch Rolex made to prove that Swiss precision and genuine luxury were not mutually exclusive. Fifty years later, that argument has never been made more convincingly