Rolex · Day-Date · 18038 · box and papers · pre-owned on Amazon
The President, with its papers.
The Day-Date has only ever been made in precious metal, and this is the one that fixed the look: 36mm of 18k yellow gold, a fluted bezel, the day spelled out at twelve and the date under the Cyclops at three, on the President bracelet Rolex made for it. The 18038 of 1978 brought the sapphire crystal and the quickset date to the model. Champagne dial, gold batons. This unit comes with its branded box and papers. Pre-owned through a Luxury Stores reseller, graded Excellent.
- Case
- 36mm, 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel, 100m
- Movement
- Calibre 3055 automatic, quickset date, about 42 h
- Dial
- Champagne, applied gold batons, day at 12, Cyclops date at 3
- Bracelet
- 18k gold President, hidden Crownclasp, about 8 inches
- Comes with
- Branded box and papers; serial 561xxxx (about 1978)
- This unit
- Excellent; light scratching to hardware, light wear to caseback
Why it is called the President
Rolex launched the Day-Date in 1956 as the first wristwatch to spell out the day of the week, and made it only in gold or platinum. The bracelet built for it, with semi-circular links and a concealed clasp, was named the President, and the name slid over to the watch after Lyndon Johnson wore one. Rolex itself has never called the watch that; everyone else does.
The 18038 replaced the 1803 in 1978 and is the reference that made the Day-Date modern: a sapphire crystal instead of acrylic, and the calibre 3055 with a quickset date, so the date can be set from the crown without spinning the hands through midnight. The day still advances with the hands. It ran until 1988.
Reading the listing
The seller gives the serial as 561xxxx, which puts the watch around 1978, the first year of the reference. It comes with its branded box and papers, which is rare for a Day-Date of this age and matters when you sell it on. The bracelet is sized to about 8 inches, which is long; a jeweller can remove links. Condition is Excellent with light scratching to the hardware and light wear to the caseback, which is a forty-five-year-old gold watch that has been worn and not over-polished.
Every figure here comes from the listing and from Rolex’s published description of the 18038, not from handling the watch.
Buying it pre-owned on Amazon
Rolex is pre-owned only on Amazon. This unit is sold by What Goes Around Comes Around through Amazon Luxury Stores, authenticated by the seller with Amazon’s 30-day return window on top; it is one piece, and when it sells the listing goes away, so the second button opens the live search for Day-Dates.
Gold Day-Dates have resold close to what people paid for them for decades, sometimes more, sometimes less, and the gold itself sets a floor; that is a pattern, not a promise, and nothing here is investment advice.
Specs
- Reference
- 18038
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel
- Movement
- Automatic, Rolex calibre 3055, quickset date
- Caliber type
- Rolex 3055, chronometer certified
- Crystal
- Sapphire Crystal, Cyclops
- Water resistance
- 100m (10 ATM) per Rolex for the Oyster case
- Power reserve
- About 42 hours
- Complications
- Day (spelled out) and date
- Origin
- Swiss Made
Specifications as published by Rolex. We research from manufacturer documentation and published sources rather than hands-on testing. Researched 2026-09-12.
Verdict
A first-year 18038 President in solid gold with its box and papers, pre-owned on Amazon: the Rolex that means a gold Rolex, in the reference that made it modern.
Strengths
- Solid 18k gold case and President bracelet
- Box and papers included, serial from about 1978
- Sapphire crystal and quickset date, the 18038 improvements
- Amazon’s return window on top of the seller’s authentication
Trade-offs
- 36mm and all gold; heavy on the wrist and loud in the room
- About 1978; service history not stated
- Bracelet sized long at about 8 inches
- One unit; when it sells, it is gone
Buy it if
Someone who wants the gold Rolex, the real one with the day spelled out, and wants the papers with it.
Skip it if
You want something you can wear without anyone noticing, or a modern Day-Date 40 with the newer movement.
FAQ
The 1803 (1959 to 1978) has an acrylic crystal and a non-quickset calibre 1556; the 18038 (1978 to 1988) has a sapphire crystal and the calibre 3055 with a quickset date.
Compare
RolexDay-Date 18038 (18k yellow gold, champagne dial, President, box and papers) vs Day-Date 18238 (18k yellow gold, blue diamond dial)
RolexDay-Date 18038 (18k yellow gold, champagne dial, President, box and papers) vs Oysterquartz Day-Date 19018 (18k yellow gold)
RolexDay-Date 18038 (18k yellow gold, champagne dial, President, box and papers) vs Datejust 31 68278 (18k yellow gold, white Roman dial)Sources
- Rolex Day-Date, official collection page
- Amazon Luxury Stores listing (What Goes Around Comes Around, pre-owned), read 2026-09-12
Researched and last updated 2026-09-12. We do not test watches in hand; every figure above is traceable to the manufacturer or the sources listed here.
Rolex Day-Date 18038 (18k yellow gold, champagne dial, President, box and papers)
Reference 18038 · $25,000+
Prices and availability change; the band above is a research figure, so check the current listing.
Affiliate Disclosure
The Horologist is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences our editorial recommendations — every timepiece is selected on merit alone.
Complete the look
A fresh strap changes the whole watch.
Not ready today? Adding it to your cart keeps your pick saved.
Compared Against