Rolex · Day-Date · 18238 · pre-owned on Amazon
The President, in gold, with diamonds on a blue dial.
The Day-Date is the Rolex that was only ever made in precious metal; this is the 18238 generation from the late 1980s in 18k yellow gold with a blue dial set with diamond hour markers, the day at twelve, the date at three under the Cyclops, a fluted bezel and the President bracelet. Calibre 3155 inside, the first Day-Date movement with a double quickset. Pre-owned through a Luxury Stores reseller, graded Excellent.
- Case
- 36mm, 18k yellow gold, fluted bezel
- Movement
- Calibre 3155, automatic, double quickset
- Power reserve
- About 48 hours
- Water resistance
- 100m (10 ATM)
- Dial
- Blue, diamond hour markers, day and date
- This unit
- Excellent; light scratching and tarnishing; serial R87xxxx
Why it is called the President
Rolex introduced the Day-Date in 1956 as the first wristwatch to spell the day of the week in a window, and it has never been made in steel. The bracelet with its semi-circular links was named the President, and the name migrated to the watch after enough American presidents wore one. The 18238 is the generation that ran from 1988 to 2000: sapphire crystal, calibre 3155 with a quickset for both the day and the date, and a case that is the same 36mm it has always been.
Diamond-marker dials were a factory option, and blue with diamonds is one of the combinations Rolex offered on the 18238. The R serial on this unit places it at the start of that generation, around 1987 to 1988.
Reading the listing
The seller grades it Excellent with light scratching and tarnishing throughout, which is what a thirty-five-year-old gold watch that has been worn looks like. The listing does not mention box or papers, so assume there are none and price it accordingly. It does confirm the President bracelet with the hidden crown clasp and the Cyclops over the date.
Every figure here comes from the listing and from Rolex’s published specification for the reference, not from handling the watch.
Buying it pre-owned on Amazon
Rolex is never new on Amazon. This unit is sold by What Goes Around Comes Around through Amazon Luxury Stores, authenticated by the seller with Amazon’s 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.
A gold Day-Date has historically resold for close to what it cost, sometimes more, sometimes less, and the diamond-dial versions have their own audience. That is a pattern, not a promise, and nothing here is investment advice.
Specs
- Reference
- 18238
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Movement
- Automatic, Rolex Calibre 3155
- Caliber type
- Rolex 3155, in-house automatic, chronometer
- Crystal
- Sapphire Crystal, Cyclops
- Water resistance
- 100m (10 ATM)
- Power reserve
- About 48 hours
- Complications
- Day at 12, date at 3, double quickset
- 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 late-1980s gold Day-Date with a factory-style blue diamond dial, calibre 3155 double quickset, pre-owned on Amazon.
Strengths
- The President: solid gold, day spelled out, the bracelet that named it
- Calibre 3155 with double quickset and sapphire crystal
- Blue dial with diamond markers
- Amazon’s return window on top of the seller’s authentication
Trade-offs
- No box or papers mentioned; assume none
- Light scratching and tarnishing per the seller
- One unit; when it sells, it is gone
- 36mm reads small to some modern wrists
Buy it if
Someone who wants the gold Rolex, and wants the dial to say so from across a room.
Skip it if
You want steel, a larger case, or box and papers with a vintage Rolex.
FAQ
Same 36mm yellow gold Day-Date; the 18238 (1988 to 2000) has a sapphire crystal and calibre 3155 with a quickset for both day and date, where the 18038 has an acrylic-era layout and calibre 3055 with a date quickset only.
Sources
- Rolex, Day-Date 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 18238 (18k yellow gold, blue diamond dial)
Reference 18238 · $25,000+
Prices and availability change; the band above is a research figure, so check the current listing.
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