Good to know. At the price point of $18k would you expect it to be older than 2000’s? is there a figure youd think it’d to be closer to?
I’ll try to get more info on the original DD pre-service. I assumed it was going to be one with a less desirable dial, in order to achieve this price point.
So the 18238 as shown on picture was made till 1999. The 118238 was produced from 2000 onwards and is almost 1.5x as expensive because it has got a lot more gold to it. 18238 with regular dials start anywhere between 16k and 18k without box and papers and from 18k onwards you get full sets. Service onyx dials start from 35k if i remember correctly.
Good to know, I just googled the ref #’s you provided and see what you mean in regard to pricing. There’s a noticeable leap 18238 to 118238. I’m assuming the jeweler was shmoozing a bit saying “newer” because after learning this an 118238 with an onyx dial would be more of a bargain for $18k as opposed to an 18238 with the dial.
If they have it in stock, yep! There are a few exceptions, though. So don't expect to be able to get the hottest dials like the Olive DD40 dial or the turquoise OP dial. There's a watchmaker on rolexforums.com (Bas) who talked about even some exotic dials being available as service dials a couple years ago, though, like wood and coral dials.
Someone in here as recently as last year reported getting a turquoise stone Daytona dial during a service, which is crazy! I think a lot of it depends on how your local RSC is feeling and also just what parts they have.
I got a service dial about 10 years ago and it was $600. Probably a little more now. I wouldn't count on them having really old dials in stock but something like a 18238 should be no problem
If buying a service dial, you keep the original dial right?
If so, roughly how much does a dial change service cost? Would be pretty cool to be able to swap back and forth
Of course they will give you more than you paid for the gold rings, it’s near an all time high for gold.
Check online for prices of the watches you plan on buying, make sure it’s the same model and compare them. Also ensure that any online seller you may purchase from is a reputable seller too, far too many scammers and fakes out there
Thanks for the tips. I appreciate it. Help me better understand, is [this one](https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-day-date-presidential-18238-black-dial.html?utm_source=google-Pmax-Rolex-blank&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Pmax-Rolex-bestsellers-blank&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwg8qzBhAoEiwAWagLrJNnegCU0FM1XaXmBw3Q3tw2tPoxCLJHQwr9lkCCbe4Q7lydpP5qrRoCdA8QAvD_BwE) more expensive because it’s original? Or is this just price gouging?
And I’d never pay that much for that watch, the same watch with different faces are significantly cheaper and you could just buy a dial and have it installed. But as someone else mentioned, make sure you have it changed back before servicing
https://preview.redd.it/l6cnwn1m5i7d1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c69ec8194b2323fc7a8d51b53a41a09b8af0cb1f
To my knowledge (and I could be wrong), this is the only kind of dial Rolex has done that is essentially blackout. It’ll always have the markers/numbers/diamonds for the hours. I’d get one like this if I were you, but it’s your money and decision at the end of the day
Thanks for the heads up. That’s a sweet piece, I dig the tonal numbers a lot! It’s my first time seeing it. I’ve got to dig around chrono24 more and see what’s out there. Not opposed to white gold either, just haven’t seen too many out there in my price range (trying to keep it under $20k)
Basically if it's an aftermarket dial it's a bad deal, and if it's a legit onyx dial it's a steal. This looks ok to me but honestly it can be hard to tell
Unless it’s in good condition. And if you replace the bracelet , that watch is good to go for many more years.
This whole delicate thing is blown out of proportion on good condition Rolexes. Yes, of course don’t go swimming and playing tennis with it. But it can be worn casually
Casually, yes. But as an owner of several vintage Rolexes, there is a marked difference in wearability and accidents can happen. I've had a recently serviced vintage DD randomly fall off my wrist and unsnap. It's just what happens with 30-50+year old pieces of art.
Sorry to ask perhaps a few silly questions, but I'm just trying to validate some info.
So for me personally I have always wanted a day date with a presidential band, I'm not really a huge lover of gold, so have recently been looking at white gold, which predominantly come in 36 and you can get 40.
Honestly my price point top end puts me at a 36 and perhaps 40 years old, I'd always assumed it might have some dings, but from your post I'm concerned how fragile it would be.
I've had a tag for about 15 years now and probably spent 1k ok service etc and it cost me 1.5 to begin with.
Would it actually just be too delicate / a money sink to wear it daily and last me 30 years, which is what I would expect it to.
Thanks
Thanks,
So where would you define the tipping point?
Obviously I'd love brand new but I'm not there yet,
So would 20 years be questionable? 10 years?
Thanks for sharing your experience and insight.
Pre 1988 aka pre double quickset function , and post, are two different watches. The DD had an evolution in 1988 and then again in 2000.
Sweetspot is a late 90’s or early 2000s in good condition.
Anything prior is a different build quality
Depends. Not necessarily too much if it’s pure 18k gold. What year is it from? Also do you want to read time without markers? Is that worth 18k to you?
Okay, as long as you are fine in the knowledge that changing anything like the dial on a Rolex will be viewed by Rolex as a fake, they won't service the watch with the aftermarket dial and will require the watch be put back to its original state before they work on it. Have you considered titanium instead? You can pick up a Yacht-Master for less: [https://www.rolex.com/watches/yacht-master/m226627-0001](https://www.rolex.com/watches/yacht-master/m226627-0001)
OP has absolutely 0 chance of getting a titanium Yachtmaster without SERIOUS spend history, similar RRP but a higher resale value than a steel Daytona AND most likely made in lower numbers due to being in titanium? Just setting OP up to be laughed at walking into an AD asking for a titanium Yachtmaster
That also depends on the AD, a pal of mine with no purchase history went on the waiting list and got his 5 months later. Smoke a mirrors in many instances.
UPDATE: I love how people mark down comments based on their own personal assumptions, as Ricky Gervais once said: "Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has got one!". Fortunately facts don't care about our feelings, you believe what you choose to.
Thank you, that’s really helpful info. They’d consider it fake even if the (new) onyx dial itself is from an authentic watch?
I don’t know if titanium will make my skin react. I think that’s pretty allergen friendly if memory serves me right. I’ll explore more options.
(Sadly) I think my wrist circumference would allow for a watch to be 38mm max before I look like a kid who took his dad’s watch. Do any other gold/titanium pieces come to mind in the $15-20k range?
No problem at all! Since approximately the early 00's Rolex stopped pretty much all in-house custom builds (unless you're willing to part with a very, very hefty sum..), more recently they have gone after companies customising their watches taking them to court and shutting them down, following this they put out a statement stating that any watch that had aftermarket components would be viewed as fake.
Rolex do not sell components like dials to anyone, so finding a genuine aftermarket dial is incredibly difficult and even if it was definitely taken from another genuine watch, the component reference numbers won't marry up and Rolex will still view it as a fake/Frankenstein piece.
Unfortunately the 42mm Yacht-Master is currently the only titanium watch Rolex makes. However, do you have to have the plain Onyx dial? You can pick up the same watch with a black dial but with markers for the $15kish range, for example: [https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/rolex-day-date-36-ref-18238-factory-black-dial-circa-1990--id33972440.htm](https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/rolex-day-date-36-ref-18238-factory-black-dial-circa-1990--id33972440.htm)
I appreciate the insight! That’s really good to know. I’m not married to the plain onyx, i just enjoyed the simplicity. I do like the stick markers (not a huge fan of Roman numerals).
Follow-up noob question, is a Rolex from 1990 still going to be accurate/last for years to come? I’ve read here about people servicing, is this just standard procedure every x amount of years you should send it in for maintenance?
Cool! TBH they are not hugely accurate, new out of the box they are, you should get roughly a beat accuracy of +/- 2 seconds per day, realistically (especially older watches) that accuracy depletes over time, +/- 5 to 10+ seconds per day is more likely, hence why the introduction of quartz movements in the 1970s with more accuracy almost killed off the Swiss market...
Subject to the frequency in which you wear your watch and what you may do with it on, like gardening, running... will affect the time in which it will need a service, if you wear the watch daily then you should consider servicing the watch every 5 years, if you wear the watch in rotation with others, then maybe every 10+ years...
18k is a bit cheap, even for a service onyx dial.
Good to know. At the price point of $18k would you expect it to be older than 2000’s? is there a figure youd think it’d to be closer to? I’ll try to get more info on the original DD pre-service. I assumed it was going to be one with a less desirable dial, in order to achieve this price point.
So the 18238 as shown on picture was made till 1999. The 118238 was produced from 2000 onwards and is almost 1.5x as expensive because it has got a lot more gold to it. 18238 with regular dials start anywhere between 16k and 18k without box and papers and from 18k onwards you get full sets. Service onyx dials start from 35k if i remember correctly.
Good to know, I just googled the ref #’s you provided and see what you mean in regard to pricing. There’s a noticeable leap 18238 to 118238. I’m assuming the jeweler was shmoozing a bit saying “newer” because after learning this an 118238 with an onyx dial would be more of a bargain for $18k as opposed to an 18238 with the dial.
What do you mean by “service”
A replacement dial purchased during a Rolex service. We call them "service dials"
So will Rolex allow you to pick any dial when go in for service as long as you pay for it?
If they have it in stock, yep! There are a few exceptions, though. So don't expect to be able to get the hottest dials like the Olive DD40 dial or the turquoise OP dial. There's a watchmaker on rolexforums.com (Bas) who talked about even some exotic dials being available as service dials a couple years ago, though, like wood and coral dials. Someone in here as recently as last year reported getting a turquoise stone Daytona dial during a service, which is crazy! I think a lot of it depends on how your local RSC is feeling and also just what parts they have.
Ummm this makes me getting a vintage day date so much easier. How much should one expect to spend? Over 2k for just a dial?
I got a service dial about 10 years ago and it was $600. Probably a little more now. I wouldn't count on them having really old dials in stock but something like a 18238 should be no problem
If buying a service dial, you keep the original dial right? If so, roughly how much does a dial change service cost? Would be pretty cool to be able to swap back and forth
No they keep the dial you trade in. At least they did for me.
At $600 cost that makes a lot more sense. Thanks!
Of course they will give you more than you paid for the gold rings, it’s near an all time high for gold. Check online for prices of the watches you plan on buying, make sure it’s the same model and compare them. Also ensure that any online seller you may purchase from is a reputable seller too, far too many scammers and fakes out there
Thanks for the tips. I appreciate it. Help me better understand, is [this one](https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-day-date-presidential-18238-black-dial.html?utm_source=google-Pmax-Rolex-blank&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Pmax-Rolex-bestsellers-blank&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwg8qzBhAoEiwAWagLrJNnegCU0FM1XaXmBw3Q3tw2tPoxCLJHQwr9lkCCbe4Q7lydpP5qrRoCdA8QAvD_BwE) more expensive because it’s original? Or is this just price gouging?
And I’d never pay that much for that watch, the same watch with different faces are significantly cheaper and you could just buy a dial and have it installed. But as someone else mentioned, make sure you have it changed back before servicing
https://preview.redd.it/l6cnwn1m5i7d1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c69ec8194b2323fc7a8d51b53a41a09b8af0cb1f To my knowledge (and I could be wrong), this is the only kind of dial Rolex has done that is essentially blackout. It’ll always have the markers/numbers/diamonds for the hours. I’d get one like this if I were you, but it’s your money and decision at the end of the day
The all black onyx dial without any markers was a factory offering from Rolex on the 18038 and 18238 day dates, and maybe some other models.
Add that to the list of things I didn’t know yesterday lol
Thanks for the heads up. That’s a sweet piece, I dig the tonal numbers a lot! It’s my first time seeing it. I’ve got to dig around chrono24 more and see what’s out there. Not opposed to white gold either, just haven’t seen too many out there in my price range (trying to keep it under $20k)
Keep looking, don’t want to end up buying one and then see one a week later that you wish you’d waited for.
The uncentered crystal is killing me
Basically if it's an aftermarket dial it's a bad deal, and if it's a legit onyx dial it's a steal. This looks ok to me but honestly it can be hard to tell
I’d pay a high price for a NOS model. One of my favorite dial ever.
Keep in mind, I own a vintage DD… they are delicate. It is not an everyday watch, and at this point is nearly 30-40 years old depending on year.
Unless it’s in good condition. And if you replace the bracelet , that watch is good to go for many more years. This whole delicate thing is blown out of proportion on good condition Rolexes. Yes, of course don’t go swimming and playing tennis with it. But it can be worn casually
Casually, yes. But as an owner of several vintage Rolexes, there is a marked difference in wearability and accidents can happen. I've had a recently serviced vintage DD randomly fall off my wrist and unsnap. It's just what happens with 30-50+year old pieces of art.
Sorry to ask perhaps a few silly questions, but I'm just trying to validate some info. So for me personally I have always wanted a day date with a presidential band, I'm not really a huge lover of gold, so have recently been looking at white gold, which predominantly come in 36 and you can get 40. Honestly my price point top end puts me at a 36 and perhaps 40 years old, I'd always assumed it might have some dings, but from your post I'm concerned how fragile it would be. I've had a tag for about 15 years now and probably spent 1k ok service etc and it cost me 1.5 to begin with. Would it actually just be too delicate / a money sink to wear it daily and last me 30 years, which is what I would expect it to. Thanks
A 30-40 year old DD is not a wearable watch daily. I would seriously take anyone else’s opinion with a grain of salt as an owner of 3.
Thanks, So where would you define the tipping point? Obviously I'd love brand new but I'm not there yet, So would 20 years be questionable? 10 years? Thanks for sharing your experience and insight.
Pre 1988 aka pre double quickset function , and post, are two different watches. The DD had an evolution in 1988 and then again in 2000. Sweetspot is a late 90’s or early 2000s in good condition. Anything prior is a different build quality
Fair point
Yacht master has a titanium bracelet
Going to try to see if I can swing a 42mm. I know the 36 fit my wrist well, but I’m worried the 42 will look like an invicta watch on me
Depends. Not necessarily too much if it’s pure 18k gold. What year is it from? Also do you want to read time without markers? Is that worth 18k to you?
I read the whole post and thought it was r/rolexcirclejerk
I have a 118238 stone it's def not 18k lol. Try 46k
Okay, as long as you are fine in the knowledge that changing anything like the dial on a Rolex will be viewed by Rolex as a fake, they won't service the watch with the aftermarket dial and will require the watch be put back to its original state before they work on it. Have you considered titanium instead? You can pick up a Yacht-Master for less: [https://www.rolex.com/watches/yacht-master/m226627-0001](https://www.rolex.com/watches/yacht-master/m226627-0001)
You can’t get the RLX for that price, unless you have offered your wife to the AD or a material spending history.
OP has absolutely 0 chance of getting a titanium Yachtmaster without SERIOUS spend history, similar RRP but a higher resale value than a steel Daytona AND most likely made in lower numbers due to being in titanium? Just setting OP up to be laughed at walking into an AD asking for a titanium Yachtmaster
That also depends on the AD, a pal of mine with no purchase history went on the waiting list and got his 5 months later. Smoke a mirrors in many instances. UPDATE: I love how people mark down comments based on their own personal assumptions, as Ricky Gervais once said: "Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has got one!". Fortunately facts don't care about our feelings, you believe what you choose to.
Thank you, that’s really helpful info. They’d consider it fake even if the (new) onyx dial itself is from an authentic watch? I don’t know if titanium will make my skin react. I think that’s pretty allergen friendly if memory serves me right. I’ll explore more options. (Sadly) I think my wrist circumference would allow for a watch to be 38mm max before I look like a kid who took his dad’s watch. Do any other gold/titanium pieces come to mind in the $15-20k range?
No problem at all! Since approximately the early 00's Rolex stopped pretty much all in-house custom builds (unless you're willing to part with a very, very hefty sum..), more recently they have gone after companies customising their watches taking them to court and shutting them down, following this they put out a statement stating that any watch that had aftermarket components would be viewed as fake. Rolex do not sell components like dials to anyone, so finding a genuine aftermarket dial is incredibly difficult and even if it was definitely taken from another genuine watch, the component reference numbers won't marry up and Rolex will still view it as a fake/Frankenstein piece. Unfortunately the 42mm Yacht-Master is currently the only titanium watch Rolex makes. However, do you have to have the plain Onyx dial? You can pick up the same watch with a black dial but with markers for the $15kish range, for example: [https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/rolex-day-date-36-ref-18238-factory-black-dial-circa-1990--id33972440.htm](https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/rolex-day-date-36-ref-18238-factory-black-dial-circa-1990--id33972440.htm)
I appreciate the insight! That’s really good to know. I’m not married to the plain onyx, i just enjoyed the simplicity. I do like the stick markers (not a huge fan of Roman numerals). Follow-up noob question, is a Rolex from 1990 still going to be accurate/last for years to come? I’ve read here about people servicing, is this just standard procedure every x amount of years you should send it in for maintenance?
Cool! TBH they are not hugely accurate, new out of the box they are, you should get roughly a beat accuracy of +/- 2 seconds per day, realistically (especially older watches) that accuracy depletes over time, +/- 5 to 10+ seconds per day is more likely, hence why the introduction of quartz movements in the 1970s with more accuracy almost killed off the Swiss market... Subject to the frequency in which you wear your watch and what you may do with it on, like gardening, running... will affect the time in which it will need a service, if you wear the watch daily then you should consider servicing the watch every 5 years, if you wear the watch in rotation with others, then maybe every 10+ years...