We checked out some insane Rolex CPO Day-Date watches in Dubai

Zach Blass

With the secondary market getting so massive, of course, the Crown had to get in the game, and the brand has done so with its Rolex Certified Pre-Owned program. These are watches that are 100% backed by Rolex with a guarantee that they are all authentic.  I visited one of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons’ Rolex Boutiques, located in Dubai in the Wafi Mall, where, of the 500 pieces Ahmed Seddiqi has in their Rolex CPO inventory, around 100 of them were in this one store. And what I discovered was a real passion for Day-Date models in its Rolex CPO inventory. So, today, we’re going to look at some of the most rare and elusive day dates that you could possibly find.

Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Malachite Dial’ ref. 18238 (1991)

Now, a malachite dial Day-Date is certainly not unheard of. It’s a classic, longstanding grail for many collectors. However, what makes this particular Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Malachite Dial’ ref. 18238 from 1991 insane is just how perfect its malachite dial is. With stones like Malachite naturally occurring, each is effectively a piece unique.

Looking at the naturally occurring pattern of this particular malachite stone, it has perfect downward smiley swirls, almost like a rippling wave, that move upward to the day aperture in near perfect symmetry – mimicking the shape and framing the aperture very, very well. It’s a testament to the keen eye of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and their mastery in curating the best examples of a particular model.

Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Coral Dial’ ref. 18038 (1987)

In a similar vein, this next watch is not overtly flashy – no diamonds or rubies. It has an equally eye-catching dial, but it is very if-you-know-you-know nonetheless. Amongst Rolex stone dials, the king, the rarest, the most elusive, particularly in good condition, are Coral dial Day-Date watches. This Coral Dial Rolex Day-Date 36 ref. 18038 is in immaculate condition, and that is the insane part. Coral dial Day-Dates are scarce for two primary reasons. The first is that coral is a very fragile material to work with, and the second is that coral harvesting is widely illegal. In fact, it is illegal to even possess coral in the state of Florida.

This is all to say that Rolex, though they were produced over a few decades, did not manufacture that many examples of watches with coral stone dials, and, due to the fragility of the material, even fewer have survived today in collector-grade condition. And that is what makes this pristine example so insane, and so attractive. The dial is so clean, no cracks, impurities, or imperfections, that I would understand concerns around its authenticity. The rarity and expense of acquiring a Coral dial Day-Date watch have led to aftermarket forgeries tainting the market, but this is the beauty of a Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watch. This watch is entirely backed by an official Rolex guarantee.

This is a very expensive watch to buy, so, if you need to convince your partner, there just so happens to be a great example of a coral dial Lady-Datejust in their Rolex CPO inventory that, if purchased with the Day-Date 36, would make an incredible so-called “his & her” set.

Rolex Day-Date 40 ref. 228398TRU (2018)

Okay, let’s get a bit more overtly insane, shall we? Though their catalogue of Rolex CPO watches is filled with vintage and neo-vintage inventory, there are pieces that are modern as well. This Day-Date 40 from 2018 is an example of a modern, secret or off-catalogue Rolex model.

This Day-Date understandably often sells for over US$300,000, with a dial that is fully diamond-set, applied ruby-set roman numeral hour indices, and a bezel set fully with baguette-cut rubies as well. As an off-catalogue model, this is a Rolex watch that is not publicly offered for sale to anyone, reserved exclusively for the Crown’s top VIP customers. It is a watch you typically see only on the rich and famous, like Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey, who are known for having expansive watch collections.

Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Tridor, Diamonds & Rubies Dial’ ref. 18129BIC (1985)

If you’re familiar with Rolex, you have probably heard terms like yellow or white Rolesor, which refers to steel being paired with yellow or white gold. But once upon a time, first introduced in the ‘80s, Rolex also had something it called Tridor.  Something that was previously not thought possible, Rolex proved it could make a centre link that blended three different colours of gold: white, rose, and yellow in one link. On its own, Tridor is an interesting look, with the centre link of the bracelet having two outer stripes of rose gold, two stripes of yellow gold, a step in, and a single centre channel of white gold.

It is emblematic of Rolex’s ability to be playful and experiment, along with showcasing its manufacturing prowess, debuting tri-tone watches in an era where two-tone was arguably at its peak. As if the Tridor element was not enough of a curiosity draw on its own, this particular Day-Date 36 ref. 18129BIC has a diamond-set bezel and dial (made of solid gold discs) with a full diamond-set outer ring and centre medallion with a more spaced out array of set diamonds and rubies set into the dial at 9’ and 6’.

But what makes this watch, surely not to everyone’s taste, very interesting is something I have never seen on a Rolex before. And, keep in mind, this is Rolex CPO inventory backed by Rolex – so no funny business here. I have never seen a Rolex plaque, for lack of a better phrase, within the 6 o’clock portion of the bezel. Kind of neat.

Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Silver Pleiade Diamond-set Dial’ ref. 18349 (1991)

Have you ever heard of Rolex Pleiades dials? If you haven’t, don’t feel bad. I had never heard it or seen one until I set foot in this boutique. The name refers to the starry-like setting and placement of the diamonds on the dial, inspired by the Pleiades, who, in Greek Mythology, were the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas, who turned his daughters into stars to protect them from the hunter Orion. These dials were not offered publicly for sale, made available strictly to friends of Rolex off-catalogue for an added fee, said to be around CHF 7,000 in the early ‘80s when the dial was first quietly offered as an option.

As a result, the configurations like this ref. 18349 from 1991 are quite rare to find, and it is perhaps even rarer when you factor in the Arabic language day and date discs. This Day-Date 36 has a white gold case and bracelet, with the bezel and the centre links of the president bracelet set with diamonds and the solid silver dial set with diamonds, of course, as well. Being in Dubai, this, of course, was not the only Day-Date in their inventory to have Arabic language day and date discs.

Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Rubellite Diamond-set Dial’ ref. 18039 (1986)

This Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Rubellite Diamond-set Dial’ Ref. 18039 from 1986 caught my eye. The red grape-like colour, and the natural texture of the Rubellite gemstone really pops against the white gold case and bracelet. Serving as the hour indices, you have diamonds set into the dial as well.

Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Oxblood Stella Dial’ ref. 18038 (1987)

Clearly, I have a thing for reddish-toned dials, must be my glasses, because this oxblood Stella dial Day-Date 36 ref. 18038 from 1987 was really a bit of me. Stella dials earned their nickname due to the supplier that made these brightly coloured lacquer dials, Stella SA, and this era of Rolex dials would go on to inspire the current generation of highly sought-after Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches with eye-catching turquoise, coral red, and candy pink dials, among others.

During the pandemic, the Tiffany blue- adjacent turquoise dial had a sky-high secondary market premium. It got to a point where we even reported how someone claimed they were offered a Rolex Daytona on even trade for their brightly coloured entry-level Rolex OP Turquoise. But the original Stella dial Rolex watches are even more sought after, and this oxblood dial is made even more special with Arabic language day and date discs, giving it even more distinction.

Rolex Day-Date 36 ‘Black Diamond Baguettes Dial’ ref. 18038 (1988)

Ending our Day-Date selection is this Day-Date 36 ref. 18038 from 1988 with a black dial set with baguette diamonds for the hour indices. It is probably one of the tamest-looking Day-Date watches in this video, but what stood out to me was the less common gold plaques on the dial for the Rolex and Day-Date dial text, rather than just being printed on the dial. So, if you caught that quirk on some of the more blingy models shown earlier, but would prefer it with a little less bling, then this would be the one to check out.