Rolex Day-Date 18K Mother of Pearl

About the Watch

The Day-Date is the flagship watch from Rolex. Since its presentation at the Basel fair in 1856, it has embodied prestige and class in one. It is affectionately called the President's watch by connoisseurs and is synonymous with success. Rolex introduced mother-of-pearl (MOP) in its dial designs during the 1980s, and it has since become a signature feature in many of their models. While some jewelry designers alter the colors of mother-of-pearl artificially, Rolex adheres to a strict philosophy of maintaining its natural state. Mother-of-pearl, or nacre, is a stunning natural material that lines the inner shells of certain mollusks, including pearls, oysters, and abalones. It shares its composition with the substance that forms pearls, which is how it earned its name. This material develops as a protective mechanism for mollusks, shielding their soft bodies from threats and parasites. When an irritant enters the shell, the mollusk responds by secreting layers of nacre around it. Over time, these layers accumulate, creating pearls or coating the inner shell with the lustrous surface known as mother-of-pearl. This model comes with a Rolex guarantee card dated 7th December 2021, instruction manual, product literature, hang tag, green card holder, outer packaging and fitted presentation box.

About the Brand

Known the world over, Rolex is a benchmark for prestige and quality in watchmaking. Since its creation, the brand has placed the reliability of its products uppermost. It submits virtually its entire movement production for testing by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres to obtain COSC certification. Rolex is also renowned for its after-sales service which is performed by staff who have been specially trained, often in Rolex's own schools in countries around the globe, including the United States and Japan. Rolex was founded by Hans Wilsdorf. A Bavarian watchmaker who emigrated to Switzerland, he immediately put his natural flair for products and business acumen at the service of a brand that would soon forge an international reputation. He was succeeded in 1963 by André Heiniger, whose son Patrick took over at the helm in 1992. Bruno Meier in 2009 then Gian Riccardo Marini in 2011 were successively appointed at the head of the business, a limited company (société anonyme) that is wholly owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. In 2014, Jean-Frédéric Dufour, previously Chief Executive of Zenith, was named as the new CEO. Such a reputation hasn't gone unnoticed among collectors, as recent auction results demonstrate. At a 2013 sale in Geneva, for example, a Daytona Chronograph in steel achieved an absolute record price of US$ 1.1 million. The brand hones its image through associations with prominent and well-respected personalities chosen from the arts and sports. Also, in 1976 Rolex launched its Awards for Enterprise which each year single out innovative projects that promote sustainable development. The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative gives young artists a privileged opportunity to benefit from the experience of masters in their field.