Rolex Day-Date 36 Yellow Gold — Mother-of-Pearl Roman Dial Fluted Bezel | Ref. 118238

Reference 118238 belongs to the penultimate generation of the Day-Date 36 — the 118xxx series that preceded the current 128xxx range — and represents the model in its most classical configuration: solid 18k yellow gold with a fluted bezel and a mother-of-pearl dial carrying Roman numeral indices. Produced prior to the introduction of Calibre 3255, this reference runs the Calibre 3155 movement, a self-winding automatic that powered the Day-Date for decades before the current generation upgrade. Its place in the collecting landscape is defined by this generational boundary.

Calibre 3155 offers a 48-hour power reserve and the Parachrom hairspring that Rolex introduced progressively across the range in the mid-2000s. The 36 mm yellow gold case is paired with the fluted bezel — among the most iconic of all Rolex bezel designs, introduced as a functional anti-unscrewing mechanism and retained as a defining aesthetic element. The mother-of-pearl Roman dial brings nacre's natural luminosity to the Day-Date format: each dial is unique in its light-refraction pattern, and the Roman numerals provide a legible typographic anchor within the shifting iridescence of the nacre surface. The President bracelet in solid 18k yellow gold — exclusive to the Day-Date — is the standard configuration for this reference.

The 118238 occupies a well-understood position in the market as a pre-3255 Day-Date 36 in full yellow gold. Buyers who favour the 36 mm case size for its historical authenticity and wrist discretion over the newer 40 mm format find this generation particularly compelling. Mother-of-pearl Roman dials add a further premium over plain or single-colour dials, and the all-gold construction ensures long-term material value. Service history and original President bracelet completeness are the primary condition factors to assess.