Salmon baguette dial on 18039?

[miamiclay]

I recently saw the below WG 18039 DD with this sunburst/salmon baguette dial marked SWISS MADE (and a WG Jubilee bracelet - !!)

I assume this is a later dial, never offered on the 18039 - Correct?
.

[KY..]

Here’s one that I wanted to buy from Haywood in the below thread link but I couldn’t travel to the UK to get it.
https://www.rolexforums.com/showthre...almon+baguette


Here it is as S319 for 18038/9 in the catalog pic shared by @Incroyable12 from the same thread

[miamiclay]

Except, I think Rolex kept using the 18038- numbers for *dials*, even for dials not released until the later 182xx series in ‘88.

That image list shows some other dials not offered on 180xx references, only 182xx, like the meteorite S343 in lower right. I just don’t know about the salmon baguette. (SWISS MADE would also indicate later.)

[KY..]

Understood, I wonder if a person who sent their 18039 or 18239 in for service may have had all the single quick and double quick dials available as upgrades since they are listed together.

[offrdmania]

The dials are interchangeable between the 1803X and 1823X and similar models. As stated, the dial could have been picked out during a service.
I do know that today, Rolex is out of about 99.8% of the dials above. Really all that is left are the basic silver, gold and champagne dials. I inquired when I had my 18038.
I was told that a few fancy dials are still in inventory but are being held for pieces which originally came with those dials.

[foxytimes]

I don't know for sure. But "SWISS MADE" shouldn't appear before 1997. If I remember correctly at that time a Swiss federal law stated that the use of tritium in these circumstances would no longer be permitted (with a transitional period around a year probably). 180xx references theoretically should have "T SWISS T" or "T SWISS MADE T" dials. I'm not sure about the term "SWISS" only: I have an early 18238 with a gem set dial with this combo (no lume on dial). Also for stone dials I cannot see a rule (no lume either).

There is another theory about this: A dial before "SWISS MADE" with a "T SWISS T" or "T SWISS MADE T" originally must have hands with lume (tritium), "SWISS" has non-lume hands. But no idea if this is true.

[miamiclay]

Originally Posted by KY..

Understood, I wonder if a person who sent their 18039 or 18239 in for service may have had all the single quick and double quick dials available as upgrades since they are listed together.

Originally Posted by offrdmania

The dials are interchangeable between the 1803X and 1823X and similar models. As stated, the dial could have been picked out during a service.
I do know that today, Rolex is out of about 99.8% of the dials above. Really all that is left are the basic silver, gold and champagne dials. I inquired when I had my 18038.
I was told that a few fancy dials are still in inventory but are being held for pieces which originally came with those dials.

I’ve had some of the same thoughts - Setting aside the fact that only a few are even still available, we know that today RSC will not mount a dial which was not originally available on that reference. However, I wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that RSC would mount SQ/180xx watches with DQ/182xx (or even 6-digit) dials as late as the ‘00s. (If that is so, it’s some sand in the Vaseline for even determining what is or isn’t a “period correct” DD dial!)

Looking more closely now, I think this image list is actually from 2000 or later, sometime in the 6-digit era. I see at least one dial there which I understand was never offered on 5-digit DDs - S331 (silver with sapphire 6/9 markers).

Finally, seeing this list is always a bit grim. Over 75 different DD dials, and those are only the WG dials! Some of these I’ve never seen even in photos - E.g., the S338 big-diamond semi-pavé dial with triangular (trapezoidal?) ruby markers. I understand why fewer options is usually preferred for Veblen/luxury goods, but I don’t think Rolex was ever in any danger of turning off its DD customers with options. (Of course I could be wrong - It happens *all* the time!)

[foxytimes]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

I’ve had some of the same thoughts - Setting aside the fact that only a few are even still available, we know that today RSC will not mount a dial which was not originally available on that reference. However, I wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that RSC would mount SQ/180xx watches with DQ/182xx (or even 6-digit) dials as late as the ‘00s. (If that is so, it’s some sand in the Vaseline for even determining what is or isn’t a “period correct” DD dial!)

Looking more closely now, I think this image list is actually from 2000 or later, sometime in the 6-digit era. I see at least one dial there which I understand was never offered on 5-digit DDs - S331 (silver with sapphire 6/9 markers).

Finally, seeing this list is always a bit grim. Over 75 different DD dials, and those are only the WG dials! Some of these I’ve never seen even in photos - E.g., the S338 big-diamond semi-pavé dial with triangular (trapezoidal?) ruby markers. I understand why fewer options is usually preferred for Veblen/luxury goods, but I don’t think Rolex was ever in any danger of turning off its DD customers with options. (Of course I could be wrong - It happens *all* the time!)

Your are spot on as always. By the way: I inquired the S324 (large pavé dial) recently (not available) and was given a long list with similar beauties that aren't attainable anymore unfortunately.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

I’ve had some of the same thoughts - Setting aside the fact that only a few are even still available, we know that today RSC will not mount a dial which was not originally available on that reference. However, I wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that RSC would mount SQ/180xx watches with DQ/182xx (or even 6-digit) dials as late as the ‘00s. (If that is so, it’s some sand in the Vaseline for even determining what is or isn’t a “period correct” DD dial!)

Looking more closely now, I think this image list is actually from 2000 or later, sometime in the 6-digit era. I see at least one dial there which I understand was never offered on 5-digit DDs - S331 (silver with sapphire 6/9 markers).

Finally, seeing this list is always a bit grim. Over 75 different DD dials, and those are only the WG dials! Some of these I’ve never seen even in photos - E.g., the S338 big-diamond semi-pavé dial with triangular (trapezoidal?) ruby markers. I understand why fewer options is usually preferred for Veblen/luxury goods, but I don’t think Rolex was ever in any danger of turning off its DD customers with options. (Of course I could be wrong - It happens *all* the time!)

There are some factory dials that aren't even illustrated on that list: like the onyx and the lapis as well as the super rare things like the "discoball" diamond pave dial.

That salmon baguette is also super rare; not sure why but full baguette dials didn't seem popular in the 5 digit era since factory ones rarely appear on the market today. You actually see a lot more factory myriad dials for sale than the full baguettes.

[crowncollection]

That’s an newer dial


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[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by crowncollection

That’s an newer dial


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When is it from?

It doesn't seem to have been popular or was very expensive since I've only ever seen them in photos and never for sale.

[Incroyable12]

That salmon baguette seems to be the same color and finish (a sort of metallic sunburst) as the salmon myriad dial which does appear time to time on the platinum 18206s so I'm guessing they were made for a brief period in the mid to late '90s before the introduction of the 6 digit DDs in 2000.

I wonder though if it was only ever made for the WG/PT DDs or if there was a YG version too.

[Incroyable12]

Found the same dial on an 18206 from a Japanese website

[Kingface66]

There is something uniquely tasty about a salmon baguette




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[Incroyable12]

Does anyone have access to the master catalogs from this era? Wonder if this dial is listed.

[Incroyable12]

Here's one that's up for sale with a price of 60k Euros and starting bid of 43k Euros.

https://ineichen.com/auctions/timed-63/13/

An 18039 is usually around $15K USD so that dial must add at least $30k of extra value? The factory Arab discs for a 3155 are usually around $2k loose.