# 1982 Rolex Day-Date 36 18038 Walnut Burl Dial 18k Yellow Gold Box Papers 36mm

- Link: https://palazzowatches.com/product/rolex-day-date-36-18038-walnut-dial-yellow-gold/
- Published: 2026-03-28T22:43:34-04:00
- Author: Michael Martucci

## Details

- Stock number: 841R9
- Availability: Out of stock
- Brand: Rolex
- Reference: 18038
- Case Material: Yellow Gold
- Movement: Cal. 3,055
- Case Size: 36mm
- Year: 1982
- Dial Color: Brown
- Offered by: Palazzo Watches & Gems, Jersey City, NJ

The Rolex Day-Date 36 President 18038 is one of the most historically important 
Day-Date references Rolex ever produced. Manufactured from 1977 through 1988, the
18038 introduced the quickset date function to the Day-Date line — a meaningful 
refinement over the prior 1803 generation — and bridged the vintage acrylic-crystal
era with the sapphire era that succeeded it with the 18238 in 1988. This 1982 example
carries an additional layer of rarity: a walnut burl wood dial — a figured grain
cut from the burl outgrowth of a walnut tree, prized for the naturally occurring
swirls and patterns that no two examples share. Rolex offered the 18038 with a series
of now-coveted exotic dials in wood, mother-of-pearl, lapis lazuli, and onyx through
the late 1970s and early 1980s, produced in small numbers and increasingly difficult
to find today in original, untouched condition. The 36mm 18k yellow gold Oyster 
case is paired with the fluted 18k yellow gold bezel and the iconic President bracelet
with the hidden Crownclasp — the bracelet design synonymous with the Day-Date since
1956 that earned the model its presidential moniker. The walnut burl dial carries
applied yellow gold hour markers, the day window at 12 o’clock, and the cyclops-
magnified date at 3. Powered by the Rolex Caliber 3055 self-winding chronometer 
movement with 27 jewels and a 48-hour power reserve, the 18038 took the Day-Date
forward into the modern Rolex era. Pre-owned, 1982 production, with original Rolex
box and warranty papers.