# 1986 Rolex Day-Date 36 18078 Bark Finish Champagne Dial Yellow Gold 36mm

- Link: https://palazzowatches.com/product/rolex-day-date-36-18078-18k-yellow-gold-bark-champagne-dial-1986-president-box/
- Published: 2026-02-17T21:23:55-05:00
- Author: Michael Martucci

## Details

- Stock number: 745PF
- Availability: Out of stock
- Case Material: Yellow Gold
- Case Size: 36mm
- Brand: Rolex
- Reference: 18078
- Dial Color: Champagne
- Condition: Pre-owned
- Movement: Automatic
- Year: 1986
- Offered by: Palazzo Watches & Gems, Jersey City, NJ

The Rolex Day-Date 36 President 18078 is the unorthodox Bark Finish variant of the
18038 generation — one of the rarest and most distinctive Day-Date references Rolex
ever produced. During the 18038 production window from 1977 through 1988, Rolex 
offered a small number of Day-Dates with a striking tree-bark texture applied to
both the bezel and the center President bracelet links in place of the standard 
fluted bezel and polished bracelet. The bark finish was such an unconventional aesthetic
that the watch had limited mainstream appeal in its day, which translated to far
lower production numbers — making the 18078 substantially harder to source today
than the standard 18038 and increasingly desirable among collectors who prize the
unusual. This 1986 example pairs that bark texture with a warm champagne dial — 
a period-correct pairing that lets the gold-on-gold finish do all the talking. The
36mm 18k yellow gold Oyster case carries the bark-finish 18k yellow gold bezel and
the bark-finish President bracelet with the hidden Crownclasp, while the dial features
applied yellow gold baton 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, a 48-hour power reserve, and the quickset date function
that defined the 18038 generation, the 18078 carries COSC certification. Sapphire
crystal. Pre-owned, 1986 production.