1985 Rolex model 18038

[HankZ]

Hi all,

I am new the forum as I am doing research on a Rolex, model 18038. I am between Canada and the US, but the watch was purchased in Geneva from Bucherer so the certificate is in French. I've posted a couple of artifacts here.

My question is about the face of the watch. When I scroll through articles and read about model 18038, I only see slits/hashes for the 1-12 hour marks...whereas mine has I,II,III...XII as you will see in the photo.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is that attributed to? Was that a customization option in the mid '80s, and/or limited to EMEA?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and insight.

[KY..]

Looks like a “ T SWISS T” skinny roman numeral dial from the 80’s to me…
Should be something close to this.

[HankZ]

Thank you!

[VegasBaby]

How are you between Canada and the US? There’s nothing in between!

[28mm]

Originally Posted by VegasBaby

How are you between Canada and the US? There’s nothing in between!

Google "Transnistria", it's like that but secret

[Carguy87]

Welcome to the forum!!

[chocopeluche]

The 18038 was available with dozens of dials over the course of its run, yours looks at-least period correct. Hard to tell if it was the exact configuration that left the factory, but Id guess more likely that not.

[S52]

Originally Posted by VegasBaby

How are you between Canada and the US? There’s nothing in between!

Maybe he lives in the slash?



https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/...a-border-slash

[miamiclay]

I assume you mean that the chapter ring (the outermost painted ring) itself also has Romans, rather than the plain railroad-track ring. All other 18038s I’ve seen with those “skinny roman” markers indeed do not have romans in the chapter ring, so I’d wonder about a dial repaint. If this has romans in the chapter ring, do the lume plots largely cover them?

Try to post a clear photo of just the dial? I can’t see much in that pic.
.

[Tomek-]

Welcome to TRF

[HankZ]

Originally Posted by VegasBaby

How are you between Canada and the US? There’s nothing in between!

Ah, well played, VegasBaby! Technically accurate as I haven't declared independence yet. ;) I am up in the northeast and go back and forth for family

BTW, I got married in April 2000 at the Little Chapel of the West, love your town!

[HankZ]

Originally Posted by chocopeluche

The 18038 was available with dozens of dials over the course of its run, yours looks at-least period correct. Hard to tell if it was the exact configuration that left the factory, but Id guess more likely that not.

Thank you!

[HankZ]

Originally Posted by Carguy87

Welcome to the forum!!

Cheers!

[HankZ]

Originally Posted by Tomek-

Welcome to TRF

Thank you!

[HankZ]

Originally Posted by S52

Maybe he lives in the slash?

This is excellent, new information that I did not know about. I will name it "Nouvel Transnistria" when I declare independence!

[HankZ]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

I assume you mean that the chapter ring (the outermost painted ring) itself also has Romans, rather than the plain railroad-track ring. All other 18038s I’ve seen with those “skinny roman” markers indeed do not have romans in the chapter ring, so I’d wonder about a dial repaint. If this has romans in the chapter ring, do the lume plots largely cover them?

Try to post a clear photo of just the dial? I can’t see much in that pic.
.

Thanks for your thoughts MiamiClay. No, it's just the Roman numerals near the railroads. After looking at other posts and photos, I am concluding it's what left the factory.