Issued in 1982, this Rolex Day-Date carries the logo ofthe AlbiladFire Fighting Systems company, afirefighting and fire protection services company from Saudi Arabia. Double-signed pieces from Rolex are particularly elusive, with only a small number ofretailers, companies or influential individuals having left their mark on these dials over the years.

The Day Date

Since itsintroduction, theRolex Day-Datehas become one of the most popular watches in theRolexcatalogue. Understated in appearanceand size, it offers a practical, versatile alternative toRolexsother highly-purposeful wristwatches: Chronometer-certified, waterproof and with a near-perfect aesthetic balance. The silhouette, complication and name alone is now recognised globally.

Colloquially referred to as thePresident, theRolex Day-Dateearned the nickname in a typically brilliant marketingmoveby the brand. Reportedly, theygiftedaDay-Datewatch to then-President of the United States,Dwight Eisenhower. The brand claimed in its marketing materials of the time thatMen who guide the history of the world, wear Rolex watches,and neither theDay-Datesageless versatility, prestige, nor value, have faded since.

TheDay-Datecombines many ofRolexsmost successful innovations from the last century,includingtheir two-piece, screw-down case. In 1926, theOystercase became the very first waterproof wristwatch case to be produced serially, as well as the first fully-integrated waterproof case. This version of the Day-Date, the reference 18038, was first launched in 1977, introducing a sapphire crystal and quickset date feature.

A Double Signed Example

Issued in 1982, this Day-Date features the logo of the AlbiladFire Fighting Systems company, from Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, the company deals entirely with firefighting and fire protection services. This company logo - which balances shades of blue, grey and black - has appeared on a handful of Rolex watches, most notably Day-Date and ladies Datejust models. To date, very few examples have appeared publicly.

At the time, it was not uncommon fora select number of retailers, companies or influential individuals to add their mark to Rolex dials, in a practice which has long been lost today. FromTiffany & Co. and Cartier to the more unexpected Coca-Cola logo, the world of double-signed watches is as varied as it is interesting. Most of these double-signed pieces were created to mark certain achievements or accomplishments, or, historically, for retailers to lend an air of legitimacy to the foreign manufacturers in a local market.

Rolex is no stranger to creatinghighlycustomisedversions of their watchesfor the Middle Eastern market. Towards the late 1950s, they began offering Rolex models with Arabicnumerals and scriptto replace the numbers and day markers. One such example is the 1960 Rolex Day-Date Scheherazade ref. 1804. Additionally, various specially commissioned, double-signeddials have appeared publicly, such as pieces carrying the Saudi Arabian coat of arms, the Saudi Arabian armed forces logo, or the handful of unusual, Khanjar-signed dials.

The Design

This Rolex Day-Date 18038 is encased in 18k yellow gold, witha fluted bezel circling the 36mm case.The brushed finish on the lugs is clearly visible, which is counter-balanced by the polished details on the sides. It comes equipped with its original gold President bracelet, with a hidden clasp. The bracelet is preserved in good condition, with some limited signs of stretching found throughout.

The champagne dial complements the golden tones of the case. At 12 oclock, the day of the week is displayed in English, through a sloped window which follows the curvature of the dial. Meanwhile, the date is displayed at 3 oclock, enlarged with the help the brands recognisable "cyclops" lens. The applied crown and Rolex, Oyster Perpetual and Day-Date signatures sit at the top of the dial, counterbalanced by the colourful AlbiladFire Fighting Systems company logo below.

Rather interestingly, the Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified, which usually sits at 6 oclock, was entirely removed from the dial in order to accommodate the Albilad logo. It showcases two different shades of blue, adding an attractive, cool-toned contrast to the gold finish of the dial. At times, Rolex would somewhat awkwardly place certain signatures at 9 oclock, in order to avoid modifying the basic design of their dial, making pieces such as this one all the more unusual.

The Movement

The watchhousesRolexscalibre 3055 Officially Certified Superlative Chronometer grade automatic movement. The mechanism features 27 jewels andKIFshock-protection, beating at a rate of 28,800 A/h, with a power-reserve of 48 hours.

Introduced in the late 1970s, the calibre 3055 wasRolexsfifth generation Day-Date movement, featuring an increased beat rate of 28,800 A/h (up from 19,800) and highly-practical, single-quick-set date function. This replaced the caliber 1556, which had been used since 1965.

The Set

This Rolex Day-Date is accompanied by its leather box, hangtag, Rolex Oyster manual and Warranty (which remains unfilled).

This example has previously appeared publicly when it was last sold through .

Closer look