Rolex Lapis Day-Date in White Gold - The Quiet Power of Rarity

Take a moment to read that again — Lapis Day-Date in white gold.

It’s the kind of phrase that makes any collector stop and think. You’ve seen lapis dials before, usually in yellow gold, but almost never in white gold, or platinum. 

That’s exactly why this watch feels different. It looks familiar and yet distinctly special.

Over the years, we’ve handled many stone-dial Day-Dates: onyx, green jasper, bloodstone, coral — each with its own story and personality. But lapis lazuli in white gold belongs to another category altogether. It’s one of those configurations that quietly redefine what rarity means in vintage Rolex.

The Watch

The watch in question is a Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18039, produced in 1987 and crafted entirely in 18 karat white gold. Its serial number, dial signature, and bracelet code all align perfectly — a fully coherent, period-correct example.

The case remains strong, with well-defined lugs, crisp hallmarks, and a fluted bezel that still catches the light sharply. There are no signs of over-polishing or restoration — just light, natural wear from age.

It sits on its matching President bracelet, reference 8385, which preserves its factory proportions and tension. The clasp code corresponds to the year, and everything feels cohesive — a sign of a watch that’s been appreciated but never tampered with.

But what makes this Day-Date extraordinary — what makes it almost mythical — is the dial.

The Lapis Dial

At the heart of this watch lies one of the most mesmerising materials ever used by Rolex: lapis lazuli.

Formed over millions of years, lapis is a metamorphic stone composed mainly of lazurite, calcite, and pyrite. Its colour — a deep ultramarine — is one of nature’s most intense blues. Ancient civilizations valued it as a symbol of wisdom and protection; in Renaissance art, it was ground into pigment to produce ultramarine, the most precious blue available to painters.

Cutting lapis thin enough to serve as a watch dial is a challenge in itself. The stone is fragile, and even a small imperfection can cause it to crack during shaping or drilling. For this reason, each successful dial is unique — no two will ever share the same hue, pattern, or distribution of pyrite.

The dial on this example shows why lapis is so prized. The surface is clean and uniform, with almost no pyrite specks or veining — just a pure, uninterrupted ocean of blue. Under direct light it glows with a matte intensity; tilt it slightly, and you see faint clouds of lighter tone, as if the color itself were shifting. In softer light it deepens, almost absorbing its surroundings.

The silver print — Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date — is razor-sharp and perfectly intact. The calendar windows are framed in white metal, matching the case, and the “T SWISS T” signature at 6 o’clock is period-correct for this generation. The hands are non-luminous, a correct and often misunderstood detail: Rolex printed dials in batches, with or without lume, but all carried the same marking.

Seen up close, the lapis surface is completely smooth — no cracks, hairlines, or internal fractures. For a stone dial of nearly forty years, this level of preservation is exceptional.

White Gold & Stone: A Rare Combination

Lapis has appeared on Day-Dates since the late 1970s, but almost exclusively in yellow gold cases. The blue-and-yellow contrast is striking, and Rolex produced them in small but noticeable numbers.

In white gold,  however, lapis takes on a different character — cooler, quieter, more architectural. The contrast between the silvery metal and the deep blue creates a subtle tension, where the dial seems to float inside the case. It’s a pairing that emphasizes  refinement over boldness.

And it’s extremely rare. Across auction archives and private collections, you’ll find countless lapis Day-Dates in yellow gold, a handful in platinum, and fewer than a dozen known in white gold. In fact, this configuration appears so infrequently that it’s often mentioned in the same breath as white-metal jaspers — pieces that surface perhaps once a decade.

The rarity is partly technical. The calendar windows, for instance, are made to match the case metal, so swapping dials between metals isn’t straightforward. More importantly, Rolex never produced large quantities of stone dials in white gold; they were made to order or released in extremely small runs.

That scarcity has only deepened their desirability. Collectors today recognize that white-metal stone dials — particularly without diamonds — represent the most refined expression of the Day-Date philosophy: purity of form, color, and material.

A Brief Moment In Rolex History

The late 1970s through the 1980s was a period of experimentation for Rolex. The Day-Date was already the watch of statesmen and icons, but the brand began to push its creative boundaries. Alongside stone dials came Stella lacquers, wood veneers, and guilloché patterns. The Day-Date became a canvas for new textures and colours, and the five-digit references introduced technical upgrades — sapphire crystals, quick-set date functions, and improved movements.

The Ref. 18039 embodies that evolution. The “9” at the end of the reference denotes white gold, and the model represents a balance between mechanical modernity and aesthetic experimentation. It was the era when Rolex proved that elegance could still be daring.

How The Dial Plays With Light

One of the most fascinating qualities of lapis is how it reacts to light. Under strong illumination, it shines with an opaque brilliance — a flat yet vibrant blue that feels almost painted.

Under diffused light, the surface softens, showing faint tonal variations that shift as you move the watch.

Look closely, and you might notice micro-reflections from minute pyrite particles embedded deep within the stone.

They’re almost invisible at first, but as light crosses the surface, tiny golden sparks appear and disappear — a natural shimmer that gives the dial a sense of depth.

This interplay of matte and reflective textures makes lapis one of the most captivating dial materials ever used. It’s never static; it changes constantly with its environment. On the wrist, it feels alive.

Condition And Coherence

This example remains in excellent vintage condition. The case shows strong edges, the bezel retains its rhythm, and the bracelet displays light, even wear. The proportions are untouched, the hallmarks sharp.

Everything about this watch feels coherent — from the period-correct bracelet and clasp code to the dial signature and hand configuration. Nothing is out of place or “too perfect.”

Why We Love It

Among stone-dial Day-Dates, lapis in white gold occupies a very small, very special category. It combines one of the rarest natural stones used by Rolex with one of the least common metal configurations.

Collectors often describe these pieces as “professional-level Day-Dates,” meaning they’re not entry-level acquisitions but connoisseur choices. 

You don’t stumble upon one; you seek it. And when you do, you realize why so many seasoned collectors consider white-metal stone dials the ultimate expression of the model.

On the wrist, it feels both familiar and rare; simple in appearance, complex in essence.

Want to see more? Click here and watch a video about this beauty.