












1988 Rolex Day Date 'Yellow Cab' Stella Ref. 18388
1988 Rolex Day Date 'Yellow Cab' Stella Ref. 18388
Momentum by AIX Tempora, Ltd.
ICD Brookfield Place, Al Mustaqbal St, DIFC, POBox 506645
Dubai DU
United Arab Emirates
Yellow Cab - Rolex really pushed the envelope in the 1970’s & 1980’s by introducing hard enamel dials known as Stella dials. These enamel watch faces came in a riot of colors, tones you wouldn’t expect to see on a Rolex. Interestingly, ‘Stella’ is not a nickname by collectors but the name of the company supplying the lacquer for the dials. It is believed that these dials were originally produced for a few markets including the Middle East and Asia but found their way to other regions as well. The irony is that Stella models weren’t popular during the time Rolex produced them. Back then clients wanted more conservative dials so many of these dials were sent back, destroyed or misplaced. This is one reason why a good Stella dial is a hard find today. We think it gets even harder if you are looking for the rarer colors. If we were to sort the colors by rarity then the order would be Oxblood, Orange, Red, Green, Turquoise, Pink, Yellow and Purple, which in our opinion makes Yellow the second rarest color but we boldly think that this very color is the best Stella dial color we have ever held in our hands. The color has turned into a very vibrant Yellow Cab color. The offered watch is in very good condition with a strong case and factory set diamonds on bezel and lugs. Not only is the condition astonishing but also the color. We would say all Stella dials are rare but finding a yellow one is cracking the jackpot
SKU | 9.1.2.060 |
Brand | Rolex |
Model | Day Date 'Yellow Cab' Stella |
Ref. No. | 18388 |
Serial No. | L216xxx |
Year | 1988 |
Gender | Gents |
Case Size | 36mm |
Case | Excellent factory set case with diamond setting on lugs and bezel. The case does not show much wear from age. The lugs remain straight and even with clear numbers inbetween. |
Bracelet / Strap | Very good matching President showing moderate stretch from age. The bracelet has 21 links |
Dial | Super rare and factory yellow Stella dial aka 'Yellow Cab' Stella. The surface of the dial is excellent and free of any sort of spidering. There is a tiny chip on the left upper part of the Day window. The lume plots have deteriorated over age but still show correct reaction to UV, like the matching hands. |
Price | Sold |
Crystal | Sapphire, small dent at 7' marker |
Movement | Automatic |
Functions | Day, Date |
Condition | Very good |
Box | No |
Papers | No |

Brief History
Rolex Day-Date
Arguably one of the most iconic watches ever made, the Day-Date aka the Rolex President was introduced in 1956 and was the first to feature both the day and date in dedicated windows on the dial.
The Day-Date is the top model in the Rolex line-up and comes in an array of configurations with rare and special dials and case decorations. It has only ever been made in precious metals with Automatic movements and historically with an elegant diameter of 36mm - the perfect size for an iconic dress watch.
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