Robb Report: This Vintage Rolex Day-Date Has an Ultra-Rare and Coveted ‘Bark’ Design
Paige Reddinger recently wrote for Robb Report ‘This Vintage Rolex Day-Date Has an Ultra-Rare and Coveted ‘Bark’ Design’ highlighting Wind Vintage’s Rolex Sapphire/Diamond Dial Bark Bezel Day-Date Reference 18078.
It wasn’t that long ago that dealers had a hard time unloading an all-gold gem-set piece. Eric Wind, the notable dealer and founder of Wind Vintage, says five years ago he would have sold this piece for around $15,000 to $18,000. The asking price today? $29,000. “It is very rare,” he tells Robb Report. “I think that was all clearly hand-done. Funnily enough, bark watches were not very desirable in the past. You know, even five to 10 years ago, they were very, very hard to sell. But, over the last three to five years, there’s been such an emergence and interest in jewelry and watches and work like that engraving and other kind of artistic forms that the watches took.” The style of engraving he is referring to on this watch can be seen on the bezel and middle links of the bracelet that is referred to as “bark” for its rough tree-like appearance.