A beautiful and rare Rolex Day-Date reference 1803 with a stunning pie pan dial. The pie pan dial is almost white gold in colour and depending on the light, you get lovely tones of gold or silver as can be seen in the pictures. We have other Rolex's with gold dials and silver dials respectively and this one is neither one or the other, but somewhere beautifully between the two. Completely original, this lovely dial still retains virtually all of it's original tritium lume, seldom seen in pieces of such age.

We've paired this piece with a beautiful new old stock, completely unworn 1952 original Rolex lizard strap in gloss black which is rather a beautiful thing in itself and really sets the piece off. This also provides the new owner with the rather special opportunity of being the first person to try this strap on since it was made some 66 years ago. The strap is finished with an original Rolex solid 18k yellow gold buckle which is rarely seen and quite rare, not to be confused with the plated version most come with. This original solid gold buckle is the way such a piece should be finished.

The top it off the piece comes with matching original Rolex Day-Date leather box, which is in impeccable condition also. The piece is mechanically sound, well serviced and keeping good time with a good power reserve. Sitting at 36mm, the piece sits well on the modern wrist. The lovely baton hour markers are crisp and clean and combine with the simple hands to provide a design that looks just as at home now as it did some 52 years ago when the watch was made. The crystal is nice and clear, giving an unobstructed view through to that lovely dial. The Day-Date is one of the quintessential pieces that must be on the list for any watch collector and this one with it's age, fantastic original dial and Spanish day indicator, has so much personality and would make the perfect addition to any collection. It's got that nice thing about it which is hard to come by, in that you know you won't see someone else wearing one similar.

Due to the softness of solid 18k and the age of the piece, the spring bar has worn a little at the case number as is to be expected. However we do have a full case number which reads 1,4**,*** dating the piece to 1966, the year England won the World Cup. The full case number and movement number etc will be disclosed and documented for the new buyer.

Naturally being a vintage watch in original condition you will find signs of age and wear, but that's exactly what makes vintage watches so interesting and unique and allows for that lovely patina that we all like so much and lovely original finishes to be preserved.

First released in 1956 the Day-Date is certainly up there with one of Rolex’s most synonymous designs. Notoriously referred to as the President, the Day-Date is typically attributed with having been sported by President Eisenhower. However this is incorrect, Eisenhower actually wore an 18k Rolex Datejust on matching jubilee bracelet, easily confused for a Day-Date at a glance. Many a President has however donned the Day-Date, including Johnson, Ford, Reagan, Nixon and Roosevelt. Most notable perhaps is John F Kennedy who was gifted an engraved Day-Date by the beautiful Marilyn Monroe, the watch was later auctioned in 2005 for $120,000. 

By 1963 Rolex was producing the day wheel in 11 different languages and now produces the model in 26 languages to cater to every audience. The first iterations of the Day-Date were the 6510 and the 6511 with the calibre and were made for only a year making them highly collectible. They were then replaced by the 6611, 6612 and 6613 with a modified version of the calibre 1055 movement which had a new balance wheel and regulating screws allowing  the Day-Date to gain certification from the Swiss Office of Chronometer Control (C.O.S.C). In 1961 perhaps the most famous reference was released in the 1803, alongside the 1804 and 1806, with the 1802 and 1807 introduced in 1963 and the last of the 1800 series introduced in 1966 with the reference 1811. The 1800 series continued to be produced until 1977 when Rolex created the new calibre 3055 movement. Today the vintage examples of the Day-Date in the 1800 series are highly collected and are considered a staple mark in building a thorough collection. Available in Yellow, Rose, White Gold and Platinum, alongside a number of different finishes (eg bark etc, varying language wheels and varying dial types the Day-Date can make for a very interesting addition to any collection; classic but individual.

Brand: Rolex
Model: Day-Date
Reference: 1803
Year: 1966
Movement: Automatic
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Diameter: 36mm
Lug Width: 19mm
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Box/Papers: Original Box