Watches

When the Day-Date was released in 1956, Rolex had made numerous attempts to capture the market with more complicated timepieces such as the Ref. 6036, the Ref. 8171, and the Ref. 6062, but it seemed like buyers were not particularly fond of complicated Rolexes. All of that changed when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was spotted wearing one Rolex in particular: a Day-Date. The model has since become known worldwide as ‘The President’ and as a symbol of success and prestige. Simply put, this one stuck. The Day-Date was available for many years on a leather strap with a matching gold buckle, but also on a solid gold bracelet (called a 'President' bracelet), like the example that we have here. The piece that we have here, a Reference 1803 from circa 1969, is a fantastic example example finished in solid yellow gold with a wildly cool dial. The case remains in excellent overall condition, having likely seen a very light previous refurbishing many years ago, and now exhibits an attractive 'rosy' oxidation developing in the usual tighter areas. It shows light signs of wear throughout with symmetrical lugs a few very small impressions on the left case profile and a blemish on the tip of the bottom left lug. The matching 'President' bracelet is likely-unpolished and shows matching oxidation and light wear throughout. The 'fluted' yellow gold bezel is also seemingly unpolished and shows light signs of wear with light oxidation on the 12 o'clock position. The real treat with this piece, however, is that brown dial... For a short time, some dials offered by Rolex and Tudor exhibited additional colors under close inspection — in this case, 'flakes' of gold, red, and even hints of purple!. These are what we call 'Confetti' dials, and this piece possesses a beautiful one! It remains in fantastic condition, with a consistent color and texture and only minor lume-loss to its Tritium plot at the 9 o'clock position, with the others intact. The handset is non-luminous. From ten feet away, this probably just looks like your average Day-Date... But upon closer inspection, its a collectors delight. The oxidation on the case & bracelet, the condition, and that dial... its a party. Condition: Case: Previously lightly refurbished, with symmetrical lugs and light signs of wear throughout with a few very small impressions on the left case profile and a blemish on the tip of the bottom left lug. There is an attractive oxidation developing where the bezel meets the case, on the underside of the lugs, around the crown, and between the lugs. Bezel: Seemingly-unpolished showing light signs of wear with light oxidation at the 12:00 position and no major blemishes. Dial: Fantastic overall, with consistent color throughout and seemingly no blemishes or inconsistencies. The brown 'confetti' is stunning, exhibiting specks of gold, green, and purple. The Tritium plots all intact except at the 9:00 position and show darkening on top of the aged patina throughout. The handset is non-luminous. Bracelet: Correct Rolex yellow gold 'President' bracelet with 17 links and signed blade clasp stamped '1-71.' Unpolished condition showing matching normal wear throughout with 'rosy' oxidation developing in the tighter areas. Exhibits very mild stretch. Sized for ≈7.5" wrist. Shipping: All watches will be shipped via FedEx Insured Priority Overnight shipping. International shipping will be shipped via FedEx International Priority Express, always fully insured. This service is included in the listed price and will not incur any additional fees. All watches are shipped 1-2 business days after receiving payment confirmation by Chrono24. We are unable to ship watches on Saturday or Sunday. Our Policy: We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended. Our Guarantee: Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP. Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team of experts and watchmakers prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.

The Rolex Day-Date, introduced in 1956, was the first wristwatch to display the date and day of the week spelled out in full in a window on the dial. It is exclusively made of precious metals, primarily 18k gold or platinum. The Day-Date is often associated with influential figures and has earned the nickname 'The President’s Watch.'