Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1802 - Sunburst Champagne Dial Unpolished

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 like the example that we have here.

The example that we have here is a very uncommon Reference 1802 dating to circa 1965. At a glance, you'd be forgiven for mistaking it as a Datejust, or even a yellow gold Oyster Perpetual. Rather than the prototypical 'fluted' gold bezel found on a vast majority of Day-Dates, this piece has a smooth bezel, which in unique to the Ref. 1802. Also relatively unusual is the solid gold Jubilee bracelet that this piece is fitted to, rather than the famous 'President' bracelet. The overall condition of this piece is fantastic. The case appears to be unpolished and shows normal signs of wear with nice, thick and symmetrical proportions. The smooth bezel has a nice crisp edge and shows matching wear. The Jubilee bracelet also shows matching wear and virtually no stretch or damage typically found on Jubilees from this era. Inside, the dial is a classic champagne unit, also offered in exceptional condition with a clean sunburst surface and fully-intact Tritium plots.

This is a fantastic example of a slightly left of center Day-Date in fantastic overall condition.