Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803 - Black 'Confetti' Dial

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 1973, is a yellow gold example with a wildly cool dial. The case remains thick, with correct proportions throughout and shows honest wear. The characteristic 'fluted' yellow gold bezel and correct President' bracelet with a 'hidden' clasp are in matching condition. The real treat with this piece, however, is that black dial. For a short time in the late 1960s-early 1970s, some dial offered by Rolex and Tudor exhibited some additional colors when inspected closely. This example has deposits of red, blue, and gold! These are what have become known as 'confetti' dials, and this is a fantastic example of one. The surface is clean and consistent throughout and the Tritium plots are uniformly patinated. The handset also matches perfectly.