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Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803 - Champagne 'Doorstop' Dial

Sale price$9,500.00 USD

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 matching solid gold bracelet (called a 'President' bracelet), but also on a leather strap like the example that we have here. 

This Reference 1803 dating to circa 1963 has a few very cool features we love that are only found on earlier examples. The case has been lightly previously polished and shows normal wear throughout. The characteristic 'fluted' yellow gold bezel shows matching wear and has an attractive 'rosy' oxidation developing. Inside, the sunburst champagne dial exhibits patina from age throughout, with darkened Tritium plots and applied 'doorstop' indices at the 6 & 9 o'clock positions, which are complimented by a correct 'obelisk' handset.

These small details amount to, we think, a very special and elegant wearing experience — particularly when worn on a leather strap.

Yellow Gold 1963 36mm
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"As collectors themselves, Oliver and Clarke are on a mission to make buying vintage watches as painless as possible."

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From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.

Oliver & Clarke