Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803 - Non-Luminous 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 matching solid gold bracelet (called a 'President' bracelet), but also on a leather strap like the example that we have here.
This Reference 1803 dates to circa 1970 and comes to us in absolutely fantastic overall condition. The case remains unpolished, with thick and symmetrical lugs at all four corners and factory finishing visible throughout. It shows light signs of wear with an attractive 'rosy' oxidation developing across the piece, including on the 'fluted' yellow gold bezel. Inside the sunburst champagne dial is in equally fantastic condition, seemingly-flawless in fact, with no signs of wear or damage visible. The finishing remains vibrant the the text crisp. This is also an uncommon non-luminous unit, free of any luminous elements and has the correct non-luminous handset to match.
Particularly when worn on a leather strap, a classic yellow gold Day-Date lends itself to a very special and elegant wearing experience while still flying under the radar.
Condition Report & Details
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Every Oliver & Clarke timepiece comes with a one-year mechanical warranty starting from the date of delivery. We ensure all watches are in wonderful working condition and are ready for daily wear. Many have been fully serviced by our team of watchmakers.
Please note:
- Due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, they may not keep time as accurately as when new, nor as precisely as quartz or electronic devices.
- We do not guarantee water resistance and do not warranty against moisture or water damage. Deliberate exposure to water or steam is not recommended.
Warranty Exclusions:
- Internal or external damage caused by accidents, mishandling, abuse, modifications, or services performed by anyone other than our authorized personnel.
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- We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise stated.
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