Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803 - Early Salmon 'Claw' Dial
When the Day-Date was released in 1956, it was the only complicated Rolex for sale. Hard to believe, but after numerous References and attempts to capture the market with more complicated timepieces, it seemed like buyers were not particularly fond of Rolex’s previous attempts at complicated wristwatches. 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.
The Day-Date has only ever been made in precious metals, with yellow gold not only being by for the most common, but also the most synonymous with the the Day-Date's colloquial nickname: The President. It was also produced in both rose and white gold, as well as platinum, with all examples being offered on a leather strap, or on a bracelet (called a 'President' bracelet), like the example that we have here.
White gold Day-Dates, while not outright rare, are uncommon. At a glance, they look like a steel watch — not nearly as eye-catching as its yellow gold siblings. These pieces epitomize the if you know, you know element in watches.
In the case of this piece (no pun intended), the dial further plays into that idea...
This particular white gold Reference 1803 from circa 1963 features a wildly rare, early dial. Known as a 'claw' dial for the shape of the applied indices, this example is further rarified by the color of the dial itself: a shade of pinkish-orange, or salmon. The dial itself is non-luminous and shows faint, uniform oxidation throughout and is hardly visible without a loupe. The 'claw' indices also exhibit light oxidation in some areas, and are complimented by a correct non-luminous 'obelisk' handset. The case shows signs of a light, thoughtful previous polishing, retaining symmetrical lugs and showing only light signs of wear throughout with no significant blemished or damage. The matching, though slightly later white gold President bracelet also exhibits a light previous polishing and light wear. This also piece retains a correct white gold crown, white gold 'fluted' bezel, and an English day disk within.
Salmon dials fitted within a white gold or platinum case are an elusive combination. Something about the combination is a horological home and is cherished within the collector community. This exceedingly rare configuration is one heck of looker — fit for a collector looking for something that you're unlikely to see in the wild. And if you do, well, you should probably tip you hat at that person.
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Shipping, Returns, & Warranty
At Oliver & Clarke, domestic shipping is on us! If you are international and require a quote – please feel free to reach out to us at info@oliverandclarke.com so we can get you squared away.
Returns (accepted within 3 days of initial delivery of your purchase) must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. For payments via Credit Card, a 5% restocking fee will be in place for any returns or cancellations in order to cover our processing fee. Of course, watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
If you happen to trade a watch with us, which we welcome, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
We back each Oliver & Clarke timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty starting at the date of first delivery. 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.
*Please note that due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, these machines may not run as accurately as they did when new, nor will any mechanical timepiece keep time as accurately as a quartz or electronic device.
We do not guarantee water resistance, thus do not warranty against moisture incursion or water damage.
*We also do not recommend deliberate exposure to water or worse - steam!
Our warranty is voided under the following circumstances:
- Internal or external damage caused by an accident, mishandling, abuse, modification, or handling/service performed by a third party individual other than one of our own.
Our warranty is non-transferable.
The Oliver & Clarke 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 prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.
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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.
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