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Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803 - Salmon Stella Dial

SOLD

Straight Facts

When the Day-Date was released in 1956, it was the only complicated Rolex for sale. Hard to believe, but people didn’t want Rolex’s previous attempts at complicated wristwatches. All of that changed when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was spotted wearing the Rolex, and the watch became known as ‘The President’. An internationally known symbol of success and prestige, the Rolex Day-Date was available for many years on a strap or matching solid gold bracelet.

However, this is no ordinary ‘President’

The present watch has an elusive dial that is part of a family known as “Stella Dials.” Although the history isn’t conclusive, it is believed that the dials were named after the famous artist Frank Stella to honor his vibrant paintings or possibly named after the Latin word for star which is also “Stella.” These dials are as rare as they are beautiful. They were produced for a very limited time, in part due to the complexity of these dials. They were handmade by artisans who painstakingly applied many layers of lacquer, which give these dials their iconic depth. The process was so complex, that many dials cracked during manufacturing leading to their rarity. The present example features a salmon or pink colored Stella dial, which is among the rarest and most attractive ever fitted to one of these watches.

Dial aside, the present watch is in outstanding condition, featuring a strong case and a very tight hidden clasp presidential bracelet, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting.

Yellow Gold 1973 Automatic Dress

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

"The company focuses on good prices for its pieces, elite customer service and full transparency."

"The appointment-only space is inviting, with comfortable seating areas and exposed brick walls."

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

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