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Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803 - Satin Blue Dial Unpolished

SOLD

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 1978, is a superb example finished in solid white gold. The case and matching white gold 'President' bracelet are unpolished and both show normal signs of wear throughout  and visible factory finishing with one small blemish on the top edge of the left case profile just left of center. The 'fluted' white gold bezel is also likely-unpolished and shows matching normal wear. The real treat with this particular Day-Date, however, is the stunning and exceedingly rare satin blue dial housed inside the case. Rarity aside, the condition resembles a dial that was just produced. It is virtually-flawless with no signs of degradation or wear around the indices or date aperture, and has fully-intact Tritium plots — all of which show a light, even patina throughout — and the Tritium handset matches perfectly.

This 'elevated' piece remains very much under-the-radar and is a phenomenal example of an icon with a splash of color. And while you're unlikely to see another in the wild, you should probably tip your hat at that person.

White Gold 1978 Unpolished 36mm

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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