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898

Rolex

Ref. 1803

Day-Date

A very fine and rare yellow gold wristwatch with center seconds, day, date, red “Stella” dial and bracelet

Estimate
HK$150,000 - 250,000
€16,600 - 27,700
$19,200 - 32,100
HK$441,000
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Rolex
Year
Circa 1976
Reference No
1803
Movement No
DD974’564
Case No
4’211’888, inside caseback stamped 1803
Model Name
Day-Date
Material
18K yellow gold
Calibre
Automatic, cal. 1556, 26 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
18K yellow gold Rolex President bracelet, max length 165mm
Clasp/Buckle
18K yellow gold Rolex concealed folding clasp
Dimensions
36mm diameter
Signed
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex Day-Date Stella has long been a collector’s favorite since its debut in the 1970s. Admired by many due to its fruitful offering of various vibrant colors that consists of almost every spectrum in the color wheel, these special lacquered dials further enhances its appeal setting itself apart from others alike with its vivacious glossy luster. Today, Day-Dates featuring these rare and exciting dials are among some of the most sought-after and collectible examples in the vintage scene.

Launched during the 1970s via the already coveted ref. 1803, these colorful dials were manufactured by a company called Stella based in Châtelaine and Geneva, the firm supplied Rolex’s dial makers at the period with special types of lacquer that resulted in the name it proudly deserves. In production for about a decade, Stella dials has been known to be offered in various hues of the colors it incorporated due to the fact that over the course of its production of these dials, the colors were hand mixed and hence varied in consistency, making them today one of the most interesting dials to collect as some differ from one another.

The present example Rolex Day-Date ref. 1803 with an attractive pinkish red “Stella” dial from circa 1976 in yellow gold is an exciting example. Boasting an exhilarating contrast between the yellow gold case against the vigorous glossy red dial, it is perhaps the perfect weekend watch for the lively collector of tasteful vintage timepieces. Offered in attractive overall condition with a clean and flawless dial, the present example will surely impress the community of dedicated collectors of vintage Rolex timepieces.

Rolex

Swiss | 1905
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
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