Rolex Day-Date 1803 'Stella'

Alongside the yellow coloured Stella dial, the Lilac is perhaps the most coveted and sought-after.

The Rolex design team must’ve been dabbling into psychedelic drugs when they came up with the funky Stella dials for their flagship model. These dials weren’t particularly popular. After all, you had to be a gentleman (or lady) of considerable means to be able to afford a Day-Date and it was unlikely that a person of that stature would wear a watch with such a loud dial. As a result, not many were made; and by now you should know that this is a parameter collectors value highly.

The name derives from the supplier of the lacquer: a Swiss company called Stella S.A. Interestingly enough, “Stella dial” isn’t merely a nickname, Rolex themselves also labelled it as “Lacquered Stella” in internal documents, such as master catalogues. Eventhough the gloss and richness in pigment might remind you of enamel, the proces of creating this surface is way less artisanal and therefore suitable to produce on a bigger scale. Yet, it did require some craftmanship. Firstly, the paint was mixed by hand, hence there is so much variety in tones. If you compare seemingly similar hues side by side, chances are they all differ slightly from one another. "Lilac" happens to be one of the rarest varieties among the various colours. Only four are known to exist on 4-digit reference Day-Dates.

The application of the varnish to the metal baseplate is done by a highly trained professional, operating a spray gun. To give the vibrancy these dials are known for and to increase durability, many layers have to be applied. This is quite time consuming, as each coating needs to dry off before it can receive a new one. The last being a transparant layer to seal it, which is then polished by hand. We are excited to conclude this dial features absolutely no flaws whatsoever, the surface remains pristine and the black graphics are unimpaired. The attractive aesthetics of the glossy and thick lacquer is also greatly enjoyed at the edge of the day and date aperture. Especially during this first-generation Stella dial you can see a Bathtub-like effect here. Moreover, the tritium luminous compound in the hands and the plots have turned to a beautiful creamy color and are all intact with exception of the one at the one o'clock marker.

Produced in 1976 and almost 40 years later it was sold for the second time as it rightfully claimed a spot as a top-lot in Phillips 'Glamorous Day-Date" Auction. In the build-up it has been featured in Pucci Papaleo's literature dubbed as "Purple Rose". His Day-Date book shows the allure of Rolex' flagship model and this 1803 being exemplary. To emphasise how heralded this exact watch is: In 2021, A Collected Man wrote an article on Stella dials and used this piece in the header. Lastly, Revolution watches also published it a year prior with a close-up of the dial in their 'Stella revolution' bit. However, on these occasions it is pictured with an aftermarket-finished bracelet.

If you got bored of the conservative and pragmatically designed Rolex wristcompanions; look into the diversity this vivid depiction of the Day-Dates has to offer. This wilder side of Rolex has proven itself, over the last couple years, to be very captivating to collect. We are thrilled to have this in Amsterdam and in full glory, with a period correct Jubilee bracelet; matching the strong condition of the case. A well-preserved and frequently covered collectors item one might kill for.