Rolex Day-Date 1803 'Stella'

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Rolex’ dial designers in the 1970s must’ve been dabbling into psychedelic drugs when they came up with the funky-coloured Stella dials for the luxurious Day-Date.During the 1970s and 1980s Rolex offered brightly coloured lacquered dials, nicknamed ‘Stella’ by Italian collectors, as an option for the Day-Date. This option wasn’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 rock a gold watch with such a loud, dare we say gaudy, dial. As a result, Stella dial Day-Dates are very collectible nowadays.This ref. 1803 execution from 1976 sports a bright blue lacquer dial, which we’ve previously dubbed the ‘Smurf’. It’s only the third blue stella we’ve ever had the pleasure of selling. The dial is in spotless condition, with black text and creamy lume dots. Day-Dates are usually delivered on a President bracelet. However, the original owner ordered a rare 18k gold mesh bracelet to go with this watch. The mesh is of exceptional quality, thick but incredibly comfortable at the same time.

Introduction

Rolex Day-DateIn 1956, Rolex introduced one the most iconic watches ever made: the Day-Date. The Day-Date was the first waterproof self-winding chronometer certified wristwatch with a day and date function. And to top it off, it was only available in gold or platinum! Rolex also designed a new three-link bracelet, known as the ‘President,’ to pair with this special watch. With exception of the most modern executions, the Day-Date comes exclusively in a 36mm case.Ref. 18XXA new era dawned for the Day-Date when the earliest references (65xx & 66xx) were replaced by the 18xx series in 1959, which contained the cal. 1555 and later the cal. 1556 movement.  The 18xx Day-Date was produced with a wide variety of dial colors and configurations. Characteristic for this era is the so-called ‘Pie-Pan’ dial that looks like an upside-down pie-pan (a concentric ring that slopes down from the flat centre).The last two digits of the 18xx references indicate the type of bezel or the bezel/case decoration:

  • Ref. 1802: Domed/polished bezel
  • Ref. 1803: Fluted bezel
  • Ref. 1804: Diamond-set bezel (and dial)
  • Ref. 1806: Florentine-finish bezel and case
  • Ref. 1807: Bark bezel
  • Ref. 1811: Engraved (Morellis or Moiré) bezel and case

Specifications

Shipping

We offer complimentary worldwide shipping by insured courier. Packages are generally dispatched within 2 days after receipt of payment and are shipped by private courier, PostNL, FedEx or Ferrari group; depending the value and destination. Consult us if you prefer another method of shipping. For all destinations tracking is available.