118
Rolex
Ref. 1803
Day-Date “Stella”
An exceptionally rare and very attractive white gold wristwatch with burgundy “Stella” dial, day, date, and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
• Rare and very well-preserved burgundy/oxblood “Stella dial
• Very rare and attractive combination with 18K white gold case
Since the emergence of the Day-Date in 1956, Rolex has continuously surprised the world with an assortment of unprecedented variations of the model. The timepiece was the first to feature the day of the week fully spelled out in an aperture at 12 o’clock, with the date aperture at 3 o’clock. The reference 1803 was released in 1959 and remained in production until 1977.
The introduction of the colorful lacquered Stella dials in the 1970s was Rolex’s first adventurous take on a more playful and eccentric facet hidden behind the brand. The present Day-Date reference 1803 is a wonderfully elegant example featuring an oxblood lacquered dial encased in 18k white gold with a coordinating white gold President bracelet.
The “Stella” name is derived from the company name of the former supplier of Rolex’s lacquer and varnishes. Ironically, these unconventional dials were unappreciated at the time and batches were allegedly destroyed, thus resulting in the scarcity that remain. The present example features a rare and desirable configuration with burgundy/oxblood “Stella” dial. Brilliant, lacquered “Stella” dials were produced for over a decade in a range of powerful colors, including green, turquoise, orange, yellow, and tobacco. The extraordinary color is beautifully framed by the white gold case and bracelet providing for a mesmerizing result along with beautifully preserved luminous material and lacquer.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded 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.