Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1977 Reference No: 1803 Case No: 5'107'722 Model Name: Day-Date Material: 18k gold Calibre: Automatic, 1556 Bracelet/Strap: Rolex President, end links stamped 53 Clasp/Buckle: Concealed deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter Signed:Movement, dial, case and bracelet signed Accessories: Punched Rolex guarantee and product literature. Literature: The present lot is illustrated in Day Date, The Presidential Rolex by Pucci Papaleo, Spin Edizioni
Catalogue Essay
The combination of the close to perfect condition and its important yellow “Stella” dial renders this awesome yellow gold Day-Date manufactured in 1977 the ultimate dream watch for any collector. The lacquer coated “Stella” dial exhibits a highly rare yellow colour, featuring black graphics and baton hour markers .
The denomination “Lacquered Stella” was given by Rolex and matched to the coloured versions of enamel dials sported by Day-Date models. These dials were produced in small numbers out of catalogue and were made available when requested from retailers. Amongst all colors, the present yellow would appear to be the rarest.
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.