Rolex
Day-Date 36 Stella Dial 18k Rose Gold 1803

Our Opinion

The Rolex Day-Date was launched in 1956 and has served as the brand's flagship status watch ever since. Available only in precious metals, it was not the affordable sports piece Rolex were known for. In fact, the watches were somewhat heavy on a solid gold bracelet and, if bling were a term used back then, pretty blingy.

This example reference 1803 was first sold to market in circa 1975. It contains a calibre 1556 movement, benefiting from the hacking seconds feature introduced in 1972. The watch features a fluted bezel, applied gold hour markers, white day and date wheels, and an oxblood dial.

The dial colour in this particular piece is what makes the watch so chased-after and is known as a “Stella Dial”. This nickname refers to the watch’s eye-catching colour, which is far more vibrant than the average white or black of the time. It’s not clear where the name originates but rumoured to affiliate with the brightness of the dials, or perhaps the artist Frank Stella. A bright and ostentatious palette of colours were chosen for distribution mainly to the middle east by Rolex during this production run of a few years. This particular colour is more sought after than most and its colour name is still widely dispute between Oxblood and Maroon. Most veer towards Oxblood, as it was mentioned in Rolex advertising at the time. The type of dial is also referred to as “pie-pan” indicating that the dial steps down visibly around the perimeter, lowering the minute track on a slant.

The watch is in overall exemplary condition with some signs of careful polishing and watchmakers witness marks inside the caseback. The inside caseback is stamped Montres Rolex S.A and appropriately 1803. The watch comes on a brown suede strap and a Rolex presentation box.