Rolex Day-Date

Why We Love It The Rolex Day-Date "President' is arguably the most important dress watch in history. Worn as an accessory with a fine bespoke suit or with jeans and a t-shirt, a solid gold Rolex might just change the way you think about precious metal wristwatches. And going with a true icon, worn by everyone from President Eisenhower to Tony Soprano, makes the idea of adding a little extra shine to your wardrobe that much more compelling. This particular Reference 1803 is finished in solid 18k yellow gold and features a not commonly seen champagne 'doorstop' dial with matching obelisque handset, a magnified acrylic crystal, and a fluted 18k yellow gold bezel. Spared the fate of so many 1803s, this particular Day-Date shows light signs of wear and no signs of over-polishing with thick, sharp lugs and deep hallmarks. This is quite simply a lovely example of one of our favorite vintage Rolex references. When only a gold watch will do - meetings with heads of state or the heads of the Five Families - a Day-Date is always the right choice.  The Story When you’ve got a good thing going, sometimes you just know. Such is the case with the Rolex Day-Date. At the time of the Day-Date’s release in 1956, it was Rolex’s most complicated wristwatch: all previous attempts had failed to resonate with consumers. But as soon as Rolex secured the patent in July of 1955, production of the Day-Date was rushed for a debut at the Basel Fair the following spring. Although early Day-Dates were plagued by technical problems resulting from the complexity of the automatic movement with dual calendar function, those were soon resolved. After President Eisenhower sported one (a gift from the manufacture), its success was secured. The watch came to be known as the “President,” (due to the fact that several U.S. presidents since Eisenhower have worn one), and it certainly lives up to its dignified nickname. For a brand that has built its reputation on its sports watches, it's perhaps unsurprising that the Rolex Day-Date is amongst the brand's best-sellers. True, the brand has always produced dress watches, but while the brand's more overt dress watch, the Cellini, often seems out of place among the brand's Oyster-cased offerings, the Day-Date is sturdy, solid, and at home alongside the Submariners and GMTs that make up the Oyster Perpetual collection. Rolex has approached continual development of model as they do every other, making quiet improvements over the following decades, ensuring the Day-Date is worthy as the centerpiece of Rolex's Oyster line as horological technology evolves.