|description=Reference guide to the Rolex Day-Date 1803, the fluted-bezel 4-digit President made from the late 1950s through the 1970s, with caliber, case, bracelet and dial notes.
|description=Reference guide to the Rolex Day-Date 1803: its production period, 1555 and 1556 movements, case, bracelet and documented dial variants.
|keywords=Rolex 1803, Day-Date, President, Stella, Stern, Buckley, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma, cal 1555, cal 1556, Nasser, LBJ, Khanjar, Tiffany double-signed
[[File:Ref 1803 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 1803, 36mm yellow-gold President with fluted bezel and champagne dial|Rolex Day-Date 1803 with fluted bezel and champagne dial.]]
[[File:Ref 1803 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date 1803 with fluted bezel and champagne dial|A yellow-gold 1803 with a champagne baton dial.]]
</div>
</div>
Reference 1803 is the fluted-bezel 4-digit Day-Date. Published references place its physical run in the late 1950s through 1977–78; Mondani's catalogue research places its catalogue appearance in 1961. It uses an acrylic crystal and the caliber 1555/1556 movement family.
The 1803 is the fluted-bezel version of the four-digit Day-Date. It has a 36 mm gold case, acrylic crystal and the day and date displays for which the line is named. Published dates vary: Monochrome gives 1959–1976, while Fratello and Sotheby’s place its introduction around 1960 and the transition to the 18038 in 1978.
Surviving examples show a wide dial range. Documented groups include silver and champagne batons, Buckley Roman numerals, Wide-Boy and Underline dials, Red Quarters and Sigma layouts, Stella lacquer, stone, gem-set and retailer-signed examples. The individual dial, case, bracelet and movement still need to be checked together; a dial name alone does not establish original delivery.
Surviving 1803s also appear with printed Roman-numeral Buckley dials, lacquered finishes, Sigma and linen surfaces, and special-order details. Collector guides and catalogues document these configurations; Rolex has not published production totals by dial.
==Core facts==
==Core facts==
Line 37:
Line 34:
| Day-Date
| Day-Date
|-
|-
| production
| date range
| 1959 (physical) / 1961 (catalogue) through 1977-78
| Around 1960 to 1977–78; published sources vary
|-
| run length
| About 18 years in the catalogue, with the exact production and clearance dates varying by source
|-
| movement
| caliber 1555 (1959 to c. 1965) → caliber 1556 (c. 1965 to end) with hacking added 1972
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 36mm 18k gold President; yellow-gold examples are most common, with white- and pink/rose-gold examples documented
| 36 mm, 18 ct gold; yellow, white and pink-gold examples are documented
|-
|-
| crystal
| bezel and crystal
| acrylic
| Fluted bezel; acrylic crystal
|-
|-
| bezel
| movement
| fluted
| Calibers 1555 and 1556; neither has quickset
|-
|-
| bracelet
| bracelet
| President bracelet; visible-clasp and concealed-clasp examples occur, and the correct end-link fit must be checked against the individual case
| President bracelet; clasp styles vary by period and example
|-
| dial families
| silver/champagne stick (volume) plus Buckley Roman, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma, Stella lacquer, stone, mother-of-pearl, diamond/gem-set, Tiffany/Asprey/Khanjar special branches
|-
| predecessor
| originals era 6510 / 6511 / 6611 / 6612 / 6612B
|-
|-
| successor
| successor
| 18038
| 18038, introduced in 1978
|}
|}
==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==
The 1803 is the fluted-bezel reference in the 4-digit Day-Date group. The earlier 65xx references preceded it; the 1804, 1806, 1807 and 1811 use different case or bezel finishes. The 1831 is a separate special-order platinum model, not a normal 1803 variant.
The 1803 belongs to the 1800-series Day-Date family. The 1802 has a smooth bezel, the 1804 a gem-set bezel, and the 1807 a bark finish. Fratello identifies the 1803 as the last Day-Date with a pie-pan dial; the 18038 that followed has a flatter dial and sapphire crystal.
The 1803 has a broad documented dial range, including Stella lacquer, Stern stone, Buckley Roman, Red Quarters and retailer-signed examples. Published counts for individual dial groups are estimates from surviving examples, not factory production totals.
The 1803 spans the caliber 1555 and 1556 generations. The 1555 is generally listed at 18,000 vph and 25 jewels; the 1556 at 19,800 vph and 26 jewels. Specialist and auction sources place hacking in the 1556 run around 1972, so the feature must be checked on the movement rather than inferred from the reference alone. The 1803 has no quickset; date and day advance by running the hands through midnight.
==Production outline==
==Production outline==
===Late 1959 production start, 1961 catalogue arrival===
The 1803 replaced the earlier four-digit Day-Date models around 1960. Its run ended as Rolex introduced the 18038 in 1978. The later reference brought a sapphire crystal and caliber 3055 with date quickset. The 1803 instead uses acrylic and requires the hands to pass midnight to advance the calendar.
Earliest cited 1803 case serials sit around 550,000 in the 1960 range. Mondani's printed-catalogue research places the first catalogue appearance in 1961, alongside the 1804 and 1806. A dealer record for a 1959 example suggests physical production may predate catalogue appearance; it is a dating lead, not a factory start record.
===1960s, Underline and Wide-Boy examples===
The movement changed from caliber 1555 to 1556 around the middle of the 1960s. Fratello and Monochrome date the addition of hacking seconds to 1972. Check the movement itself to establish whether an individual watch has the feature.
Early 1960s production carries a documented transitional Underline dial. The line under the SCOC text at six o'clock is associated with a change in luminous material as Rolex moved away from earlier compounds toward tritium. A 1963 Underline 1803 is documented in the specialist dealer record.
Wide-Boy is collector terminology for dials with oversized block indices and matching cigarette or wide-boy hands. Early examples are documented in the 1960s, while later watches, including a 1970 yellow-gold example sold by Phillips in 2015 (lot CH080515/215), are also described with the term. The surviving records do not establish a single production window or total. Non-luminous Japanese-market examples are one documented branch.
===Mid-1960s, caliber transition and Buckley arrival===
The cal 1555 transitions to cal 1556 around 1965. The change brings 19,800 vph and 26 jewels but no hacking; hacking arrives in 1972. The Buckley dial enters production in this window, printed Roman numerals on lacquered ground in champagne, silver, white, blue, grey and "olive grey" variants. The name comes from New York vintage dealer John Buckley, who collected them when the market did not. Oliver & Clarke describe thinner Buckley executions as a separate sub-variant.
===Late 1960s, Red Quarters and clasp evolution===
The Red Quarters dial, an Arabic minute track with red 15/30/45/60 numerals, runs from the late 1960s through the early 1970s. Most surfaced examples are yellow gold; pink-gold examples also appear. The public record is too small to rank Red Quarters by production or survival count.
Bracelet fitment changes during the run. Auction and collector records show both visible-clasp and concealed-clasp President bracelets on 1803 examples; the bracelet reference and end links must be checked against the case. A clasp date dates the bracelet, not the watch head.
Stella lacquered dials appear on 1803 examples from the 1970s. Secondary sources use the name for a broad palette, including red, pink, yellow, blue and green tones, but a complete factory colour list and per-colour production count have not been established. “Stella” is collector shorthand; the dial, case and paperwork still need to be assessed as one set.
Stone dials attributed to Stern Frères or Stern Création occur in materials including onyx, lapis lazuli, malachite, tiger's eye, jasper, bloodstone, coral and jade. The longer material list and the often-repeated cutting-waste percentage come from secondary sources and should be treated as examples, not a complete Rolex specification. A platinum case or unusual stone pairing needs direct case and dial evidence.
Hacking seconds were added to the 1556 in 1972. Caliber 1556 examples produced before that change do not hack; later examples may have the feature, subject to movement inspection.
===Mid-1970s, Sigma transitional===
The Sigma dial carries small σ σ flanking T SWISS T at the bottom, an industry-wide convention from c. 1973 indicating solid-gold applied indices. Sigma is a transitional 1970s feature found on later 1803 production. The 1976 final-year café-au-lait with white pad-printing, the printing fading at certain angles, closes the run with another short-term dial idiom.
===1977-1978, end of run===
Some serial charts place late examples around 5.8 million by 1978. The 5-digit 18038 followed with sapphire crystal, caliber 3055 and a date quickset. Catalogue and physical end dates are not identical, so a serial alone should not be used to assign the final 1803 year.
==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==
The caliber 1555 (1959 to c. 1965) is the early Day-Date specification: 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz), 25 jewels, 42-hour power reserve, free-sprung Microstella balance with Breguet overcoil, no hacking, no quickset, day-and-date complications via the 1055-derived architecture.
The 1555 is generally dated to the early part of the 1803 run and the 1556 to the later part. Published movement references give the 1555 18,000 beats per hour and 25 jewels, and the 1556 19,800 beats per hour and 26 jewels. Both are automatic day-date movements. The 1803 has no quickset function; the date and weekday advance as the hands pass midnight.
The caliber 1556 (c. 1965 to end) is the longer-run movement. 19,800 vph (2.75 Hz), one frequency step up. 26 jewels, one more than the 1555. 42-hour power reserve. 28.50mm diameter. Free-sprung Microstella balance and Breguet overcoil carry over from the 1555. The 1972 revision added hacking seconds; pre-change examples do not hack. Quickset never arrives on the 1803; date and day advance only by running the hands through midnight.
The Day-Date was sold as a chronometer line, but the certification and service history of an individual movement belong to that watch's papers and inspection. Service intervals are maintenance guidance, not a dating feature.
Monochrome dates hacking seconds to 1972 within the 1556 run. That is a useful production guide, not a substitute for inspection: movements can be replaced or serviced, and sources do not establish a precise serial cutoff.
==Dial map==
==Dial map==
The 1803 has a wide documented dial range. The catalogue below records variants that appear in auction material, print references and specialist research.
===Baton and Roman-numeral dials===
===Production-volume dials===
Silver and champagne baton dials are common in surviving examples. The pie-pan edge slopes down toward the minute track; the 18038 that followed uses a flatter dial. Buckley is collector usage for a dial with large printed Roman numerals, usually on a light or gold-toned ground. Sotheby’s documents white and gold examples as well as less common black and blue versions. The name is associated with New York dealer John Buckley, not a Rolex model designation.
Silver and champagne stick indices on a pie-pan profile. The 1803 is the last Day-Date to carry the pie-pan dial; the 18038 moves to flat. Sunburst, satin, and matte finishes appear within both colour families. Dauphine hands on the earliest production transition to alpha hands on later 1803s.
===Wide-Boy and Underline examples===
===Wide-Boy examples===
Wide-Boy is a collector term for broad applied markers paired with matching hands. Christie’s catalogued a circa-1971 1803 with this dial. The lot confirms the configuration, but does not date its full production run.
Oversized block indices paired with cigarette / wide-boy hands. Early examples are documented in the 1960s, and later watches are also described with the collector term; Phillips Geneva lot CH080515/215 is a 1970 yellow-gold example sold in 2015. The surviving records do not establish a single production window or total. Non-luminous Japanese-market examples are one documented branch.
===Underline (early 1960s, 1963 documented)===
Craft & Tailored documents an underline on a 1963 1803. Collectors sometimes read the mark as evidence of a lume change, but the commonly cited Hodinkee discussion concerns Submariner dials and does not establish that interpretation for the 1803.
Transitional luminous-material marker under the SCOC text, a chemistry-transition indicator. Genuine Underline 1803s carry the line printed during a specific lume-compound shift; aftermarket re-prints are common and need authentication against original-lume same-batch documentation.
===Lacquered dials===
===Buckley Roman (c. 1965 onward)===
Collectors often call brightly colored lacquer dials Stella. Phillips catalogued a coral example in 2017 and a yellow lacquer dial in 2015; Christie’s recorded an Oman-commissioned burgundy example circa 1974. Revolution discusses early Stella dials in both pie-pan and flat forms, with overlapping periods rather than a clean changeover. The surviving records do not provide a complete color list or factory total.
Printed Roman numerals on lacquered ground, in champagne, silver, white, blue, grey, and olive grey variants. Named for New York vintage dealer John Buckley. Thin-Buckley dials are a documented sub-variant per Oliver & Clarke. The Buckley is a recurring non-special 1803 dial family in the auction and specialist record.
[[File:Ref 1803 coral stella phillips.webp|thumb|right|220px|A coral lacquer dial on a Phillips-catalogued 1803, Geneva Watch Auction FIVE, lot 18, 2017.]]
===Red Quarters (late 1960s through early 1970s)===
The term Stella is collector usage. A dial's color and nickname do not establish that it left the factory in that case.
Arabic minute track with red 15/30/45/60 numerals. Yellow-gold examples dominate the surfaced record, with pink-gold examples also documented. A Red Quarters 1803 is documented in the Rolex Passion Market named-collector archive.
===Linen and Sigma dials===
===Sigma (c. 1973 transitional)===
Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-1974 1803 with a linen-textured pie-pan dial and Sigma marks flanking the six-o’clock text. Fratello describes the pie-pan dial as the 1803’s defining dial shape; the Sotheby’s lot records the linen and Sigma combination on one watch.
Small σ σ flanking T SWISS T at six o'clock. Industry-wide convention from c. 1973 indicating solid-gold applied indices. Sigma is a late-1803 transitional feature, not a stand-alone variant.
===Retailer signatures and Oman orders===
===Linen / textured===
Sotheby's catalogued a 1973 yellow-gold 1803 retailed by Tiffany & Co., with both names on the dial. That is a retailer signature on a specific watch, not a separate Rolex reference.
Fabric-like surface pattern in silver or champagne. Scarce. Period-correct production but uncommon in surfaced examples.
Christie's records two Oman-related 1803s with different details. A circa-1973 yellow-gold example carries a green Khanjar emblem and Arabic calendar discs. A circa-1974 watch retailed by Asprey has a burgundy lacquer dial, diamond numerals and Arabic day and date displays. These are distinct documented configurations; the Asprey watch shows why a retailer stamp or regional calendar should be described from the individual record rather than generalized to every Oman commission.
Christie’s also catalogued a circa-1968 white-gold 1803 with a Tapisserie dial, Eastern Arabic numerals and Arabic day/date displays. The catalogue identifies that exact configuration; it does not establish a separate production family.
===Stella lacquered (c. 1970s)===
Secondary sources attribute the lacquered dials to Stella S.A. of Châtelaine, Geneva. They appear on 1803 examples from roughly the 1970s; no factory count by reference or colour has been established.
The documented palette includes red, pink, lilac, yellow, orange, turquoise, green and blue examples. These names are collector usage and the surviving examples do not establish a complete factory colour list. A 1970s 1803 with a canary-yellow dial appears in the Phillips catalogue; its estimate belongs in the auction record, not as a general value for the colour.
Other unusual faces appear in individual records. Christie’s catalogued a circa-1970 1803 with a brushed slate-grey pie-pan dial and gold Arabic numerals on the outer minute track. The record supports that watch’s configuration; it does not make slate grey a standard dial family.
Stone dials attributed to Stern Frères or Stern Création occur in materials including onyx, lapis lazuli, malachite, tiger's eye, jasper, bloodstone, coral and jade. The longer material list and the often-repeated cutting-waste percentage come from secondary sources and should be treated as examples, not a complete Rolex specification.
The case measures 36 mm across and is made in gold. Published examples include yellow, white and pink gold; Christie’s lots document pink-gold 1803s from circa 1967 and 1971. The 1803 has a fluted bezel and acrylic crystal. Case condition and metal marks should be assessed on the individual watch; polished cases can lose definition at the lugs and bezel.
Unusual stone-and-metal combinations need direct case and dial evidence. A platinum case or a dial normally associated with another reference should be treated as a lead until the individual watch is documented.
The bezel distinguishes the standard 1803 from related four-digit versions such as the smooth-bezel 1802 and gem-set-bezel 1804. A bezel or dial swap can change the present configuration, so the reference number alone does not prove that every component left the factory together.
===Diamond and gem-set===
==Bracelet and clasp==
Pavé, baguette-indices, and mixed-cut configurations. Factory examples often pair with the 1804 sub-reference's diamond bezel. Baton-and-diamond Buckley-adjacent 1803 dials exist, including the "Break Point" 1803 (Pucci Papaleo), a pink-gold 1962 example with baton pink-gold indexes alternating with round-cut diamonds at the 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 positions. Aftermarket gem-setting is common in the market record; factory gem-set examples need watch-specific paperwork or other direct evidence.
Published 1803 examples appear on President bracelets; Phillips also catalogued a coral-dial 1803 on a Jubilee bracelet. These records describe individual watches, not a universal delivery specification. Record bracelet and end-link numbers, clasp marks and the watch serial separately. A clasp date dates the bracelet component, not the watch head; it cannot alone establish original delivery.
Wood-marquetry dials appear in the late 1970s, more common on the 18038 than the 1803. The doorstop dial (collector-coined for thick sharp-edged baton indices on certain non-luminous 1803s, particularly Japanese-market) and the grey ghost (a specialist-coined term for a specific grey 1803 dial in pink gold) are micro-variants. The 1976 final-year café-au-lait with white pad-printing that fades at certain angles closes the run with another short-term idiom.
Sotheby’s catalogued an 1803 associated with Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. The caseback is engraved with a reference to Anwar El Sadat and the date 26 September 1963. This is an unusually well-documented individual watch, not a production variant.
===Tropical===
Black or brown dials aging to chocolate or olive across the run. The dye chemistry of 1960s lacquers oxidises unevenly. Genuine factory-tropical examples, as opposed to sun-faded original-black, require same-batch documentation.
===Day-disc language variants===
Day discs appear in multiple languages. The exact number available at one time is not established here. Language, wheel font and case markings should be checked together because day wheels can be replaced during service.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 1803 wideboy phillips.webp|1803 Wide-Boy — oversized applied baton markers and matching "cigarette" hands. Phillips Geneva lot CH080515/215.
File:Ref 1803 coral stella phillips.webp|1803 coral Stella — Phillips Geneva Watch Auction FIVE, lot 18, May 2017.
</gallery>
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==
The 1803 case is 36mm in diameter, approximately 12-13mm thick, 44mm lug-to-lug, with a 20mm lug width. Three-piece construction (case, screw-down crown, screw-down caseback) with a Twinlock screw-down crown carrying the two-dot crown marking on the gold variants.
The caseback is screw-down and stamped internally with "1803" plus quarter-year Roman-numeral lot codes that date the caseback's manufacturing run, not the watch's final assembly date. Coronet engraving on the caseback evolves subtly across the eighteen years, sharper and more upright on later production. Outer casebacks are plain gold on civilian examples.
The 18k yellow-gold case is the common configuration. White- and pink/rose-gold examples are documented but less often seen. Metal attribution should come from the case marks and the individual lot; collector rarity language is not a production count.
The fluted bezel identifies the 1803 within the decorated 4-digit group. The 1804, 1807 and 1811 use different finishes; unusual combinations require case-number and movement evidence.
==Bracelet, end-links, clasp==
Documented 1803s appear on both visible-clasp and concealed-clasp President bracelets. The bracelet reference, end links and clasp date should be recorded separately from the watch head. A 55B end-link or 8385 bracelet does not, by itself, prove original delivery on a particular 1803.
Hollow centre links occur on period bracelets. A clasp date dates the bracelet, and a later code can reflect replacement or a later fitting rather than a changed watch reference.
Jubilee fitment is reported on some 1803 examples, but the surfaced record is too thin to call it a normal delivery configuration. Treat it as a watch-specific claim.
==Auction record==
==Auction record==
The table records examples that anchor the reference's provenance and dial variants. Auction results and estimates stay with the individual lots; they are not general prices for every 1803.
Auction descriptions and prices below refer to the listed examples only.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 212:
Line 125:
! date
! date
! house / lot
! house / lot
! configuration
! catalogued example
! result
! result or estimate
|-
|-
| 6 Dec 2024
| 6 Dec 2024
| [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2 Sotheby's New York Important Watches]
| [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2/reference-1803-day-date-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby’s, Important Watches]
| Gamal Abdel Nasser 1803, yellow gold, Arabic day and date discs, caseback engraved for Anwar El Sadat
| Nasser-associated yellow-gold 1803 with Arabic day and date discs; caseback engraving references Anwar El Sadat
| USD 840,000 result; estimate USD 30,000–60,000
| Sold for USD 840,000; estimate USD 30,000–60,000
|-
| n/a
| Heritage Auctions, lot 54041 (sale 5515)
| Lyndon B. Johnson 1803, yellow gold; provenance supplied by the LBJ family
| Result not disclosed in the cited entry
|-
| 2023
| Sotheby's collector guide reference
| Tom Landry 1803 yellow gold
| USD 88,900
|-
|-
| 8 May 2015
| 8 May 2015
| Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Geneva, lot 6
| [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/6 Phillips, Glamorous Day-Date, lot 6]
| 1970s yellow-gold 1803 with canary-yellow lacquered dial
| Yellow-gold 1803 with a yellow lacquer dial
| Estimate CHF 50,000–100,000
| Estimate CHF 35,000–70,000; sold for CHF 112,500
|-
|-
| 8 May 2015
| 8 May 2015
| Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Geneva, lot 49
| [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/49 Phillips, Glamorous Day-Date, lot 49]
| 1969 left-crown 1803 with chocolate-brown lacquered dial
| White-gold 1803 with left-side crown and brown dial; the catalogue calls the configuration possibly unique
| Estimate CHF 50,000–100,000
| Estimate CHF 50,000–100,000; sold for CHF 123,750
|-
|-
| Pucci Papaleo, ''Day-Date: The Presidential Rolex''
| 13 May 2017
| Publication record
| [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080117/18 Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction FIVE, lot 18]
| 1974 pink-gold 1803 stone-dial
| Circa-1972 yellow-gold 1803 with coral lacquer dial
| CHF 167,000
| Sold for CHF 27,500
|-
| n/a
| Specialist-dealer listing
| White-gold 1803 with blue lacquered dial, Khimji Ramdas and Asprey marks
| Asking price, not an auction result
|-
| n/a
| Sotheby's Important Watches N09952/7
| Tiffany & Co.-signed 1803 yellow gold, 1973
| Published lot reference; result not stated here
|-
| 2020
| Sotheby's Watches Weekly Geneva
| Yellow-gold diamond-set 1803 c. 1970, factory gem-set
| Published lot reference; result not stated here
|}
|}
Colour, case metal, originality and provenance all affect the market. The cited lots above are examples, not a price guide.
==Related references==
==Notable owners and the "President" advertising nickname==
Lyndon B. Johnson is documented with a yellow-gold Day-Date. The connection helped popularize the later “President” nickname, but the exact advertising chronology is not established by the auction entries alone.
Sotheby's collector guide lists Gamal Abdel Nasser, Tom Landry, Jack Nicklaus, Chris Evert and Andy Warhol among 1803 wearers. The Nasser lot carries the Sadat-to-Nasser caseback engraving; its documented result is recorded in the auction table.
Phillips New York's 2019 catalogue identifies Marlon Brando's "Apocalypse Now" watch as a GMT-Master 1675, with the bezel removed on set and "M. Brando" hand-engraved on the caseback. It is not a documented 1803.
Eisenhower's documented Rolex is a yellow-gold Datejust ref. 6305 on a Jubilee bracelet, gifted in 1951. That predates the Day-Date, so it does not document an 1803 association.
John Lennon and 1803: no documented 1803 surfaces in the auction or specialist record for Lennon. Treat as unverified.
==Special branches and retailer signatures==
* [[Reference:6611|Day-Date 6611]]
* [[Reference:6612|Day-Date 6612]]
* [[Reference:6612B|Day-Date 6612B]]
* [[Reference:1802|Day-Date 1802]]
* [[Reference:1804|Day-Date 1804]]
* [[Reference:1807|Day-Date 1807]]
* [[Reference:18038|Day-Date 18038]]
===Tiffany & Co. double-signed===
See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet and clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
Production through the late 1970s. 1803 Tiffany examples come in yellow, rose and white gold, in both Buckley-style Roman-numeral and standard baton configurations. Sotheby's Important Watches lot N09952/7 (yellow gold, 1973) is one documented public lot. Demand varies with the dial, condition, paperwork and sale context.
===Asprey of London===
Primary conduit for Omani Khanjar 1803s. The Asprey crossed-swords stamp inside the caseback identifies the London-retail chain. On Omani examples the Asprey mark is often paired with Khimji Ramdas (KR) import marks for Muscat distribution.
===Khanjar Oman / Sultan Qaboos===
Crossed sheathed khanjar daggers, sometimes under a kuma hat, in red, white, green, or gold, the Omani flag colours. Commissioned through Sultan Qaboos bin Said (reigned 1970-2020). Qaboos signature dials (the Sultan's hand-printed signature) and Royal Oman Police insignia variants also appear. Sale results vary with the dial, metal, marks, provenance and condition; the surviving record does not support a fixed premium for every example.
===Saudi Khanjar / crossed swords===
Less common than Omani; ordered through similar diplomatic channels. Surfaces less frequently on the public market.
===Brazilian and Spanish-market day discs===
Period-correct retail commissions in Latin American and Iberian markets occasionally surface with native-language day discs (Portuguese, Spanish). Authenticated against same-period delivery documentation.
== Related references ==
* [[Reference:6611|Day-Date 6611]], 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6612|Day-Date 6612]], early President, 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6612B|Day-Date 6612B]], 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6510|Day-Date 6510]], 1956–1957
* [[Reference:6511|Day-Date 6511]], 1956–1957
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]], 1977–1988
See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 1803 wideboy phillips.webp|Wide-Boy 1803 — Phillips Geneva lot CH080515/215.
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-day-date-1956-present-president-watch-in-depth-review/ Monochrome, “The History of the Rolex Day-Date”]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-stella-revolution/ Revolution, “The Stella Revolution”]
* [https://www.phillips.com/ Phillips Watches Department, "Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Geneva May 2015 — Bart Simpson lot 6 + Left-Crown lot 49", Phillips, 2015-05-08]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/6 Phillips, Glamorous Day-Date, lot 6, 2015] and [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/49 lot 49]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's Watches Department, "Sotheby's New York Important Watches December 2024 — Nasser 1803", Sotheby's, 2024-12-06]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080117/18 Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction FIVE, lot 18, 13 May 2017]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6167004 Christie’s, slate-grey 1803 with gold Arabic minute numerals]
* [https://acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/the-colourful-world-of-rolex-stella-dials A Collected Man editorial, "The Colourful World of Rolex Stella Dials", A Collected Man]
* [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-rolex-a-fine-and-very-rare-18k-5841902/ Christie's, Asprey-retail 1803 with burgundy lacquer dial]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/watch-guide-rolex-stone-dials/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "Watch Guide: Rolex Stone Dials", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6202872 Christie’s, reference 1803 with Wide-Boy dial, circa 1971]
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/ Hairspring editorial, "Hairspring — Khanjar Oman 1803 White Gold Blue Stella", Hairspring]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2/reference-1803-day-date-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby’s, Nasser-associated 1803, 6 December 2024]
The 1803 is the fluted-bezel version of the four-digit Day-Date. It has a 36 mm gold case, acrylic crystal and the day and date displays for which the line is named. Published dates vary: Monochrome gives 1959–1976, while Fratello and Sotheby’s place its introduction around 1960 and the transition to the 18038 in 1978.
Surviving 1803s also appear with printed Roman-numeral Buckley dials, lacquered finishes, Sigma and linen surfaces, and special-order details. Collector guides and catalogues document these configurations; Rolex has not published production totals by dial.
Core facts
detail
value
reference
1803
family
Day-Date
date range
Around 1960 to 1977–78; published sources vary
case
36 mm, 18 ct gold; yellow, white and pink-gold examples are documented
bezel and crystal
Fluted bezel; acrylic crystal
movement
Calibers 1555 and 1556; neither has quickset
bracelet
President bracelet; clasp styles vary by period and example
successor
18038, introduced in 1978
Where it sits in the line
The 1803 belongs to the 1800-series Day-Date family. The 1802 has a smooth bezel, the 1804 a gem-set bezel, and the 1807 a bark finish. Fratello identifies the 1803 as the last Day-Date with a pie-pan dial; the 18038 that followed has a flatter dial and sapphire crystal.
Production outline
The 1803 replaced the earlier four-digit Day-Date models around 1960. Its run ended as Rolex introduced the 18038 in 1978. The later reference brought a sapphire crystal and caliber 3055 with date quickset. The 1803 instead uses acrylic and requires the hands to pass midnight to advance the calendar.
The movement changed from caliber 1555 to 1556 around the middle of the 1960s. Fratello and Monochrome date the addition of hacking seconds to 1972. Check the movement itself to establish whether an individual watch has the feature.
Movement notes
The 1555 is generally dated to the early part of the 1803 run and the 1556 to the later part. Published movement references give the 1555 18,000 beats per hour and 25 jewels, and the 1556 19,800 beats per hour and 26 jewels. Both are automatic day-date movements. The 1803 has no quickset function; the date and weekday advance as the hands pass midnight.
Monochrome dates hacking seconds to 1972 within the 1556 run. That is a useful production guide, not a substitute for inspection: movements can be replaced or serviced, and sources do not establish a precise serial cutoff.
Dial map
Baton and Roman-numeral dials
Silver and champagne baton dials are common in surviving examples. The pie-pan edge slopes down toward the minute track; the 18038 that followed uses a flatter dial. Buckley is collector usage for a dial with large printed Roman numerals, usually on a light or gold-toned ground. Sotheby’s documents white and gold examples as well as less common black and blue versions. The name is associated with New York dealer John Buckley, not a Rolex model designation.
Wide-Boy and Underline examples
Wide-Boy is a collector term for broad applied markers paired with matching hands. Christie’s catalogued a circa-1971 1803 with this dial. The lot confirms the configuration, but does not date its full production run.
Craft & Tailored documents an underline on a 1963 1803. Collectors sometimes read the mark as evidence of a lume change, but the commonly cited Hodinkee discussion concerns Submariner dials and does not establish that interpretation for the 1803.
Lacquered dials
Collectors often call brightly colored lacquer dials Stella. Phillips catalogued a coral example in 2017 and a yellow lacquer dial in 2015; Christie’s recorded an Oman-commissioned burgundy example circa 1974. Revolution discusses early Stella dials in both pie-pan and flat forms, with overlapping periods rather than a clean changeover. The surviving records do not provide a complete color list or factory total.
A coral lacquer dial on a Phillips-catalogued 1803, Geneva Watch Auction FIVE, lot 18, 2017.
The term Stella is collector usage. A dial's color and nickname do not establish that it left the factory in that case.
Linen and Sigma dials
Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-1974 1803 with a linen-textured pie-pan dial and Sigma marks flanking the six-o’clock text. Fratello describes the pie-pan dial as the 1803’s defining dial shape; the Sotheby’s lot records the linen and Sigma combination on one watch.
Retailer signatures and Oman orders
Sotheby's catalogued a 1973 yellow-gold 1803 retailed by Tiffany & Co., with both names on the dial. That is a retailer signature on a specific watch, not a separate Rolex reference.
Christie's records two Oman-related 1803s with different details. A circa-1973 yellow-gold example carries a green Khanjar emblem and Arabic calendar discs. A circa-1974 watch retailed by Asprey has a burgundy lacquer dial, diamond numerals and Arabic day and date displays. These are distinct documented configurations; the Asprey watch shows why a retailer stamp or regional calendar should be described from the individual record rather than generalized to every Oman commission.
Christie’s also catalogued a circa-1968 white-gold 1803 with a Tapisserie dial, Eastern Arabic numerals and Arabic day/date displays. The catalogue identifies that exact configuration; it does not establish a separate production family.
Other unusual faces appear in individual records. Christie’s catalogued a circa-1970 1803 with a brushed slate-grey pie-pan dial and gold Arabic numerals on the outer minute track. The record supports that watch’s configuration; it does not make slate grey a standard dial family.
Case, bezel, and crystal
The case measures 36 mm across and is made in gold. Published examples include yellow, white and pink gold; Christie’s lots document pink-gold 1803s from circa 1967 and 1971. The 1803 has a fluted bezel and acrylic crystal. Case condition and metal marks should be assessed on the individual watch; polished cases can lose definition at the lugs and bezel.
The bezel distinguishes the standard 1803 from related four-digit versions such as the smooth-bezel 1802 and gem-set-bezel 1804. A bezel or dial swap can change the present configuration, so the reference number alone does not prove that every component left the factory together.
Bracelet and clasp
Published 1803 examples appear on President bracelets; Phillips also catalogued a coral-dial 1803 on a Jubilee bracelet. These records describe individual watches, not a universal delivery specification. Record bracelet and end-link numbers, clasp marks and the watch serial separately. A clasp date dates the bracelet component, not the watch head; it cannot alone establish original delivery.
Notable provenance
Sotheby’s catalogued an 1803 associated with Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. The caseback is engraved with a reference to Anwar El Sadat and the date 26 September 1963. This is an unusually well-documented individual watch, not a production variant.
Auction record
Auction descriptions and prices below refer to the listed examples only.
Coral lacquer 1803 — Phillips Geneva Watch Auction FIVE, lot 18.