Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803

The president’s watch! The Rolex Day-Date is probably one of the most instantly recognizable watch designs ever made. Being only available in precious metals, it has become synonymous with success and prestige. A watch to celebrate accomplishment.

The Day-Date was launched in 1956 as the Ref. 6510 and Ref. 6511. It was the first watch to display the day of the week as well as the date, hence the name. It was updated to the Ref. 6611, adding Superlative Chronometer certification to the mix. The 6611 is the only Day-Date ever to be made in steel, but only 6 pieces are known to exist.

And then from 1959 until the late 1970’s, we see the most popular vintage Day-Date: the 1800 series. This is the archetypal Day-Date we all know and love. Lyndon B. Johnson was spotted wearing one in 1965, putting the nickname President’s watch firmly in the collective memory.

A 1977 update saw the introduction of a quickset date, in the new 18000 reference series. It wasn’t until 1988 before the 18200 series received a quickset day function, becoming the double quickset.

The Day-Date is available in yellow gold, white gold, rose gold and platinum. Countless dial variations include wood, stone and Stella options. Among the many case/bracelet finishes available, the bark is probably best known, resembling the irregular pattern of tree bark. The Day-Date is one of the few Rolex lines with factory gem-set bezels and dials as an option.

The Day-Date is an icon in pop-culture. It wasn’t just American presidents like Johnson and Kennedy who put it on the map. From Tony Soprano to Tupac Shakur, from Warren Buffett to Jennifer Aniston, they were all spotted wearing Day-Dates. Are you next?