191 Rolex Impressive, Exceptional and Absolutely Sought-After, Day-Date, Automatic Wristwatch in Yellow Gold, With Arabic Calendar, Applied Gold Arabic Numerals and Rare Tapisserie Dial, Reference 1803, Published in the Iconic Book “My Time”

Estimate: €80,000 –⁠ 160,000

Model: Day-Date
Reference: 1803
Case Material: Yellow Gold
Bracelet Material: Yellow Gold
Year: 1976
Movement: Automatic
Caliber: 1556
Case N°: 4226223
Dimensions: 36 mm
Signed: Dial, Case and Movement
Literature: This specific watch is published in Sandro Fratini’s Book “My Time” at page 397

A new era dawned for the Day-Date when the earliest references (the 6511 and 6611 family) were replaced by the 1803 series in 1959, which contained the cal. 1555 and later the cal. 1556 movement. The 18XX Day-Date was produced with a wide variety of dial colors and configurations, some of them for the Arab market, giving life to some of the most unusual and coveted ones someone can find. Among these, those with Eastern Arabic numerals on the dial are the most elusive. Combine that with a charming textured dial and extremely charming bracelet and you’ve found yourself the stuff of collectors’ dreams. This exceptional 1803 from 1976 is truly one of the most desirable Day-Dates ever made. At the time of its conception, the watch was originally made for the Middle Eastern market but today is highly coveted by all Rolex watch collectors. The highly unusual dial is decorated with an engraved “tapisserie finish” pattern adorned with yellow-gold relief and applied Arabic script numerals. The apertures for the day is in Arabic, adding a further layer of rarity and complexity to this already historically significant Day-Date. Equipped on a very nice yellow-gold case with oyster bracelets of the same material, Arabic numerals dial are rare by themselves, but the combination with the engraved dial can only be found on a handful of examples previously made for the Middle Eastern market.