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The rarest Rolex Day-Date Wristwatches.
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Stainless steel Panerai, ref. 3646, dim. 47x47 mm. Three-body water-proof cushion-shaped case with wired lugs, screw back stamped with Oyster Watch Co. Geneva Swiss mark, nr. 1009928, Oyster patent crown, ref. 13. Glossy black bakelite dial with a “sandwich” construction method, luminous Arabic nume-rals and Radiomir Panerai signature, at the center, are two metal rivets which hold the multylayered dial togheter. Caliber 618 (Cor-tebert base). This watch was manufactured in 1940.
6511 pg 6510 yg 6611 yg 6611 yg 6611 wg 6611 pg
6611 wg 6611B pg 6612B wg 6612 pt 6613 pt 6613 pt
1802 wg 1802 pt 1802 pt 1802 wg 1802 pt 1803 pg
1803 pg 1803 wg 1803 wg 1804 pt 1804 pt 1804 pt
1804 pt 1805 pg 1806 wg 1807 wg 18079 1831 pt
18039 18048 18039 18068 19049 19000 st
© John Goldberger
1978 Rolex catalogue illustrating the President bracelets available with the
regular deployant clasp or with the hidden clasp. The retail price for the bracelet with
the regular clasp: 18k gold $ 3.405, in platinum $ 15.000, for the bracelet with
hidden clasp: 18k gold $ 3.605 and in platinum $ 16.075.
German magazine’s ad illustrating a platinum 1804 Day-Date with price comparison to a Porsche Targa E. In 1972 the platinum Day-Date’s price was less expensive of 3.000 german marks than a Porsche Targa E (22.000 DM retail price = $ 7.000).
80’s ad illustrating a Day-Date and Lady Day-Just models with Tiffany&Co.
signature on the dials.
80’s brochure illustrating Day- Date and Day-Just models with onyx, lapis,
mahogany and birch dials.
A big variety of colored lacquered dials was available for the Day-Date models, thanks to its luxurious image, the Rolex Day-Date met a great consumer’s approval on the Middle East market.
In 1977 Rolex launched the new reference with the sapphire glass and the new movement with “Quick Set” of the date, 3055 calibre (28.800 beats per hour). In 1988 the last important change: the “Double Quick Set” feature, 3155 calibre. The new Day-Date was water-proof to 100 meters.
References available in 1960 for the Day-Date model:1802, with polished bezel1803, with ridded bezel1804, with round cut diamonds set bezel1805, with colored lacquered dial1806, with linen-textured finishing on case, bezel and bracelet1807, with bark finishing on bezel and center part of the bracelet1810, with “moiré” finishing on case, bezel and center part of the bracelet.1811, with “moiré” finishing on bezel and center part of the bracelet
After only one year, the 6511 was replaced by the 6611 featuring the improved 1055 calibre with the new free sprung Micro-Stella balance, and it was the first to be marked “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. Rolex introduced the new matching “President” bracelet with deployant clasp. The new Day-Date models were available in yellow, pink, white gold and platinum in 4 different references: 6611 (ridded bezel), 6612 (polished bezel), 6612B (letter B identified the movement with a different platina) and 6613 (46 full-cut diamonds set bezel).
In the 70’s the U.S.A. market was strategic for Rolex, the Day-Date was synonymus in America with style and success. The Day-Date model was the most present in U.S.A. magazine’s advertising, mostly in combination with testimonial as Arnold Palmer, Jacky Stewart, Roger Penske and A. J. Foyt.
In 1977 Rolex introduced the new Oysterquartz Day-Date with integrated bracelet and the quartz movement, 5055 calibre, ref. 19018 in 18k yellow gold and ref. 19019 in 18k white gold. The production of the Oysterquartz Day-Date ceased in 2001.
In 1988 Rolex produced few prototypes of stainless steel ref. 19000 with a new
perpetual calendar quartz movement, 5355 calibre (patented with Swiss brevet
nr. 672222).
In 1959 the reference 6611 was substituted by the 1803, it remained in production until 1977 becoming the flagship model in the Rolex production. The new model was characterized by a new thin case and smaller bezel with the new 1555 calibre.
60’s Rolex brochures illustrating different bracelets available on request, for the Day-Just and Day-Date models.
In 1965 the 1555 calibre was improved from 18.000 beats per hour to 19.800
beats and renamed 1556. In 1972 the “Hack” feature was added to the
movement.
In 2008, at the Basel show, Rolex launched the Day-Date II with a new 41
mm diameter case and the new 3156 calibre.
In 1998 Rolex launched a new Day-Date references, 18956 and 18946 in platinum with redesigned case and a new Oyster bracelet. The following year the new Tridor model was introduced with references 72748, 19848 and 19858.
Brochure dated 1963, showing the attestation of the Bureaux Suisses de Controle Officiel de la Marche des Chronomètres obtained by Rolex for the production, since 1927, of over 500.000 certificates for wristwatches. In 1910 Rolex gained their first Official Timing Certificate for a wristwatch. In 1947 Rolex commemorated the brand’s 100.000th officially certified chronometer with the Day-Just model.
DAY-DATE STORYOn July 23, 1955 Marc Huguenin of Rolex Geneva registered a patent application with nr. 323982, it showed a seven toothed star wheel wich sat on top of 31 tooth calendar wheel, both wheels would be ratcheted once every twenty-four hours at midnight. The Day-Date model was born and appeared for the first time at the Basel show in 1956.
The Day-Date model was available with ref. 6511(ridded bezel with finer pitch) and 6510 (bezel with hour markers), only in 18k pink and yellow gold with Jubelee bracelet and with 1055 calibre with red date wheel.
The dials of ref. 6511 bear few variations, the rarest one it was the white grenè dial with red Day-Date signature, the 50 m=165 ft. deepth rating and the
authentication “Superlative Chronometer by Officially Test”, the early version
of “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”, few examples distribuited only
in the Italian market.
©Precious Time
In 1985 the new model Tridor was introduced, this new reference has white
gold case with yellow gold or diamonds bezel with red, yellow and white gold
President bracelet. The new references are 18039 Bic. and 18129 Bic.
An 18k pink gold Day-Date, ref. 6511. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with fluted bezel and 18k pink gold Jubilee bracelet with deployant clasp, diam. 36mm, case nr. 134636, cal. 1055, nr. DD607864. Screw back stamped with amended 6510 reference number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). Matte silver grené dial, pink gold applied faceted baton indexes with below luminous dots and pink gold luminous Dauphine hands. The dial bears the 50 m=165 ft depth rating, the Day-Date signature printed in red and the authentication “Superlative Chronometer by Official Test”, the early version of “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. The watch was manufactured in 1956 and sold in Italy and it is the first known example of the Day -Date series.
6511
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6611
An 18k white gold Day-Date, ref. 6611. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with fluted bezel and 18k white gold Jubilee bracelet with deployant clasp, ref. 6311, diam. 36mm, case nr. 401546, cal. 1055, nr. DDn884156. Screw back stamped with 6611 reference number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). Matte silver grené dial, white gold applied faceted baton indexes with below luminous dots and white gold luminous Alpha hands.The reference 6611 was the first mo-del manufactured by Rolex to bear the legend “Su-perlative Chronometer Officially Certified” on the dial, aperture for Italian day and magnified win-dow for black Italian date indication. The watch was manufactured in 1958 and sold in Italy.
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6612
An 18k white gold Day-Date, ref. 6612. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with polished bezel and 18k white gold Oyster bracelet with deployant cla-sp, diam. 36mm, case nr. 394866, cal. 1055, nr. n698752. Screw back stamped with 6612 refe-rence number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). Matte silvered dial, applied diamonds indexes and white gold Dauphi-ne hands. The dial bears the Day-Date signature printed in black and the authentication “Superla-tive Chronometer Officially Certified”, aperture for Italian day and magnified window for black Italian date indication. The watch was manufactured in 1958 and sold in Italy.
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6613
A platinum Day-Date, ref. 6613. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with full cut diamonds set bezel and platinum tile link bracelet with deployant cla-sp, ref. 7503, diam. 36mm, case nr. 471401, cal. 1055, nr. DDn884156. Screw back stamped with 6613 reference number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). Matte sil-vered dial, applied diamonds indexes and white gold Dauphine hands. The dial bears the Day-Date signature printed in black and the authentication “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”, aperture for Arabic day and magnified window for black Arabic date indication. The watch was manu-factured in 1958 and sold in Saudi Arabia.
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1802
An 18k white gold Day-Date, ref. 1802. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with polished bezel and 18k white gold Oyster bracelet with deployant clasp, diam. 36mm, case nr. 1618537, cal. 1556, nr. DD31944. Screw back stamped with 1803 refe-rence number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). black lacquered dial, white gold applied indexes with luminous dots and white gold luminous baton hands. The dial bears the Day-Date gilt signature and the gilt authenti-cation “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certi-fied”. The watch was manufactured in 1967 and sold in Italy.
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1802
A platinum Day-Date, ref. 1802. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with polished bezel and plati-num president bracelet with concealed clasp, ref. 8385, diam. 36mm, case nr. 3873776, cal. 1555, nr. D692099. Screw back stamped with 1804 re-ference number, engraved with the serial number 3873776 and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Gene-va (“12” inside a Key). Outer case engraved with Asprey signature. Matte blue colored dial, applied diamonds indexes with luminous dots and white gold luminous baton hands. The dial bears the red emblem of Sultanate of Oman (A Khamajar dagger in a sheath over two crossed swords). The watch was manufactured in 1975 and sold by Asprey in Oman.
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1804
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A platinum Day-Date, ref. 1804. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with full cut diamonds set bezel and platinum bracelet with deployant clasp, ref. 7876, diam. 36mm, case nr. 902436, cal. 1555. Screw back stamped with 1804 reference number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). Matte silvered guilloché dial, white gold applied faceted Dart indexes and white gold Dauphine hands. The dial bears the Day-Date si-gnature printed in black and the authentication “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”, aperture for Arabic day and magnified window for black Arabic date indication. The watch was manu-factured in 1962.
1804
A platinum Day-Date, ref. 1804. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with full cut diamonds set bezel and president platinum diamonds set bracelet with concealed clasp, diam. 36mm, case nr. 4055067, cal. 1556, nr. DD202193. Screw back stamped with 1804 reference number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). Matte sil-vered dial, applied diamonds set indexes with lu-minous dots and white gold luminous baton hands. The dial bears the Day-Date signature printed in black and the authentication “Superlative Chrono-meter Officially Certified”. The watch was manu-factured in 1977.
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1806
An 18k white gold Day-Date, ref. 1806. Tonneau-shaped three-body linen-textured finishing case with linen-textured bezel and 18k white gold li-nen-textured finishing tile bracelet with deployant clasp, ref. 6764, diam. 36mm, case nr. 2428698, cal. 1555, nr. DD97870. Screw back stamped with 1803 reference number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). lacquered blue dial, applied diamonds indexes with luminous dots, white gold luminous baton hands. The dial bears the Day-Date gilt signature and the gilt au-thentication “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. The watch was manufactured in 1967 and sold in Germany.
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1807
An 18k white gold Day-Date, ref. 1807. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with bark-finish bezel and 18k white gold bark-finish tile bracelet with deployant clasp, ref. 8209, diam. 36mm, case nr. 1618499, cal. 1556, nr. DD975701. Screw back stamped with 1803 reference number and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). black lacquered dial, white gold applied in-dexes with luminous dots, white gold luminous baton hands. The dial bears the Day-Date gilt si-gnature and the gilt authentication “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. The watch was manufactured in 1967 and sold in Venezuela.
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Steel
A stainless steel prototype Day-Date. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with polished bezel and stainless steel bracelet with deployant clasp, diam. 36mm, without serial numbers and reference en-graved between the lugs. Screw back without re-ference number. Cal. 3055, nr. 0004547. Matte sil-vered dial, applied white gold Coronet with black painted Roman numerals and luminous dots, black luminous baton hands. The dial bears the Day-Da-te signature printed in black and the authentica-tion “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. This watch was manufactured probably in 1976.
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1831
A platinum Day-Date, ref. 1831. Tonneau-shaped three-body case with diamonds set bezel and pla-tinum bracelet with deployant clasp, diam. 36mm, case nr. 5086929/ n. 002, cal. 1556, nr. DD336302. Screw back stamped with 1850 reference number, engraved with serial number 5086929 and case maker’s mark, Genex SA. Geneva (“12” inside a Key). bordeaux lacquered dial, applied diamonds set indexes with luminous dots and white gold lu-minous baton hands. The dial bears the Day-Date signature printed in silver and the authentication “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. This model was manufactured in a limited series of 8 examples in 1977.
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