Arabic Disc 1803/9 Rolex Day-Date

More normal Day-Dates are the value of the decade at the moment. There is no watch as significant in vintage Rolex that also remains somewhat accessible. That said, this isn’t exactly a normal Day-Date, only normal-ish. It's white gold with Arabic discs and, more importantly, cigarette hands. It’s an 1803/9, a pie pan without quickset, and if watch-for-the-money is a metric you care about, it’s about as good as it gets in vintage right now.

Like doorstops, it’s in largely in the earlier years of 1803 that the cigarette hands were used (this one is from ’64, generally first 2/3 of production). In fact, the Day-Date began in the ref. 6510 and 6511 which both alpha-shaped handsets. It’s almost a halfway stop between full alpha and baton shape. We, Rolex collectors at large, adore them. One of the many charms of the 1803 is how configurable it was. A myriad of dials, 26 languages, hands, and indices. Things moved quickly in the 1960s, Rolex was iterating. So if this isn’t the Day-Date for you, there’s probably one that is.

White gold 1803/9s don’t really command the attention of a yellow gold, to some that’s a detraction but to many that’s a massive bonus. Like white or black dial Daytona cults, white or yellow gold Day-Date is a personality. You’re either one or the other, and both are excellent. But if you look closer, the Arabic discs here are a delight. Plus, it’s non-luminous, so you don’t have to worry about tritium coming apart. Many in the US won’t love a Day-Date they can’t read, but it is a part of a watch’s story if born with these discs. And the folding link is a great thing to see here, the concealed clasp President bracelet wasn’t introduced until ’69, but you’ll very often see earlier examples wearing them somewhat incorrectly. It’s not the rarest 1803. But it is made somewhat uncommon by the condition overall, which sings. And that’s the best type of example, if you’re not a vintage hardcore already take that one bit of advice.

This example sports a very full, sharp case with the correct bracelet. The dial appears to not have seen a day of sun, same of the discs. That might be not ideal to some, but it does fit this watch which is quite pristine in appearance overall. It comes from a well-regarded Dutch retailer.