Rolex Day-Date ref. 1803 — mid-century prestige, modern relevance

 

Rolex Day-Date ref. 1803 — mid-century prestige, modern relevance

Why it matters

Introduced in 1956, the Day-Date was the first wristwatch to show both the date and the day of the week spelled out in full, available only in precious metals and positioned by Rolex as the ultimate symbol of achievement. Reference 1803 is the definitive vintage expression: 36 mm Oyster case, fluted bezel, pie-pan dial, acrylic crystal with Cyclops, and the three-link “President” bracelet.

A short origin story

Rolex’s post-war run of practical innovations set the stage: the waterproof Oyster case (1926), the Perpetual rotor (1931), the Datejust with instantaneous date (1945). The Day-Date extended this logic of everyday utility plus prestige to the language of leadership: a calendar you read at a glance, in your language, inside an elegant gold Oyster. That mix is core Rolex strategy: create a category where functionality and status reinforce each other.

The 1803 at a glance

• Case: 36 mm Oyster in 18k yellow, white, or rose gold; fluted bezel; screw-down crown; acrylic crystal with Cyclops.

• Dial: classic “pie-pan” profile; wide range of colors and textures, often with tritium lume. The 1803 is the last Day-Date generation with pie-pan dials. 

• Bracelet/strap: President three-link bracelet or leather.

• Calendar: instantaneous date at 3; day arc at 12 with discs offered in 26 languages. 

Inside the case: calibres 1555 and 1556

Early 1803s use the COSC-certified, non-quickset calibre 1555 (18,000 vph). Around 1965 Rolex transitions to 1556 with a higher beat rate of 19,800 vph; hacking seconds is added circa 1972. In 1977–78 the Day-Date family moves to 18038 with the high-beat 3055 and a quick-set date, ending the 1803 era. 

Variants in the 18xx family

Rolex multiplied textures and finishes to broaden appeal without leaving the precious-metal lane. Alongside the 1803’s fluted bezel you’ll see the bark-finished 1807 and the hammered “Morellis/Florentine” 1806—both period options that underline Day-Date’s role as a canvas for luxury craft. 

How marketing shaped perception

From the mid-1960s Rolex leaned into leadership. Period ads used the line “The presidents’ watch,” and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s documented affinity for a yellow-gold Day-Date cemented the association. Since then the model has been coded as the watch of statesmen, executives, and cultural power brokers—status made legible at 12 o’clock. 

Why collectors still care

• Proportions: 36 mm wears slim and balanced.

• Dial architecture: pie-pan depth, warm acrylic, and tritium patina read unmistakably vintage. 

• Movements: 1555/1556 are robust, widely understood by independent watchmakers; later 1556 examples add hacking. 

• Cultural signal: decades of association with leadership keep the model instantly recognizable. 

Notes to the photos in this post

The pictured 1803 shows the key signatures: fluted bezel, pie-pan dial with day at 12 and date under Cyclops, baton furniture, and the President bracelet’s convex three-link rhythm. Those visual cues are why a well-kept 1803 still reads as “the” Day-Date.

Buying checklist (quick)

• Confirm calibre (1555 vs 1556; hacking from ~1972).

• Check dial originality and lume consistency; many 1803s wear linen, matte, or sunburst dials. 

• Inspect bracelet stretch; President links fatigue over decades.

• Verify crisp fluting and correct crown/tube engagement on the Oyster case.

• Day wheel language matches papers if present; 26 language options exist. 

• Expect non-quickset setting ritual; if you need quickset, look to 18038+. 

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Technical spec recap

• Reference: 1803

• Years: ~1959–1978

• Case: 36 mm Oyster, fluted bezel, acrylic crystal

• Movements: 1555 (18,000 vph), 1556 (19,800 vph; hacking ~1972)

• Bracelet: President (three-link) or leather

• Materials: 18k yellow, white, or rose gold

• Dial: pie-pan; tritium lume on many variants

• Calendar: instantaneous date; day at 12; non-quickset

Sources: Rolex history pages; Fratello’s Day-Date overview; WatchBase movement records; period advertising and documented LBJ usage; Bob’s Watches technical guides and dial notes. 

Rolex 1603 Sigma Linen dial - so... when is a dial rare?

I recently liquidized a fair portion of my vintage Seiko watch collection to acquire my first steel vintage Rolex - 1967 Rolex reference 1603 Sigma Linen dial. I chose it specifically for the "rare" combination of 1603-specific stainless steel machined bezel (most DateJusts have the white gold fluted bezel; reference 1601), pie-pan textile-like "linen" dial (most DateJusts do not have textured dials), and white gold "Sigma" indices and hands (most DateJusts have steel indices and hands). I like the utilitarian look and resilience of an all-steel DateJust (especially on an Oyster bracelet with the discretion (and corrosion resistance) of white gold hands and indices:

During my pre-acquisition search phase, I saw a Chrono24 ad calling a linen dial a "rare piece" and speculated what the definition of "rare piece" is. After some thought, I defined "rare" as:

A watch I can expect to see "once-or-less-in-a-lifetime" by chance 

...and had a basis to determine whether the combination 1603+Sigma+Linen is rare - or not.

I started with the date range of 160X four-digit Datejusts (1960 to 1979) and the serial numbers starting and ending this range (0,5M to 5.7M) for all references which gave 5M pieces produced, assumed (optimistically) 40% of all Rolexes made in this period were DateJusts (2M 16XX) produced of which half (1M) remain. I then checked Chrono24 to see the distribution of the various 160X references and dial types: 30% were 1603s, 4% 1603 Sigma, 3% 1603 Linen and 0.4% were 1603 Sigma + Linen dials. 

So - are the 4.000 remaining 1603 Sigma+Linen dials "rare" (by my definition)? 

Well, assuming 8B people globally and 4000 1603 Sigma+Linen dials, my calculation suggests there will be 2 million people for every 1603 Sigma+Linen (or 3 in Denmark -pop.6M - where I live). I asked Google how many people faces (or in this context - watch faces :-) I will see in a lifetime (ie. be within eye-identification-of-the-watch-on-their-wrist distance) and the estimate was 1,5M people. And with that, we have the number of 1603s I can expect to see in a lifetime as:

(1603: 56; 1603 Sigma: 8; 1603 Linen: 6 and 1603 Sigma+Linen: 0.75)

From this, I deduce that there might be 3 or so 1603 Sigma+Linen dials in Denmark (population about 6 million) but I'll be lucky to see one in a chance encounter in my lifetime... 

Of course, I'll now probably see a 1603 Sigma+Linen dial in the queue in Aldi tomorrow, and another next Thursday... I'll keep you posted!

Seiko Gen 1 (1st Generation) 7A28-7120 Royal Air Force flight crew issued military analog chronograph

Seiko Gen 1 (1st Generation) 7A28-7120 Royal Air Force 

flight crew issued military analog chronograph watch 

The Seiko Gen 1 (1st Generation) 7A28-7120 Royal Air Force flight crew issued military analog chronograph watch was the first quartz chronograph watch issued to Her Majesty’s armed forces, with October 1984 being the first date of issue. 

This piece produced in August 1984 is thus one of the first issued of a total run of 11,307 Gen 1 chronographs, which were not replaced until November 1990.

The caseback is inscribed with the "broad arrow" and NATO Stock Number (NSN) ‪6645-99 7683056‬ used for military-issued equipment: 

6645 = Time Measuring Instruments
99 = NATO Country code United Kingdom
768-3056 = individual part number

In contrast to the commercial versions, the issued version has a 37mm diameter case with matte, bead-blasted finish, fixed strap bars and a "circle P” dial, indicating radioactive Promethium lume. 

The ‪3:00‬ o’clock register measures ‪1/10‬ths of a second, while the large center hand measure elapsed seconds.  The ‪9:00‬ o’clock register records chronograph minutes up to 30 while the bottom register is a continuous seconds hand.

The 7A28 (Gen 1) reference is Seiko's first analog chronograph, impressively over-engineered with metal gears and a 15-jewel movement which is able to be serviced and maintained. It takes a SR936SW (394) 9.5 x 3.6mm battery.

The Gen1 was originally issued on a nylon/leather Bund type (NSN 6645-99-527-7059) strap, which was later replaced with a nylon NATO (6B/2617, and NSN 6645-99-124-2986. Post war RAF straps also included the steel Bonklip (6B/2763 (17.5 mm), 6B/3224 (19.0mm), which were phased out in the early eighties but remained in issue until existing stocks were depleted.

1961 Omega Constellation "Pie Pan" Chronometer Full Set

1961 Omega Constellation "Pie Pan" Chronometer

This steel, no-date1961 Constellation was sold at Thule Air Base, Greenland in 1962, has the original Omega box, full papers and original Omega stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp, and boasts the chronometer grade, self-winding, 24 jewel caliber 551, adjusted to 5 positions and temperature.

On its beads-of-rice bracelet, this watch wears more substantially on the wrist than its 35mm, making it the ideal dress watch for special occasions!

1964 Rolex ref1002 Oyster Perpetual Chronometer

1964 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer

This 1964 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer is stunning, with its rarity and collectibility due in part to its Dauphine hands and original rivet bracelet, dated I-65.

There is no 7205 stamp on the back of the largest link (correct for the period) and the clasp blade is stamped with the year (1965) to match this. I have never used the original bracelet in order to preserve its pristine condition, and I wear this watch on an additional aftermarket Oyster bracelet for daily use.

The original tritium dial is correctly marked "T SWISS T" (for pre-1965) with tritium plots. The dial is in excellent condition, with minor age marks visible under the loupe. The rare Dauphine hands show signs of aging, visible under the loupe.

The cal 1560 with its Microstella screws and Bregeut free-sprung hairspring was used until 1965 in a number of chronometer-certified models, including the legendary Rolex 1016 Explorer and the Rolex 5512 Submariner. The movement is clean, and accurate to a few seconds a day.

This watch comes with an original Rolex box, cigarette card, Bucherer Rolex spoon as well as a 1960s advertisement extolling the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1002 as the chronometer chosen by Sir Francis Chichester to accompany him on his single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in 1966.

Hodinkee: A Vintage Grand Seiko Chronometer Wristwatch With A Bargain Basement Estimate

Hodinkee, the world's leading online wristwatch magazine, published a report on a Grand Seiko 5277 Chronometer offered for sale on Antiquorum's Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces 2011 auction in New York.








The good thing is that a second generation Grand Seiko chronometer has made it into Antiquorum's Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces auction to be held in New York tomorrow.

The bad: well, let's see if we can spot the mistakes in their description:

SEIKO - GRAND SEIKO - CHRONOMETER Grand Seiko GS Seiko, Japan, No. 514855, case No. 5500504, Ref. 5722-9990. Made in the 1970's. Fine, center seconds, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with date and a stainless steel Seiko buckle. C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back with embossed gold logo, inclined bezel, sapphire crystal. D. Matte silver with applied steel faceted baton indexes, outer minute track, aperture for the date. Steel dauphine hands. M. Cal. 5722A, rhodium-plated, 35 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, flat balance spring, index regulator, hack mechanism. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 37 mm. Thickness 11 mm.

This particular chronometer was manufactured in May 1965 (serial no.5500504, case number 9990, caliber 5722A, acrylic crystal), and succeeds its immediate (and almost identical but infinitely more collectible) predecessor, the "Olympic" 1964 cal. 430/43999 Grand Seiko Chronometer. For more information on the significance of the 43999 and 5277 caliber chronometers, please visit my blog post at: http://vintageseikoblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/reflections-on-1964-cal-43043999-grand.html

I would consider this a good investment for 1000USD, although a similarly priced 1964 production 43999 is more collectible and should be considered a better investment.

Actually, the 5722 is not that rare, and appears relatively frequently on eBay and Yahoo!Japan. Going prices seem to hover around the 1000-1500USD mark. It will be interesting to see the final price, but I'm personally not expecting it to go for more than the estimate. Things to look out for are condition of the medallion (often missing or damaged), the correct crown and possible redials. I'm surprised Antiquorum does not show the caseback and movement, perhaps one needs a subscription to view these? It is very rare to see an original bracelet and buckle, and I have yet to see one offered with original papers and box, although there was one on Rakunen some time ago IIRC. Again, personally, I would pay a premium for a cal.430/1964 caseback because of the historic link to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the pivotal importance of this event in Seiko's development.

It went for 2125USD, well over estimate. The WWII B-Uhre mentioned in Hodinkee's earlier post went for their estimates or below, despite their coverage. It will be interesting to see if their coverage and the very appearance of a vintage second generation GS chronometer on Antiquorum heralds a new era of popularity for vintage GS'. In a couple of years people may very well be looking back to the good old days where a vintage GS chronometer could be had for under 3K!

Now, why would Seiko be appearing on Antiquorums Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces auction in the first place - is it because vintage GS are now considered Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces in their own right, following the expansion of the line from Japan-only to global... or is there a conscious movement afoot to create this perception among buyers. If so, what (and who) could the drivers of this movement be?

Link to Antiquorum auction: http://catalog.antiquorum.com/catalog.html?action=load&lotid=159&auctionid=253#dummy

The 1964 Grand Seiko Chronometer Box..... is IN!

Finally together - with the 1964 Grand Seiko Chronometer, Owners Manual and a copy of a Chronometer Certificate, the original box just arrived from Japan.... this collection centerpiece is beginning to take form....

The box has a decidedly Oriental design, with the sides slightly angled and the base wider than the top. The red cushion is silk-like in texture and the writing is printed on the material. The felt base is removable, and includes a tab as well as an elastic loop to slot the watchband in.

The box is light and appears to be made of pressed cardboard, covered by what appears to be lacquered paper textured to look and feel like leather.

The search continues for the remaining parts of the collection, including a hang-tag, original chronometer certificate and receipt.... Until then, I have prepared a fascimile of the Chronometer Certificate (note the fictitious date and "Fascimile" stamp) based on a 1966 King Seiko Chronometer certificate, which is identical with the exception of the Lion Seal, which was printed after 1965, and should be a gold applied seal for 1964:

1964 Grand Seiko Chronometer box

In a previous blog post (1964 Second generation 43999 or 5722 Grand Seiko chronometer, box and owners manual) I wrote "The search is on for a Second generation 43999 or 5722 Grand Seiko chronometer, box and owners manual. I have never seen a set of these, or even photos, so I have attempted to reconstruct this information from what is available on the internet."

Well, I have not only seen the box and owners manual - after a successful bid I now am the owner of both the owners manual AND the elusive box:

The only other one I've ever seen was at http://www.antiwatchman.com/BR-1388 and I quite honestly didn't expect to see another. This is the antiwatchman box:















... and another photo I had found on the net:

The box is identical to the first generation box, but has the GS lion rather than the "8-pointed star: Special Dial" logo:

OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED 1969 KING SEIKO 5626-7040 HIGH BEAT CHRONOMETER

Another Seiko chronometer - this time a King Seiko High Beat Officially Certified Chronometer from 1969, fitted to a black leather Bund / deployant combination to highlight and showcase Taro Tanaka's "Grammar of Design" for high-end King and Grand Seiko of the 60's and 70's. This is a truly iconic example of Seiko design and technological capability from 1969 - the pinnacle of Seiko's mechanical capabilities - and the dawn of the quartz revolution with the introduction of the Seiko Astron in December 1969 - the world's first commercially available quartz-driven wristwatch.

Condition: Used, good working condition. Unpolished case retains original combination of brushed and highly polished surfaces. Some minor marks on case. Service history unknown but the movement is running accurately and with a good reserve.

Date: December 1969. This was a period of exceptional technical development: rising through the ranks since 1964, by 1968 SEIKO chronometers had secured 2nd and 3rd place in the International Chronometer Concours and, with the introduction of the first commercial quartz wristwatch movement by Seiko in December 1969 (the exact production date of my KS 5626 chronometer) -  the Observatory contests of Neuchatel ended. Also in 1969, Seiko lead the competition with the introduction of the world's first automatic chronograph, the caliber 6159.

Movement: Suwa cal. 5626B High-beat day-date (Kanji-English) chronometer certified, 28800 b/h, 25 jewels. Automatic, handwind capability, hacking. The 25 jewel 5626B movement is derived from the 5606A base movement (Seiko 5626B technical manual) and is again a refinement of the 23J 1968 5626A 21600b/h movement. The following video is best viewed in Full Screen mode, and clearly shows the distinct "ticking" of the low-beat 1964 GS chronometer versus the smooth "sweep" of the high-beat KS:

Comparable movements are the 5625 date only movements, where the fourth digit of the movement number denotes date ("5") or day-date ("6"). The movement is fitted with a rack and pinion regulation adjustment with external adjustment screw, to permit regulation without opening the case.

Chronometer certification:  During the early 1960s Seiko displayed the 'Chronometer' name on selected, precision watches which had passed the in-house Seiko chronometer standard testing, the equivalent of the BO (Basel Observatory) Chronometer standard, but stopped displaying the ‘Chronometer’ designation in 1966 due to the lack of independent CICC (Commission Internationale des Controles Chronometriques) Certification facilities in Japan. When the CICC-recognized JCA (Japan Chronometer Association) was established in 1968 in Japan, a few movements designated "Chronometer Officially Certified" (of which this KS caliber 5626 is one) appeared. From various sources, it appears that the non-chronometer 5626 was "A" accuracy graded with a mean daily rate of -6 to +9 secs/day, while the "officially certified" 5626 chronometer may have been manufactured to the entry-level Grand Seiko "AA" standard of -3 to +5 secs/day, or to the pre-1973 COSC standard of -1 to +10secs/day .

Case: width: 37 mm(excluded crown) / Length: 42 mm. Monocoque case (access to movement through dial). Case number 7040, stainless steel. Missing caseback medallion (I'm working on finding a replacement via Yahoo Japan). Lug width: 18mm.

"Grammar of Design": The 7040 case and bezel is a prime example of Seiko's "Grammar of Design" introduced by Taro Tanaka, who in 1962 noticed that Swiss watches "sparkled brilliantly" and realized that the design of high-end Seiko watches could be radically improved through the implementation of "flat and conical surfaces perfectly smooth and free of distortion". This "Grammar of Design" was implemented in Grand Seiko and King Seiko lines from 1967 and made these lines instantly recognizable as status symbols in the hierarchical Japanese business world of the 60's and 70's. Although often over polished by restorers unaware of the "Grammar", the sharp planes and facets of the bezel and case as well as the alternating highly polished and brushed surfaces are retained in this watch. Extremely difficult to "capture" in a 2-dimensional photograph, the wrist shot below gives an idea of the almost sensual lines of the case, which reminds me of the lines of the iconic Citroen DS... designed by Flaminio Bertoni and named ‘most beautiful car of all time’ by Classic & Sports Car magazine.

Citroen photo source: http://southsiders-mc.blogspot.dk/

Strap: Bund strap with stainless steel deployant clasp. The Bund strap increases the wrist presence of this watch, while framing and highlighting the distinctive KS "Grammar of Design" case.

Crown: Original KS.

Glass: Original mineral glass, flat.

Dial: Silver with applied indices. Original, untouched. Some marking/damage at dial edge visible under loupe.

Hands: Original, stainless steel baton with black highlights.

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Selected references:

1) http://www.watchuseek.com/archive/seikocitizen/SeikoTechnicalManuals/5626B.pdf

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/621198/thread/1261261161/What+is+the+difference+between+a+5626-5010KS+%26amp%3B+5606-5010-

3) http://seikoholics.yuku.com/reply/2498/Got-my-first-Chronometer-grade-watch#reply-2498

4) Seiko, A Journey in Time, Chapter 8