Did Rolex ever offer Florentine President bracelets?

[miamiclay]

I happened across this Burgundy Stella Day-Date -
https://www.chrono24.nl/rolex/rolex-...id22412276.htm

Presumably the Florentine decoration on this case is aftermarket (a factory Florentine 4-digit case would be an 1806, not an 1803, and it also would not be decorated on the case sides). However, I also see that this bracelet’s outer links have the same Florentine pattern.

I assume that this particular Florentine-ing is all aftermarket, on both the case and bracelet, but my question is this - Did Rolex ever offer Florentine decoration on President bracelets (either 4- or 5-digits)? I think the only factory Florentine DD bracelets I’ve seen are the brick type, not Presidents.
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[henrylee]

Agreed, florentine decoration was never on the side of the case. Also most Florentine that I’ve seen had it on the bezel.

[Coronette]

Not to this extent anyway. Bark yes.

[CTech]

As far as I know Rolex never offered a Florentine finish President bracelet and for the 1800 series the only non-standard options were the relatively common 1807 bark finish and the rarer 1811 Morellis finish.

Both of these had the special finish only on the center links of the bracelet and the watches were sold with a matching bezel, as noted above by henrylee.

I think the 1806 was the only Florentine finished Day-Date and that was with the brick bracelet, as you say.

The five digit 18000 series offered only the bark option (18078) and some of the model numbers you might think could be for special finishes were used for Crown Collection watches.

You are almost certainly correct in the assessment that this watch has aftermarket finishing as there are several details that are different from how you would expect a genuine Rolex finish to look. The most obvious ones are:

- a genuine Rolex Florentine finish case would have a matching bezel (as noted by henrylee)

- a genuine Rolex Florentine finish case would be finished on the top only, and not also on the sides (also as noted by henrylee)

- a genuine Rolex Florentine finish President bracelet would most likely have the finish on the center links only

- a genuine Rolex Florentine finish watch would have a unique model number such as 1808 or 1809, and this would normally be quoted by the dealer

The test of what this watch started out as would be to get the dealer to provide a photograph of the model number.

[KY..]

Not sure about the Florentine finish but it does seem to have an early diamond brown confetti dial from the 70’s.