President Clasp vs Datejust Clasp

[brockburst]

Looking at a vintage 1803 day date or a vintage datejust. I know on vintage datejust clasps you have the micro pin adjustment possible by sliding the holster up or down in the folding clasp itself. I have never handled a vintage presidential bracelet but given the clasp is hidden, is there any sort of mechanism to slightly adjust the size without needing to move/add links?

[miamiclay]

The hidden clasp Presidents do not have micro adjustment, but most 1803s are on the older style President bracelet, which does have it in the buckle.

[brockburst]

Interesting, never seen that - anyone have a pic of what that looks like?

Or are you saying they have non hidden clasp systems on older 1803 bracelets?

[miamiclay]

Like this -
.

[miamiclay]

I am curious to know 1) when Rolex started offering the hidden clasp President bracelet, and 2) when they stopped offering this regular, non-hidden clasp type. Iirc, both types were available for quite a long stretch - Like 8 or 10 years, maybe.

I think the hidden President clasp was introduced during the 1803s (i.e., before 1978), but I think both types continued to be available on DDs into the 18038s (after 1977). However, I’m not at all certain this is correct.

[Slimpee]

The hidden clasp on the 1803 President does not have adjustment. The links are relatively small but adding or removing links is the only way to adjust it.

Make sure you try on the watch and/or make sure it has enough screw-in links to get the fit right.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

I am curious to know 1) when Rolex started offering the hidden clasp President bracelet, and 2) when they stopped offering this regular, non-hidden clasp type. Iirc, both types were available for quite a long stretch - Like 8 or 10 years, maybe.

I think the hidden President clasp was introduced during the 1803s (i.e., before 1978), but I think both types continued to be available on DDs into the 18038s (after 1977). However, I’m not at all certain this is correct.

I want to say the hidden clasp on 1803 showed up around 1971ish.

You could still get the non hidden clasp all the way well into the 18238 production years. It was the 7286 President bracelet instead of the 8385 president bracelet.

[miamiclay]

Originally Posted by ronricks

I want to say the hidden clasp on 1803 showed up around 1971ish.

You could still get the non hidden clasp all the way well into the 18238 production years. It was the 7286 President bracelet instead of the 8385 president bracelet.

Wow!

If that’s so, they were both offered as new DD options for roughly 20 years - I thought there was a long overlap, but yikes ... 20 years!

Thanks!

[CTech]

The last catalog/price list I have that shows the options of a regular clasp or a concealed clasp is dated 15th October 1994.

Amongst many variations of the 182XX and 183XX series of Day-Dates it lists:

The 18238 with the President bracelet 7286/8 or the concealed clasp President bracelet 8385/8.

The 18239 (white gold) with the concealed clasp President bracelet 8385/9 only.

The 18338 (diamonds on case lugs) with the President bracelet 7286/8 or the concealed clasp President bracelet 8385/8.

The 18248 (bark finish) with the President bracelet 8209/8 or the concealed clasp President bracelet 8723/8.

Some other models such as the 18249 (white gold bark finish) or the 18206/18346 (platinum) are listed as only available with the concealed clasp President bracelet.

So it looks as if the yellow gold President bracelets were still available with both types of clasp up to at least late 1994 but white gold or platinum bracelets were all concealed clasp at that point.

The last time I can find the 18239 white gold model available with both types of clasp was in 1991 when you could buy it with the President bracelet 7286/9 or the concealed clasp President bracelet 8385/9.

I can't find any 1995 price lists but the July 1st 1996 ones list only the concealed clasp bracelets with no mention of any optional type of clasp.

[miamiclay]

I have a 1974-75 price list which also offers both DD bracelet options, so the overlap was at least 21 years, from ‘74-‘94.

I’m genuinely surprised to learn the 7286 was still offered as late as 1994 - If I’d ever been offered an early ’90s 18238 with a 7286/8 bracelet, I expect I would’ve simply assumed it was incorrect! (I can’t recall just now when Rolex stopped putting dates on the DD clasps.)

Also interesting that the 7286 option remained available in YG longer than in either WG or platinum - I’d imagine that, by the early ‘90s, Rolex was just using up their existing inventory of regular 7286 bracelets, and didn’t have enough remaining to list anything but YG in the catalogue.

Many thanks for the time, effort, and answers! There is so little reliable public information on the timeline of the DD versions, and I’m always pleased when we can nail down some actual answers.

[CTech]

There are several references to the concealed clasps being available in 1969:

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=416023 (crowncollection's post #3)

https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-da...idents-choice/

but I've never seen any definitive proof of watches being sold with that clasp so early.

Somebody posted a UK price list from 1972 a few years ago that showed both clasps were available then, but I can't find the thread at the moment. I think it was in the Reference Library section but the search function isn't turning it up yet.

[CTech]

Here it is:

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=710661

lee fowler's post #8 shows the September 1972 UK price list.

[aniconic]

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. It answered my question!

I've been looking for a YG DD for a while, and haven't quite found the right one (condition, dial, etc.). But I was puzzled by two very similar watches I found, one with a hidden clasp and one without, yet the serial numbers (the first 2 digits at any rate) were identical. I'd wondered if something dodgy was going on, but now I know.

[Incroyable12]

The hidden clasp bracelet was sold at a premium during the early years.

[foxytimes]

Amazing! Fantastic information. Thanks to everyone.

It seems to be impossible to establish a clear chronological classification of canonical combinations of bracelets, dials, bezels. But thanks to this swarm intelligence we might have a successive approximation.

[The Tempest]

Great info, going to look into to mine, thank you.

[zapokee]

I have a hidden-clasp WG 1803. It's a pain in the A with temperature changes and body fat variations. No adjustment at all. Always either too loose or too tight.

Do yourself a favor and get the adjustable clasp with the pins.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by zapokee

I have a hidden-clasp WG 1803. It's a pain in the A with temperature changes and body fat variations. No adjustment at all. Always either too loose or too tight.

Do yourself a favor and get the adjustable clasp with the pins.

Or a nato strap

[carwashchris]

Good read ! I want to add my experience. I bought a RG 1803 with the old style clasp. The bracelet was a little worn and I have a smaller wrist, even adjusted to the smallest setting it was loose for me.

The only option was having my AD drilling through one of the links, removing it. Which worked well for me but I ruined a RG link and $300. In process.

Chris

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