Opinion on 1803 Day-Date

[al.so.fresh]

Hello...Back again—took in the advice, dug through TRF & Vintage Rolex Forums, and did my homework. I’ve zeroed in on an 1803 (naturally!) from a known shop in ATL. Serial dates it to the early ‘70s, comes with box and papers, and from the pics, bracelet stretch looks minimal.

The main drawback is no documented service history, but I’ll have Giovanni here in SF check it out if I do decide on purchasing. Been in touch with the dealer, who's been super responsive and everything lines up so far, but I’d love to hear your thoughts based on the photos. Anything stand out? Dial markers? What about the polish?

Appreciate any insights!

[robinhenrywatches]

Bracelet isn’t original to watch. That’s why there isn’t as much stretch as you would expect.

No line dial is nice. Check it hasn’t slipped down a bit.

Case has seen polish, but they all have at that age.


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[0nly5iv3Digits]

This one isn't for me. You can tell when the bezel was taken off, that the knife used actually "pushed"/flattened the gold down toward the crown. I've seen this on many examples, unfortunately.

Other than that, a fair bit of metal has been removed from the case and the polish of the lugs is uneven (particularly the inner lugs). Bracelet also has some stretch to it. Finally, the acrylic crystal has clearly been polished, and appears "uneven" given the distortion of the "1" on the datewheel.

On a positive note, dial and hands are nice :)

What's the asking on this one?

[al.so.fresh]

Originally Posted by robinhenrywatches

Bracelet isn’t original to watch. That’s why there isn’t as much stretch as you would expect.

No line dial is nice. Check it hasn’t slipped down a bit.

Case has seen polish, but they all have at that age.


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Appreciate the insight! May I ask what are the giveaways that the bracelet isn’t original to the watch?

Here are more photos of the bracelet.




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[al.so.fresh]

Originally Posted by robinhenrywatches

Bracelet isn’t original to watch. That’s why there isn’t as much stretch as you would expect.

No line dial is nice. Check it hasn’t slipped down a bit.

Case has seen polish, but they all have at that age.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Appreciate the insight! May I ask what are the giveaways that the bracelet isn’t original to the watch?







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[al.so.fresh]

Originally Posted by 0nly5iv3Digits

This one isn't for me. You can tell when the bezel was taken off, that the knife used actually "pushed"/flattened the gold down toward the crown. I've seen this on many examples, unfortunately.

Other than that, a fair bit of metal has been removed from the case and the polish of the lugs is uneven (particularly the inner lugs). Bracelet also has some stretch to it. Finally, the acrylic crystal has clearly been polished, and appears "uneven" given the distortion of the "1" on the datewheel.

On a positive note, dial and hands are nice :)

What's the asking on this one?

Thanks a lot for sharing! Dealer is asking $13.5. Does that sound about right for a watch in this condition?


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[crowncollection]

What year is the watch ?
A bit is sent in the case base the crown would require repair if k bought it. You need to check h not just the clasp but the links have not been changed out.
Dial looks clean


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[robinhenrywatches]

Originally Posted by al.so.fresh

Appreciate the insight! May I ask what are the giveaways that the bracelet isn’t original to the watch?


Attachment 1482432

Attachment 1482433


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It’s got the hidden clasp, that’s from later models.

Also condition.

It’s not necessarily bad, you could see it as a positive as you have a better bracelet that will last longer.


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[77T]

Originally Posted by robinhenrywatches

It’s got the hidden clasp, that’s from later models.

Also condition.

It’s not necessarily bad, you could see it as a positive as you have a better bracelet that will last longer.


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The clasp code indicates an April, 1970 manufacture date.

Without the watch's s/n, we don't know its own date range, right?


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[al.so.fresh]

Originally Posted by 77T

The clasp code indicates an April, 1970 manufacture date.

Without the watch's s/n, we don't know its own date range, right?


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s/n 255xxxx so it seems to be right or am I wrong?


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[77T]

Originally Posted by al.so.fresh

s/n 255xxxx so it seems to be right or am I wrong?


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The resources would seem to agree that a November 1970 bracelet comports to same era as 255xxxx:

Example:
250xxxx - 1970
321xxxx - 1971


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[0nly5iv3Digits]

Originally Posted by al.so.fresh

Thanks a lot for sharing! Dealer is asking $13.5. Does that sound about right for a watch in this condition?


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Too high in my opinion. They trade (based on condition) between 10 and 14K.

This would be on the lower end for sure - 12 - 12.5K is fair. But if you like it and the price is right for you

[miamiclay]

Dial, markers, & hands look good. Bracelet is better than average for an 1803. Case is noticeably soft from polish, but not offensively so.

But, most interesting imo - 4.70 may be the earliest date I’ve ever seen on a hidden clasp. It’s been mentioned that they may have first been offered in ‘69, but I’ve never seen a ‘69 one that I can recall.