1975 Rolex Day Date Red Stella Dial Ref. 1803

Tangerine 

The introduction of Stella dials in the early 1970s was a bold move by Rolex having produced more classical and conservative watches to date. The Day Date embodied the absolute top model of the range and was a sign of success, wealth and prosperity, presidents and celebrities at the time were wearing Day Dates, however the market was not really ready for vibrant and funky color dials and from what we know, these were not well accepted by the audience. 

As a consequence Sales declined for these Tutti Frutti colored dials which were often replaced by conventional dials due to a more conservative audience in those days. The pre-dominant markets for Stella dials were Middle East and Asia. 

The color range can be described mostly as fresh, vibrant and funky and we know why people love them today. Apart from the Oxblood color all other colors are really ‘colorful’, Green, Red, Orange, Blue, Turquoise, Salmon, Candy Pink, Apricot, Seafoam, Lilac and Yellow, this should mostly conclude the range of dials. The value and desirability depend on the popularity of the color, the more exotic, the better. Assuming that a lot of these Stella dials had been destroyed, removed, returned to the factory, the number of Stella dials is not high, in fact it is frightening low.

The watch offered bears the Red Stella dial that has, over time, aged to a vibrant Tangerine tone making it even more exotic and desirable as it has a more unique feel. The lacquer for each dial was mixed by hand, making it very difficult to ensure the 100% same color for all dials so a lot of them have different hues. The aging just adds another level of uniqueness to the dial. 

Further, to oppose the common sense, this is the more desirable version with baton indexes. Most Stella dials have been fitted with diamond indexes.

This super cool 'Tangerine' Stella dial Day Date is the perfect Summer watch. The combination of the gold with the Tangerine color makes it pop and the watch cannot go unnoticed. The thick lacquer, that is especially known on the 4 digit references gives the color another boost, it look rich and strong, unlike the later flat Stella dials.

The watch is overall in very nice vintage condition retaining well defined dimensions and sharp edges. A great opportunity to acquire a very unique Stella.