1972 Rolex Day Date Oxblood Stella 'Qaboos' Ref. 1803

Qaboos Stella

Since its inception in the mid 1950s the Day Date embodies the absolute top model of the Rolex collection range and is a sign of success, wealth and prosperity. Presidents, Royals, Politicians and Celebrities love Day Dates and at the time were mostly wearing Day Dates, it was a status symbol, in short it was the watch for the rich and famous. 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 Middle East was (and still is) one of the largest markets for Day Dates given their prestigious and luxurious appeal of wealth and prosperity. Important here is that it was also one of the pre-dominant markets for Stella dials.

One very prominent person and avid watch collector of special Rolex watches at the time was the late Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said – the longest serving monarch in the middle east and Arab World. Sultan Qaboos, following his love and passion for the finer things in life he early established relationships with the world’s leading luxury brands including Rolex. He went to private school in the UK and later to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst where became friend with one of the richest men in England, Sir James Timothy Whittington Landon who eventually introduced him to the John Asprey.

From that time Asprey became a key institution to cater to the Sultan’s wishes for exquisite jewelry, accessories and watches of different brands. Interestingly Asprey seems to have been the inspiration for placing the Khanjar and Qaboos logos on the dials of watches, today we call this double stamping which at the time was done in Asprey workshops. The Sultan embraced the idea and used this for influential reasons as he was not only buying very watches for himself as a collector but also for gifting purposes to Members of his government, foreign dignitaries, Military officers, staff and many other persons. We believe that Rolex was among his favorite watch brands as from all watches that we see out there today, Rolex is the one featuring the majority of Omani logos. 

There were 3 logos that were placed on Rolex dials, the Khanjar being the national emblem of Oman, the small ‘Crowned’ Khanjar made for the very close family and friends circle and Qaboos, written in Arabic language usually positioned above the 6 o’clock marker.  We can see the result of this partnership on the market, some of the most important Rolex watches feature Omani logos and are achieving record prices at international auctions. Collectors value the Royal provenance being placed on the dial.

This historical journey to the past brings us to the watch in hand today. We have here a pristine example of a Rolex Day Date reference 1803 in yellow gold from 1973. The case features sharp edges with well defined lugs showing beautiful factory finish. The bezel is also well retained with prominent fluting. The President bracelet with hidden clasp is in great condition and only shows moderate wear from use.

The watch features the iconic Oxblood Stella dial that is known for its rich burgundy color and is featuring 8 diamonds and 2 baguette markers at 6 and 9. The step at the edge of the dial creates a beautiful 3D effect that we love so much on 4 digit Day Date dials. The lacquered surface, even after more than 50 years is free of any cracks or hairlines that can usually be found especially around the diamond markers. The mesmerizing gloss is present and the fully retained luminous dots have aged to a pleasing pumpkin color and are matching with the hands.

A very special detail on the dial is the ‘Qaboos’ signature in Arabic writing that we can find under the center post. Very prominent and in matching gilt print showing off the Royal provenance behind this historically important timepiece. In Order to enhance the middle eastern provenance of this watch the calendar discs are also in Arabic language. 

Another fact that is important to mention here is that we found two very important pieces of information in the inside case back. The first is that the serial number is repeated in the inside case back confirming that this watch was a special order watch. The second is that the inside case back features the RWC Ltd stamp (Rolex Watch Company UK) and London import marks confirming that the watch was imported to the United Kingdom. With Asprey Bond Street being the supplier of the Royal Omani Court, this closes the circle. Concluding the information we have presented here we are thrilled to say that this is a full spec Day Date with Stella dial and indisputably correct Royal provenance.

Stella dial Day Dates of this period are scarce today, most examples have issues, be it hairlines, bubbling, loss of gloss or loss of lume, it is very difficult to find dials that tick all the boxes. This makes us even more proud to have found an absolute pristine example that not only fulfills the requirements of esteemed collectors but also enhances the rarity with the Sultan’s name printed on the dial. We have only seen a hand full of Stella dials featuring this logo on the dial and we are comfortable to say that this may be one of the rarest Stella dial Day Dates out there.