1971 Rolex Day Date Silver Wide Boy Dial Ref. 1802

The elusive White Gold 1802

When it comes to collectible and rare Vintage Rolex watches, the first thing that we look at, the main deal maker or breaker is usually the dial, the most valuable, rare and crucial part of a vintage Rolex or vintage watch-by definition. What if those characteristics apply to the case? Well then, the rarity is taken to another level. 

This 1802 is such a watch. Rolex has produced multiple references in the four-digit Day Date era, the most common being the 1803, then there is the 1802, the 1804 with Diamond bezel, the 1806 with Florentine finish, the 1807 Bark, the 1811 with Morellis finish and some more variants with different case decorations. Apart from the reference, the rarity varies vastly depending on which metal they are made from. 

Let’s focus on the 1802 which was produced in from 1959 until 1977 when the five-digit Day Date models were introduced. The 1802 is characterized by its smooth or ‘domed’ bezel. Due to its plain and minimalistic appeal it was less favored at the time resulting in a small limited production over a span of just under 20 years. The 1802 in white gold represents a niche in a niche, On the other hand, the 1803 with its opulent fluted bezel took the cake for its more iconic ‘Rolex’ appeal explaining the vast production of this reference. Over the span of production the 1802 likely accounted for less than 5% of the total output of four-digit Day-Date references making it incredibly rare but that’s not all, keep reading.

Rolex produced it in all metals, yellow, white, pink gold and platinum. There are always a couple of yellow gold models that can be found floating on the market and when we look again, we find a few platinum examples sold at auctions lately or even available on the market now, usually less than a hand full per year but yes, we can see that they are around. That leaves us with white and pink gold. Where do we see those? Nowhere! They hardly ever appear on the market. We believe that the white and pink gold examples each have a share of less than 10% of the entire 1802 production. Is this rare enough?

We are thrilled to offer this exceptionally rare Rolex Day Date 1802 in white gold and it’s a first one for us. This watch dates back to 1971 and is retained in beautiful and crisp condition showing only light wear for its age. The case is well defined with good proportioned lugs and a sharp domed bezel. Case engravings are crisp and clear, hallmarks on the back of the lugs are fully present.

The watch houses a beautiful Silver Wide Boy dial with fully present lume dots. The Wide Boy dial stands out because of its very prominent double facetted index markers which beautifully blend with the clean silhouette of the case. Unlike many other Wide Boy dial watches this one retains its original and matching hands.

The unsized matching President bracelet with old style clasp is sharp and shows only moderate stretch from age, the blade is stamped with a 69’ date code confirming the correct period.

Overall this 1802 is in excellent vintage condition and a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a very attractive Day Date that is among the rarest references out there. In the right circle the watch will be immediately recognizable means, those who know, know.