Rolex · Day-Date · 1803 · white gold · about 1970 · pre-owned on Amazon
The white gold President, with diamonds, from 1970.
A Day-Date in white gold is the quiet version of the loud watch: the same 36mm case, fluted bezel, day at twelve and date at three, on the President bracelet, but reading as steel until someone looks closely. This 1803 has a silver dial set with eight round and two baguette diamonds, a serial from about 1970 and its branded box. The listing’s movement and crystal lines describe a later reference; the copy below sorts that out. Pre-owned through a Luxury Stores reseller, graded Excellent.
- Case
- 36mm, 18k white gold, fluted bezel
- Movement
- Calibre 1556 automatic (1803); the listing says 3055 quickset, which is the 18039
- Crystal
- Acrylic as made; the listing says sapphire
- Dial
- Silver, eight round and two baguette diamond markers, day and Cyclops date
- Bracelet
- 18k white gold President, hidden Crownclasp, about 9 inches
- This unit
- Excellent; minor scratching to caseback; box; serial 241xxxx (about 1970)
The 1803, and why the listing contradicts itself
The 1803 is the Day-Date Rolex made from 1959 to 1978: an acrylic crystal, a fluted bezel, and the calibre 1555 and later 1556, on which the date is set by winding the hands round, because quickset did not arrive until the 18038 and 18039 replaced it. A 241xxxx serial puts this one around 1970, squarely in the 1803 years.
The seller’s description says the watch has a calibre 3055 with quickset and a sapphire crystal. Those belong to the 18039, the white gold reference that came after. Either the description is a template shared with the later watch, or this 1803 has had a later movement and crystal fitted in service, which happens and which a Rolex service centre will have recorded. Ask before buying; the price should reflect the answer.
The diamond dial
Rolex fitted diamond dials to the Day-Date from the 1960s on: round diamonds at most hours with baguettes at six and nine is one of the factory patterns of the period, and it is what the photograph shows. The listing does not say whether this dial is factory or later, and aftermarket diamond dials on 1803s are common enough that you should ask; a factory dial is worth a great deal more than a fitted one, and the seller’s authentication should say which.
The rest is straightforward: white gold President bracelet, branded box, sized to about 9 inches so a jeweller will need to remove links for most wrists, condition Excellent with minor scratching to the caseback. Every figure here comes from the listing and from Rolex’s published description of the 1803, not from handling the watch.
Buying it pre-owned on Amazon
Rolex is pre-owned only on Amazon. This unit is sold by What Goes Around Comes Around through Amazon Luxury Stores, authenticated by the seller with Amazon’s 30-day return window on top; it is one piece, and when it sells the listing goes away, so the second button opens the live search for white gold Day-Dates. The return window is the answer to the questions above: ask, buy, and have a watchmaker open the caseback inside thirty days.
Vintage white gold Day-Dates have resold close to what people paid for them for a long time, sometimes more, sometimes less; that is a pattern, not a promise, and nothing here is investment advice.
Specs
- Reference
- 1803
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case material
- 18k white gold, fluted bezel
- Movement
- Automatic; Rolex calibre 1556 for the 1803 (the listing says 3055 with quickset, which is the later 18039; ask)
- Caliber type
- Rolex, chronometer certified
- Crystal
- Acrylic on the 1803 as made (the listing says sapphire; ask)
- Water resistance
- 50m (5 ATM) per Rolex for the period
- Power reserve
- About 42 hours
- Complications
- Day (spelled out) and date
- Origin
- Swiss Made
Specifications as published by Rolex. We research from manufacturer documentation and published sources rather than hands-on testing. Researched 2026-09-12.
Verdict
A 1970 white gold Day-Date with a diamond dial and its box, pre-owned on Amazon: the President for someone who does not want to be seen wearing a gold Rolex, with two questions to ask the seller first.
Strengths
- Solid 18k white gold case and President bracelet
- Diamond dial in a period Rolex pattern, box included
- A 1970 serial; a vintage Day-Date at a modern-Datejust price
- Amazon’s return window covers the questions the listing leaves open
Trade-offs
- Listing’s movement and crystal lines contradict the reference; ask
- Factory or fitted diamond dial not stated; ask
- Bracelet sized to about 9 inches; links to remove
- One unit; when it sells, it is gone
Buy it if
Someone who knows vintage Rolex, wants a white gold President with diamonds, and will use the return window to have it checked.
Skip it if
You want a watch whose listing answers every question, or a quickset date you can count on.
FAQ
No. The 1803 uses the calibre 1555 or 1556, on which the date is set by advancing the hands. The listing’s mention of a quickset calibre 3055 describes the later 18039; ask the seller which movement is in this watch.
Compare
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RolexDay-Date 1803 (18k white gold, diamond dial, President, about 1970) vs Day-Date 18238 (18k yellow gold, blue diamond dial)
RolexDay-Date 1803 (18k white gold, diamond dial, President, about 1970) vs Datejust 41 (steel, white gold fluted bezel, white Roman dial)Sources
- Rolex Day-Date, official collection page
- Amazon Luxury Stores listing (What Goes Around Comes Around, pre-owned), read 2026-09-12
Researched and last updated 2026-09-12. We do not test watches in hand; every figure above is traceable to the manufacturer or the sources listed here.
Rolex Day-Date 1803 (18k white gold, diamond dial, President, about 1970)
Reference 1803 · $10,000–$25,000
Prices and availability change; the band above is a research figure, so check the current listing.
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