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| A well-known collector from an italian forum about Rolex Day-Date:
"Watch that, in my opinion, if he had the crown on the dial would pay no more than the weight of the gold old."
That 's right? Let's trace the history of the origins of a watch by many as a true icon of the Maison.
The history of the Rolex Day-Date begins in July 1955, when it was registered the patent; the first watch was instead presented at the Basel Fair in 1956. The presence of the indication of the day of the week and the date actually was not born with this model, since other houses had in producing watches with similar functions.
In the mid-50s, in fact, were already producing numerous watches from other brands, characterized by the complication of the double date (Ulysses Nardin, Bulova), and some, as JLC and Movado, already producing watches with triple date.
In the new model Rolex, however, the matter of impermeability guaranteed by Oyster case and screwed crown, would place the Day-Date forefront.
In the Rolex production, the Day-Date was going to become the most elegant wacth, hitherto held by DateJust.
The comparison between the already widespread DateJust (born about 10 years earlier, this is a reference 6605) and the new Day-Date actually allows us to understand how the revolution, in terms of aesthetics, Rolex had already performed with the 'introduction (and subsequent evolution) of the DateJust, whose production was begun in 1945 ready to supplant the "Ovettone".
The new model will in fact have a case similar to that of the DateJust and the same ring (so-called "striped").
The Cyclops, or the magnifying glass that allowed better read the date, had already been introduced in 1954 and therefore already in the DateJust.Una novelty was however, that this watch was produced only in gold and, in small numbers in platinum. For several years, indefatigable, the Date-Just was also marketed the steel version.
the first reference was the 6511, from 1956
Note the peculiar resistance to a depth of 50 meters, which for its time was remarkable and the date display red. Beautiful indexes applied, in this exemplary "arrowhead".
Another unique feature of the model Rolex the presence of the discs with the words of the days of the week in all languages (will almost thirty).
At the same time it was introduced a new bracelet, called President, equipped with the classic first closure strip and subsequently the closure "retractable". The name of this bracelet came from the fact that a copy of the watch was a gift from Rolex to US President Eisenhower who appreciated the gift and put on the clock every day until 1960
In the United States by that time the Day-Date was indicated as President.
The American President, even before that gift, wore Rolex, as well highlights this cover of Time magazine, which dates back to 1952:
For this new watch Rolex designed (although derived from the caliber 1030) a new movement, the caliber 1055, 25 jewels, 18,000 vibrations / hour, with a diameter of 28.50 mm and a thickness of 7mm:
This reference will be replaced the following year by the reference 6611, whose changes are aesthetic (written on the dial, date window color) and substance (changes to the caliber 1055 with 'adoption of the new rocker "Microstella").
In 1959 there was a very important change: the 6611 gives way to 1803, for many the reference which is the Day-Date par excellence, because the best known, the most popular, perhaps what really created the mythical aura surrounding this model. First, it must be said that the differences with the previous references are to form (new case, leaner) and substance (new movement, 1555):
Were also produced some enameled dial, today very rare:
Note that the various references in this series refer to the finish of the watches, according to this scheme (from the forum vetroplastica, as the other information this article):
1802 ring smooth
1803 knurled
1804 ring with diamonds
1806 case and bezel linen-textured
1807 ring-bark finish
1811 ring linen-textured
Subsequent references to the current ones, have not changed anything: the Day-Date was born as the King of elegance Rolex at home and still have no doubt this feature.
(Thank the friend Attilio Pelucchi for photographic material given me).
REFERENCES
-http: //www.vetroplastica.it/Rolex-Day-Date-2.html
-http: //orologi.forumfree.it/? t = 47641469
Edited by VValenti65 - 6/4/2015, 10:02
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