Rolex Day-Date 1803

“Vintage President”

D-

Vintage grade D-: passion purchaseToday's call · Buy it to wear, not to flip

Short termunder 1 yearFairMid term1 to 3 yearsWeakLong term3+ yearsWeak

Graded on the vintage scale: rank #24 of 26 rated vintage references

Retail (1968)$1,200

Typical sale today$9,000Typical range $7,600 to $13,400

Vs retail+775%

1-year-5%

Market range: the middle half of 103 recorded eBay sales in the last 12 months. Vintage sales include serviced and redialed examples, so the best original pieces can sell above it.

Open in the interactive VaultLive eBay listings ↗︎

Market price history

Median recorded eBay sale price for each quarter with 3 or more sales. Dashed line marks the 1968 retail price.

Investment scorecard

Momentum37Measured price direction: the median recorded sale of the last 4 months against the median of 8 to 12 months ago. 50 means flat; small samples are pulled toward 50.

Liquidity96How easily it sells: recorded sales in the last 12 months (300 or more scores 100) and eBay's 90-day sell-through rate.

Scarcity35Demand against supply. For modern pieces, how far the market sits above or below current retail, plus a lift if production has ended. For vintage, how rarely one comes up for sale.

Value entry43Where the latest quarter's median sale sits inside its own 3-year range. Buying near the low scores high; buying at the high scores low.

Condition safety37How safe a typical example is: the age of the design, plus how tightly sale prices cluster (a wide spread means condition and originality swing the price).

The story

Solid gold vintage for the price of a modern steel Sub. Worn by presidents, preachers, and rappers alike.

Acrylic crystal, no quickset date, and plenty of refinished dials in the wild: condition separates the $13k from the $19k examples.

The reference worn by Jack Nicklaus (his 1803 sold for about $1.2 million in 2019), the 1803 was a power watch of the 1960s and 70s. 36mm of gold with a 'pie-pan' dial that catches light like nothing modern.

Vintage Presidents are one of the market's great inefficiencies: immense history at a fraction of a new one's price. Rare lacquer 'Stella' dials in red, blue, and green turn the same watch into a six-figure auction lot.

Our verdict: A lot of gold per dollar. A wearable vintage flex with moderate upside.

Configurations

Sizes	36mm
Case & bracelet	18k yellow gold
Factory bracelet	President
Factory bezels	Fluted yellow, white, or rose gold
Notable dials	Champagne; Silver; Rare lacquer and wood dials
Caliber	1555 / 1556
Production	1960 to 1978 (discontinued)

Recent recorded sales

Sold	Example	Price
Oct 31, 2026	Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎	$9,040
Oct 30, 2026	Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎	$8,900
Oct 29, 2026	Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎	$8,300
Oct 11, 2026	Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎	$13,050
Oct 1, 2026	Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎	$15,500
Sep 27, 2026	Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎	$12,655

Recorded eBay completed sales, logged at our last data refresh.

If you like this one

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See the Vintage President in the Vault Browse all references

Quick answers

How much is a Rolex Day-Date 1803 worth?

Recorded eBay sales from the last 12 months put the typical Rolex Day-Date 1803 at $9,000, with the middle half selling between $7,600 and $13,400 (103 sales). Condition, box and papers move the price within that range.

Is the Rolex Day-Date 1803 a good investment?

The Crown Index grades it D- (49/100) from real resale data, and today's call is wear, not invest. Weak resale; buy it to wear, not to make money. Past prices are not a forecast.