The Oyster Perpetual Day-Date has been Rolex’s flagship model since its launch in 1956 and is characterised by the addition of a day and date aperture, located at the 3 and 12-hour markers. Over the years, the model has been presented in various iterations, but always in precious metals (although a few steel versions were made as a special orders).

The reference 1803 launched in 1961 is probably the most famous of the Day-Date models. It was produced right up until 1977 when it was replaced by the Ref. 180XX models. The new generation of watches were powered by Cal. 3055 with a higher frequency rate of 28,800 beats per hour and more importantly, quickset date functionality. The Ref. 18048 often featured diamond-set bezels and sat at the more luxurious end of the Day-Date spectrum.