Rolex Day-Date World Timer and invaluable contributions to the

and invaluable contributions to the engineering of one of our least favorite technical innovations- the quartz movement

000 watches a year

Rolex improved on the Reference 1803 Day-Date with the single quick-set date Caliber 3055

5mm case cradles a beautifully patinated dial

came on the heels of the three-way tie for the first automatic chronograph movement - the Calibre 11

Rolex Day-Date World Timer and invaluable contributions to theWhen Rolex released the Day Date in 1956, it was, in many ways, the brand's saving grace. The brand had all but abandoned complicated wristwatches after the failure of its previous triple calendar moon phase watches, references 8171 and 6062 (the former of which, incidentally, fetched $1. 2 million at Christie's a few years ago). But Rolex secured the patent for the Day Date on July 23, 1955, rushed production, and debuted the model at the Basel fair