This Rolex Day-Date Reference 1803 in yellow gold has been worn by Nicklaus almost every day since he received it as a gift from Rolex in 1967 and was on his wrist when he won 12 of his 18 big-time championship titles. The Day-Date is Rolex's most prestigious model and one of the most famous watches in the world.
Originally launched in 1956, the Day-Date, with its famous “President” bracelet, was the first wristwatch to feature a fully accurate date and day of the week indication on the dial. The sporty elegance of the Day-Date is appealing to a variety of consumers around the world, thanks to its versatility, robustness and elegance, enduring for over six decades as one of Rolex's most popular and sought-after models. Crafted in 18K yellow gold and featuring a pie-pan style dial extraordinary and extremely rare champagne colour, with tapered and faceted baton indexes – reminiscent of golf tees.
In a career spanning five decades, Nicklaus would become one of only five golfers to win all four of golf's modern majors, known in the golf world as hitting a "Grand Slam." Nicklaus' success on and off the course has earned him several major accolades. With honors and titles such as “Golf's Most Powerful Person,” “Golfer of the Century” and “Best Individual Male Athlete of the 20th Century” under his belt, Nicklaus has continued to use his success as a platform for the greater good of others. This impact led to him being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor in the country – and the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest honor of the United States Congress. Mr. Nicklaus was the seventh athlete (third golfer) to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and only the 2005th person to be awarded both the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Most notably, Mr. Nicklaus is only the fourth person in history — and the first athlete — to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2015), the Congressional Gold Medal (2018), and the Lincoln Medal (XNUMX).
Mr. Nicklaus has been dedicated to the welfare of children around the world. In 2004, Nicklaus and his wife, Barbara, founded the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, to provide families with access to world-class pediatric healthcare. By partnering with children's hospitals across the United States, the Foundation supports innovative programs focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of childhood illnesses. Its efforts include support for Nicklaus Children's Hospital, a world leader in pediatric healthcare with more than 800 physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The Nicklaus Children's Health System comprises 15 children's outpatient centers.
All proceeds from the auction will directly benefit the Foundation and its continued efforts to provide the best care to children in need around the world, as Nicklaus Children's Hospital has served children and families from all 50 states and 119 countries.
