Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
After helping the Toronto Marlboros to two Memorial Cup Championships as a junior, hard-hitting defenceman Bobby Baun made his NHL debut with Toronto in 1956-57, getting into 20 games and then becoming a fixture on the Leafs’ blueline for the next decade. Helping the blue and white to four (4) Stanley Cup championships over the course of his career and suiting up in 964 games over the course of his career with the likes of Toronto, Oakland and Detroit, offered here is this Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date watch with Presidential bracelet that hails from Baun's personal collection. Sporting a reference number of "1803" and serial number of "2749351", indicating that the watch was made in the period of 1971-1972, it is possible that the watch was presented to Baun by the Maple Leafs, whom he finished his NHL career with by playing five (5) games in 1972-73, retiring in October after injuring his neck on a hit by Mickey Redmond (Baun previously suffered a neck injury playing for Oakland and doctors told him if he got hurt again, there was a 95 per cent chance he would end up in a wheelchair).
Dubbed the "President" due to the numerous instances of U.S. Presidents favoring the all-gold Day-Date on its iconic matching bracelet, over the years, the 'President' nickname stuck, forever cementing the associations between Rolex watches and success and personal accomplishment. First worn by Lyndon B. Johnson while in office, which later inspired Rolex to release an ad referring to the Day-Date as the “President’s Watch,” stating that it was the watch seen “on the wrists of Presidents everywhere.”, it is believed that the nickname originally referred to only the bracelet but has since become the nickname of both the bracelet and the Day-Date model.
Sporting an "18K" stamp and a hallmark on the back of the lug, the bracelet is also stamped with "18K" over the folding clasp while a facsimile "Robert Baum" signature is engraved along with the Rolex logo, "Rolexsa", "750" and "Geneve, Swiss Made". Additionally, the other side of the folding clasp is engraved with "3 71" and features a similar facsimile "Robert Baun" signature which is mostly worn out and hard to see.
Recently serviced and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from the jeweler who did the servicing, the watch features an 18K yellow gold case and bracelet and is a 36mm example which retains the original case, dial, hands, caliber, bracelet and crown while it is important to note that the crystal has been replaced. Featuring a Rolex 1556 caliber on the interior, the aesthetic appearance of the watch is that is has been well loved and worn with pride by its original owner, with the case and bracelet being over polished in that time, with both also showing wear, including scratches, scuffs and dings, that is heaviest over the bracelet.
A truly special offering hailing from the personal collection of one of the best to play in the decade of the 1960s, the watch will come accompanied by a Baun Family LOA
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