A rare Platinum Rolex Daytona 1999 with a dial of the mother's mother with diamond -hour markers – one of the four known to exist.
Sotheby's graciousness
A legendary watch is about to put yourself in the spotlight.
A Platinum Rolex Daytona 1999 heads for the auctions on Sunday in Geneva of Sotheby, and could sell up to $ 1.7 million.
The watch is made from platinum, a material that Rolex did not use on Daytona models before 2013. His face is mother -of -pearl, fixed with 10 diamonds. Unlike almost all the other Rolex on the market, that was not part of a standard collection. He was ordered in private, tailor -made for a client – something almost unknown for Rolex.
“It is very unusual to meet a commission,” said Pedro Reiser, main specialist in Watch at Sotheby's. “There are other brands that could be more flexible and do these kinds of exercises, perhaps regularly – but not in the Rolex rooms where you can barely meet any commission.”
Only four of these watches are known to exist, made for the same family, each with a different dial. The watch that goes to the auction block is the last to be sold. The others have already opted for massive prices, exceeding $ 3 million.
There is a large media threw around this small metal work. It is believed that it was created under the direction of Patrick Heiniger, CEO of Rolex from 1992 to 2008. He led the company during a period of major growth and secrets and helped to transform Rolex of a monitoring brand respected into a global luxury icon.
While rumors have swirled according to which Heiniger has personally ordered a similar Platinum Daytona, Reiser warns that there is no confirmed link with this watch.
“It's more a rumor,” said Reiser. “Personally, I have never seen him with this piece, but I know he loved Platinum watches – mainly date models. It is a beautiful story that accompanies the watch, but I think it's more a myth.”
The fact that Rolex made a Platinum Daytona in 1999, well before introducing Platinum models publicly in 2013, is an important part of the mysticism of the watch.
“At the time, they only existed in stainless steel, in yellow gold and white gold,” said Reiser. “Having a platinum – the only known Platinum Zenith Daytona – is very special.”
Rolex only started producing Platinum Daytonas in 2013, making this calendar to measure to measure 1999 a historic anomaly in the heritage of the brand.
Sotheby's graciousness
This particular model is even distinguished from his brothers and sisters.
“He is the only one to have a diamond dial,” said Reiser. “The others had dark dials from the mother of the mother -of -pearl, the lapis lazuli and the turquoise, but no diamonds.”
While more people, especially rich collectors and young buyers, see more and more rare watches like investments, the prices of these rare watches have climbed.
According to Knight Frank's latest index, watches have jumped over 125% over the past decade, ranking them among the most efficient luxury investments, just behind rare whiskey and high -end creative furniture. Even after a slight cooling, prices only increase by 1.7% in the past year, the five -year growth rate for watches of 52.7% signals the category remains a reliable long -term game.
The demand has expanded, with more international buyers and a wave of collectors under the age of 30 entering the market, said Reiser.