There was a whisper going around Watches & Wonders this year that Rolex had created a set of Daytonas inspired by each of the four seasons – precious metal, gem-set, and what none of us could really believe, just one of each in the world. In other words, Rolex had made a unique set of watches. And as most of you likely know, Rolex is not in the business of creating one of anything, really. But they’d done it here, and the story goes that they’d asked each of their retailers to submit names and profiles for who might be a worthy owner of this box set of “Four Seasons” Daytonas. The price? roughly CHF 4million.
Platinum and lapis!
Yellow gold and mookaite and chrysoprase!
And in spite of the few details that were shared, the interest in the set was simply overwhelming. Rumors were that over 1,000 names were submitted for the multi-million dollar set before the the show had ended. The names included some of the most famous people in the world. And yet, Rolex, by their own admission, wasn’t quite sure how they would decide who would get it. They’d never expected such interest.
Well as of this morning, now we know. For the first time that I can remember, Rolex will hold a charity auction, and sell off these four unique Daytonas to the highest bidder. It will take place on September 28 of this year in London, in conjunction with Phillips auction house. All proceeds will go to two charities helmed by arguably Rolex’s most famous and influential testimonies, Roger Federer’s Federer Foundation and Leonardo DiCaprio’s re:Wild. The watches are now publicly documented for the first time above – and they are simply *wild*.
White gold and chrysoprase and lepidolite!
Everose gold and turquoise and ruby!
What does this mean? To me, it means that Rolex under Mr. Dufour continues to surprise in ways that I never thought Rolex would. From a market perspective, I think there is a very real chance that this auction re-sets the market for Daytonas in a way that we haven’t seen since Paul Newman’s steel Cosmograph did back in 2018. The retail on this set, when it was a retail product, was roughly 4 million CHF, but I was contacted by more than one person asking me to tell Mr. Dufour they’d be willing pay $10 million (needless to say, I did *not* pass along that message). . Now that this is for charity – that number could go up significantly.
Will These Watches Beat Out The Paul Newman Daytona?
Probably. But for the full context, we covered the last *huge* Daytona sale like no one else – watch the video and read about it here, in Cara Barrett’s story from 2017.
This is Rolex’s official statement on the sale:
“Inspired by the four seasons, these unique Cosmograph Daytona watches showcase Rolex’s expertise in gem-setting – a rare and refined expression of watchmaking excellence that brings together precision, creativity and beauty.
More than exceptional timepieces, these watches carry a deeper meaning. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Federer Foundation and Re:wild, co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio: two organizations whose respective missions – supporting young people and protecting nature – resonate with Rolex’s vision for a more sustainable planet.
Through this initiative, Rolex underscores its belief that true excellence is measured not only by the quality of its products, but also by the positive impact it can have on the world.”
This one, dear readers, should get wild – and Hodinkee will be there every step of the way. So stay tuned for more.
For more information on the Rolex Four Seasons Daytona sale, click here.
