Rolex Creates Four One-of-a-Kind Daytonas for Its First Charity Auction
Phillips will offer the gem-set “Four Seasons” watches in London to benefit the Federer Foundation and Re:wild, the environmental conservation organization co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio
On September 28, Phillips will auction four unique, gem-set versions of the famed Rolex Daytona in London, marking the first charity auction watchmaker has held. Named for the four seasons, the watches pile natural-stone dials, colored gemstones, diamonds, and precious metals onto a model conceived more than 60 years ago as a tool for racing drivers.
Spring gets the palest palette of the four. Made in 18-karat white gold, it has a chrysoprase dial, lepidolite counters, purple-sapphire hour markers, and 36 more purple sapphires around the bezel. Summer gets noticeably hotter in Everose gold with turquoise, heart-of-ruby counters, and pink sapphires. Autumn combines yellow gold with mookaite, chrysoprase, and green tourmalines.
Winter takes the dramatic route. The platinum watch pairs a blue-opal dial with lapis lazuli counters and diamond hour markers, while 36 sapphires around its bezel graduate from blue to fuchsia. All four watches also have 54 brilliant-cut diamonds set into the lugs and crown guard. Beneath all that jewelry, the mechanics remain those of the contemporary Daytona. Each contains Rolex’s calibre 4131 and has a power reserve of approximately 72 hours.
This exuberance is quite a journey from the watch’s origins. Rolex launched the Cosmograph in 1963 as a chronograph for professional racing drivers, moving its tachymetric scale to the bezel where it could be used to calculate speed. The company already had ties to Daytona International Speedway. The word “Daytona” began appearing on some examples intended for the American market during the model’s early years and gradually became its familiar name.
Phillips, meanwhile, has some history with the model. In 2017, the auction house sold Paul Newman’s own reference 6239 Daytona for $17,752,500. Newman’s association with the watch gave that distinctive group of vintage Daytonas their enduring collector nickname. The winning bid set a world auction record for a wristwatch at the time.
Rolex says the proceeds from all four lots will go to the Federer Foundation and Re:wild. Federer established his foundation in 2003; its work centers on early and foundational learning for children in Southern Africa and Switzerland. Re:wild, co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio and conservation scientists, works to protect and restore wild ecosystems around the world. Both Federer and DiCaprio are Rolex Testimonees, and the auction is part of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative.