A rare Platinum Rolex Daytona of 1999 with a sphere of pearl with diamond hour markers, one of the only four that exist.
Courtesy of Sotheby's
A legendary clock is about to enter the center of attention.
A 1999 Rolex Daytona platinum is aimed at the auction on Sunday in Sotheby's Geneva, and could sell for up to $ 1.7 million.
The clock is made of platinum, a material that Rolex did not use in Daytona models until 2013. Its face is nacar, set with 10 diamonds. Unlike almost any other rolex in the market, it was not part of a standard collection. He was commissioned in private, custom made for a client, something almost unknown to Rolex.
“It is very unusual to find a commission,” said Pedro Reiser, a specialist in senior surveillance at Sotheby's. “There are other brands that can be more flexible and do these types of exercises, perhaps regularly, but not in the space of the Rolex pieces where you can barely find any commission.”
It is only known that there are four of these watches, made for the same family, each with a different dial. The watch that goes to the auction block is the last one sold. The others have already gone at mass prices, exceeding $ 3 million.
There is great exaggeration in this small metal work. It is believed that it was created under the leadership of Patrick Heiniger, CEO of Rolex, from 1992 to 2008. He directed the company for a moment of great growth and secret and helped convert Rolex of a respected brand into a global luxury icon.
While rumors have turned that Heiniger personally commissioned or used a similar platinum daytone, Reiser warns that there is no confirmed link to this clock.
“That's more a rumor,” Reiser said. “Personally, I have never seen it with this piece, but I know that I used to love platinum watches, mainly day -day models. It is a good story that accompanies the clock, but I think it is more a myth.”
The fact that Rolex has made a Platinum Daytona in 1999, long before Platinum models publicly introduced in 2013, is an important part of the clock mystique.
“At that time, they only existed in stainless steel, yellow gold and white gold,” Reiser said. “Having a platinum, the only known platinum Zenith Daytona, is very special.”
Rolex did not begin to produce Platinum Daytonas until 2013, which makes this 1999 personalized watch a historical anomaly in the brand's legacy.
Courtesy of Sotheby's
This particular model stands out from its brothers.
“This is the only one that has a diamonds dial,” Reiser said. “The others had dark dials of nacar, lazuli and turquoise stone, but not diamonds.”
As more people, especially rich collectors and younger buyers, see more and more rare clocks such as investments, the prices of these rare watches have risen.
According to the latest Knight Frank index, watches have increased more than 125% in value during the last decade, classifying them among high -performance luxury investments, just behind rare whiskey and high -end designer furniture. Even after a slight cooling, with prices that increased only 1.7% during the past year, the 52.7% growth rate indicates the category remains a long -term reliable play.
The demand has only been expanded, with more international buyers and a wave of collectors under 30 who enters the market, said Reiser.
