Results from a cluster of international watch auctions in Geneva this month prove that demand for historic and modern day Rolex Daytonas is reaching fever pitch.
In a gold rush like this, it pays to be the people selling picks and shovels, and the auction houses are the modern day enablers of the current exuberance.
London’s Bonhams is getting in on the action with its monthly Fine Watches and Wristwatches auction that next takes place online and in the sale room on June 20.
In that sale will be a Rolex Daytona ‘Oyster Sotto’, one of only 20 or fewer known examples where the word Oyster appears below Rolex and Cosmograph.
They rarely come up for sale, which is why Bonhams expects it to sell for £300,000 to £400,000.
Jonathan Darracott, Bonhams global head of watches, says: “We are delighted to be offering such an impressive range of watches in this sale, the breadth of which is rarely seen in a single auction. The Oyster Sotto is a truly remarkable timepiece, and the fact that it is offered directly from the original owner makes this an unmissable opportunity for a serious collector.’
Another supremely rare timepiece offered is a Rolex Daytona ‘Desert Eagle,’ with a £150,000 to £250,000 pre-sale estimate. The watches were originally commissioned by the UAE in the 1970s to be given as gifts to high-ranking officials and dignitaries. The unrestored and eye-catching dial displays the ‘Quraysh Hawk’ and the UAE coat of arms. Today, they are among the most sought-after Daytonas in the world, Bonhams says.
Below are other Rolex Daytona models in the Bonhams June Fine Watches and Wristwatches auction.
