A customised Rolex commissioned 40 years ago by the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum is being auctioned by Christie’s.
The ‘Pepsi’ bezel Rolex GMT-Master will be sold at the Christie’s Dubai auction of Important Watches on March 23. The watch has a pre-sale estimate of around £115,000.
Presented in a Rolex box adorned with the crest of the UAE, the timepiece also comes with an artistic representation of the watch in the form of a water colour on paper combined with digital drawing applied on aluminium, signed by the artist.
“Personalised Rolex watches are highly prized gifts, often created to celebrate milestone occasions, and they are highly sought after by regional and international collectors,” said Remy Julia, Head of Watches for Christie’s Middle East, India, and Africa.
“The present reference 1675 with the name of Sheikh Mohammed in red is an exceedingly rare example of a Rolex GMT-Master model and given that it has never previously been offered to the market, we anticipate strong interest in this timepiece from collectors in the UAE and around the world,” he added.
