Story Highlight
– Four unique Rolex Daytonas sold for £37.3 million.
– Proceeds benefit Federer Foundation and Re conservation.
– Summer Daytona fetched highest price, £10.3 million.
– Rolex considered private sale before public charity auction.
– Each watch symbolizes a different season with unique designs.
Full Story
Four exceptional models of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona have been sold for a total of £37.3 million ($49.4 million) at a recent Phillips auction held in London.
The auction featured the Four Seasons Daytonas, aptly named Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, with proceeds supporting Roger Federer’s Federer Foundation and the conservation group Re, which was co-founded by actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Both Federer and DiCaprio serve as brand ambassadors for Rolex, referred to by the watchmaker as “testimonees.”
Summer emerged as the most valuable of the collection, fetching £10.3 million ($13.65 million). Autumn was sold for £10.2 million ($13.52 million), while Winter commanded £10 million ($13.2 million). Spring concluded the sales at £6.8 million ($9 million). The collective total of £37.3 million, approximate to $50 million, stands out, particularly as there were initial considerations by Rolex to sell the four pieces privately for around CHF 4 million earlier in the year.
Hodinkee reported in April during the Watches and Wonders event that Rolex had crafted the four unique, gem-studded Daytonas and was contemplating a private sale as a complete set. Retailers had been asked to identify potential buyers, leading to over 1,000 expressions of interest. Ultimately, Rolex opted to auction the watches publicly for charitable donations.
Each timepiece represents one of the four seasons, showcasing a distinctive blend of precious metals, natural stones, and gemstones. Spring features an 18-carat white gold case adorned with a chrysoprase dial and highlighted with lepidolite counters and purple sapphires. Summer combines Everose gold with turquoise and rubies, while Autumn showcases yellow gold with mookaite, chrysoprase, and green tourmalines. Winter rounds out the collection with platinum, lapis lazuli, and blue sapphires.
More than their exquisite design, the uniqueness of these watches is significant. Rolex has historically maintained that it does not create one-off pieces; thus, each of these models is described as a unique creation, hinting at a potential evolution within the brand’s production strategy. This follows the recent unveiling of another exceptional one-off Daytona, presented in August by Canadian rapper Drake to mark his record-breaking achievements in 2026.
Drake’s watch, the “One of One Piece Unique Ice Gradient Daytona,” features a striking design that incorporates diamonds and blue sapphires throughout its construction. However, Rolex has not confirmed its categorisation as a “pièces unique” when approached for clarification.
The sale of these remarkable Daytonas continues Rolex’s legacy of innovation within the luxury watch market, setting a new precedent for rarity and exclusivity.
