Mention the name Rolex and you will automatically think of luxury and ultra reliable watches. Considered as one of the most valuable brands in the world today, the company is the largest single luxury watch brand. It produces around 2,000 watches daily and has revenues in the billions of dollars.
Alfred Davis and Hans Wildorf established Rolex in 1905. Originally based in London, the company eventually transferred to Geneva in 1919.
Sports lovers will always see the Rolex sign in tennis grand slam tournaments, particularly in Wimbledon and in the Australian Open. The brand has been used in the most extreme of conditions. It went down to 10,916 meters when Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh dove the depth of the Mariana Trench in 1960. Both men sported a Rolex Sea Dweller Deep Sea Special at that time.
It has also gone way up when the chief guide of the Hillary expedition to the peak of Mount Everest wore the brand in 1953 during their assault of the world’s highest mountain. Tenzing Norgay, as well as other members of the team, was sporting Rolex Oysters on their way to the top, reaching an altitude of 8,848 meters.The watch is a proven timepiece.
Here is a list of the Top 3 most expensive watches made by Rolex.3. Rolex GMT 116769TBR – $485,350
This is the most expensive watch that comes directly from Rolex. It features a wave diamond dial with luminous hour markers. The hands are luminous as well, though it is lined in black. The bracelet is made of white gold weighing 18 carats. Along with the sides, it is filled with diamonds. The self-winding, automatic watch features an Oysterlock clasp and can go down to 100 meters of water resistance. Even the case and locks are encrusted with 76 brilliant round diamonds.
2. Eric Clapton’s 1971 Rolex Daytona - $505,000Just like his guitars, Eric Clapton’s watch seems to be highly valued. The watch features a silver monochrome dial, a stark contrast to the more common design themes of Rolex that have different schemes. As a result, the watch was nicknamed Albino. The price of the watch in the market is around a hundred thousand, but Slowhand himself had worn this one, thus, the increase in its value.
1. 1942 Rolex Chronograph – $1.16 million
Only 12 pieces of this 1942 classic were made. Originally estimated to have a value of around $680 thousand, it went at a Christie’s auction for $1.16 million. The watch has a nickel finish and lever movement and silver matte dials. It features 17 jewels and pink gold Arabic and baton numerals. It also has outer minute divisions, blue telemeter, black tachymeter scales, two subsidiary dials for constant seconds, a 30-minute register, and a split second chronograph mechanism.
