At Phillips’ recent Geneva Watch Auction, a rare Rolex Daytona known as “The Legend” went up for auction and ended up selling for a record price. The 18k yellow gold Rolex Oyster watch with a “Paul Newman” dial ended up selling for $3.7 million, making it the most expensive Daytona ever sold.
This is what Hodinkee.com had to say about the winner of the watch: “The eventual winner even decided to get up and walk out of the auction room before Aurel Bacs finally dropped his gavel. He turned around just in time to hear confirmation of his winning bid, but he was the first person out of the auction room. Perhaps he was just keen on getting his hands on his new watch.” That’s a pretty epic exit.
According to the watch’s listing on Phillips.com, it is the three known and correct example of its kind to ever appear in public. They also noted that for decades, a yellow gold Paul Newman wristwatch, like this one with screw down pushers, has been the subject of mystery for collectors and scholars. This was because the existence of such a watch was unknown. Well, now we know that they do exist and they cost a pretty penny.
