Rolex has made plenty of unusual watches over the years. But it has rarely been this open about them.
On September 28, four unique Cosmograph Daytonas will go under the hammer at Phillips in London, marking what is being reported as Rolex’s first-ever auction. Each watch is a one-of-one creation, distinguished by a combination of precious metals, natural stones and coloured gemstones inspired by one of the four seasons. More importantly, the watches are being sold individually rather than as a set, with proceeds going to the Federer Foundation and Re:wild.
The story began earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, when Rolex discreetly showed the four watches to a select group. According to reports, the original plan was to offer the quartet together for around CHF 4 million. Interest, however, was reportedly far greater than expected. GQ, citing Hodinkee's Ben Clymer, reported that more than 1,000 people expressed interest, including one potential buyer who was reportedly prepared to pay $10 million for the set. Rolex subsequently changed course, partnering with Phillips for a charity auction.
Four Distinct Interpretations Of The Daytona
The watches share the familiar Daytona silhouette, but visually they could hardly be more different.
The Spring Daytona, reference 126599 SAVL, is crafted from 18 ct white gold. Its green chrysoprase dial is paired with lavender lepidolite sub-dials, while purple sapphires appear on the bezel and as the hour markers. The case is finished with 54 brilliant-cut diamonds across the lugs and crown guards.
The Summer Daytona, reference 126595 SARO, takes a warmer approach. Its 18 ct Everose gold case surrounds a turquoise dial with ruby sub-dials. Pink sapphires fill the bezel and hour markers, while another 54 diamonds are set into the lugs and crown guards.
For Autumn, Rolex uses 18 ct yellow gold alongside a yellow mookaite dial and green chrysoprase sub-dials. Green tourmalines form the bezel and hour markers, complemented by the same 54-diamond treatment on the case.
The Winter Daytona, reference 126596 SABV, is perhaps the most dramatic of the quartet. Its case is made from 950 platinum, while a blue-opal dial is paired with lapis lazuli sub-dials. A blue-to-fuchsia sapphire gradient surrounds the dial, with diamonds used for the hour markers and across the lugs and crown guards.
The result is less a collection of matching watches and more four distinct interpretations of the same chronograph.
A Colourful Evolution Of The Crown
Rolex's willingness to create highly gem-set watches is hardly new. The brand has been experimenting with precious stones and unconventional colours for decades, from serti dials to the Leopard Daytona and, later, the Rainbow Daytona.
What feels different now is how visible these creations have become.
In recent years, Rolex has pushed more adventurous designs into its public-facing catalogue, including the multicoloured Celebration dial and the Puzzle Day-Date. The brand has also increasingly acknowledged unusual, off-catalogue creations, rather than leaving them entirely in the shadows.
The four Daytonas take that approach considerably further. Rather than quietly producing four unique watches for individual clients, Rolex is presenting them together as a deliberate concept - and then putting them in front of the world's collectors through a major auction house.
That makes the watches interesting beyond their gemstones.
A Rare Rolex Auction With A Charitable Purpose
There is another reason this auction stands apart: where the money goes.
The proceeds from the four watches will benefit the Federer Foundation, which focuses on education and development, and Re:wild, which works on global conservation efforts. Both organisations are connected to Rolex ambassadors Roger Federer and Leonardo DiCaprio, respectively.
For Rolex, it is an unusual way to bring its most exclusive creations into the public arena. For collectors, meanwhile, it creates the rare possibility of owning a genuinely unique modern Daytona with a documented auction provenance from the moment it enters private hands.
The watches will be sold as four separate lots on September 28. Whatever happens when the hammer falls, the auction represents a particularly unusual moment for the Crown: four Daytonas that were never intended to be ordinary catalogue watches are now being made available for anyone with the means - and the appetite - to bid.