Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: SEVEN Hong Kong Monday, November 26, 2018 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 2013
    Reference No: 116520 “The Winner”
    Case No: W24Q4897
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, endlinks stamped 78590 and C4E, max length 190 mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, stamped 2UC
    Dimensions: 40 mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: With international warranty stamped by Rolex Watch USA, Inc. on Feb 19, 2014, special Rolex “Daytona” tyre track green leather fitted presentation box, warranty booklet and product literature

  • Catalogue Essay

    The present lot is an exclusive trophy of triumph, speed and extraordinary fervor, both literally and figuratively speaking. Referred as “the Winner”, the present reference 116520 is one of the reasons why every year professional racecar drivers around the world amass in Daytona Beach, Florida, and compete at the Daytona International Speedway. Presented as a victorious memento to principals and drivers of the winning team of the “Rolex at Daytona 24” racing event in 2014, this watch represents the spirit of Rolex and what the brand proudly stands for – vigor, victory and vivacity.

    Extremely rare and irresistibly eye-catching, this particular stainless steel chronograph model with “Rolex at Daytona 24, 2014 Winner” case back appears at public auction for the very first time.

    The history of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona series is inseparable from the brand’s close ties with motor racing. Rolex’s long-standing patronage and support for motor sports harkens back to the late 1950s, for which the manufacturer was a partner of track racing in Daytona Beach from its very beginning. Since 1992, Rolex has been title sponsor of the celebrated 24-hour challenge called “Rolex at Daytona 24” – one of the most renowned and revered endurance races in the world. In 2014, Action Express Racing (AER) took the overall win with its #5 Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by Christian Fittipaldi, Sébastien Bourdais and João Barbosa. The margin of victory was slim, a mere one and a half seconds, as the compact Daytona International Speedway track characteristically kept the winning permutation open until the very end.

    In production between 2000 and 2016, the reference 116520 is one of the most relished watch models among collectors. First released in the year of the millennium, the model replaced the preceding 16520 reference, offering a refreshing new case design and a thoroughly upgraded movement which was the brand’s first in-house chronograph movement. The present watch is certainly one of the most unobtainable and exclusive Daytonas, thanks to the crisp and mint “Rolex at Daytona 24, 2014 Winner” engraving at the back which cannot be bought.

    The present Cosmograph Daytona is, by all means, a supreme grail for serious Daytona enthusiasts. Completed with international warranty and a special Rolex “Daytona” tyre track green leather fitted presentation box, the present lot is a truly exceptional timepiece in the history of horology and motor sports.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.

    One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.

    View More Works

From an important Asian collector

965

Ref. 116520 “The Winner”
An extremely rare and outstanding stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with “Rolex at Daytona 24, 2014 Winner” case back, bracelet, international warranty and special “Daytona” presentation box

Circa 2013
40 mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
HK$300,000 - 600,000 
€33,100-66,300
$38,500-76,900

Sold for HK$375,000

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2001
thomasperazzi@phillips.com

Ziyong Ho
Specialist
+852 9386 2032
ziyongho@phillips.com

Jill Chen
Specialist
+852 2318 2033
jillchen@phillips.com

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: SEVEN

Hong Kong Auction 27 November 2018