It’s no surprise that Rolex ranks as the most recognisable watch brand in the world today. For more than a hundred years, Rolex has produced models that have often become genre-defining timepieces. Founded as Wilsdorf and Davis in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis, the company registered Rolex as the brand name in 1908. At the end of World War I, the company moved out of London and registered itself as Montres Rolex SA in Geneva. It has been owned by a private family trust, the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, since 1960.
Some of the most important milestones in watchmaking are attributed to Rolex. In 1926, Rolex introduced the Oyster case, the first waterproof wristwatch case that was fitted with a screw-down crown to keep moisture and dust from damaging the movement. Five years later in 1931, the brand introduced the first self-winding rotor on its Perpetual line, which ensured that the mainspring barrel was consistently wound. In 1945, the Datejust became the first chronometer wristwatch with an automatically changing date function.
However, it’s the ‘tool watches’ Rolex produced (purpose-built watches for diving, motorsport or tracking different time zones) in the 1950s that have helped forge its reputation among the watch cognoscenti. It all began with the Oyster Perpetual Submariner Ref. 6204 in 1953, a wristwatch water-resistant up to 100 metres and aimed at helping divers measure elapsed dive time via a rotatable bezel. Rolex then introduced what is arguably the most famous dual time wristwatch in the world, the Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 6542 in 1954, and an anti-magnetic wristwatch made for scientists and engineers, the Ref. 6451 Milgauss, in 1956.
Eight years later in 1963, Rolex introduced a chronograph intended for use by the motorsport community capable of measuring elapsed time and calculating average speed. The Daytona, as this chronograph was eventually christened, is today among the most desirable sports watches. Early examples in gold regularly breach the million dollar mark at auction.
Browse Rolex Daytona watches, gold watches
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL 'GMT-MASTER II', REF. 116710LN
SERIAL NO: V623493
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL AND YELLOW GOLD ‘SEA-DWELLER’, REF. 126603
SERIAL NO. 4EH11799
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL “YACHT-MASTER”, REF. 116622
SERIAL NO. S103D736
ROLEX, YELLOW GOLD 'PADELLONE', REF. 8171
CASE NO: 67661(0), BATCH NUMBER 107
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL AND YELLOW GOLD 'DAYTONA', REF. 16523
SERIAL NO: S936385
ROLEX, YELLOW GOLD 'DAY-DATE', WITH RED KHANJAR SYMBOL, REF. 1803
SERIAL NO: 5'106'708
ROLEX, PINK GOLD 'DAY-DATE', WITH OXBLOOD LACQUERED 'STELLA' DIAL , REF. 1803
SERIAL NO. 4'182'607
ROLEX, YELLOW GOLD 'DAY-DATE', WITH 'GREEN STELLA' DIAL, REF. 18038
SERIAL NO: 8'040'261
ROLEX, YELLOW GOLD 'DATEJUST', REF. 1601
SERIAL NO: 2535943
ROLEX, WHITE GOLD 'DAY-DATE', REF. 118139
SERIAL NO: A034Q337
ROLEX, WHITE GOLD 'DAY-DATE', REF. 1803
SERIAL NO: 1623505
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL 'GMT-MASTER', REF. 1675
SERIAL NO: 1'437'626
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL 'DAYTONA BIG RED', REF. 6265
SERIAL NO: 9038312
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL 'PRE-DAYTONA', REF. 6234
SERIAL NO: 385'731
ROLEX, RARE STAINLESS STEEL 'PRE-DAYTONA', REF. 6034
SERIAL NO: 907627
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL 'DAYTONA', REF. 6239
SERIAL NO: 1695653
ROLEX, WHITE GOLD 'CELLINI PRINCE', REF. 5443⁄9
SERIAL NO: D758351
ROLEX, YELLOW GOLD 'DAY-DATE', REF. 118238
SERIAL NO: Y187344
ROLEX, STAINLESS STEEL ‘OYSTER PERPETUAL’, REF. 124300
SERIAL NO: S22877Y7
ROLEX, YELLOW GOLD ‘DATEJUST’, REF. 69178
SERIAL NO: 7635786
ROLEX, PINK GOLD WRISTWATCH, REF. 3580
CASE NO: 51133
ROLEX. A VERY RARE STAINLESS STEEL CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH 'PAUL NEWMAN' DIAL AND BRACELET
DAYTONA 'PAUL NEWMAN' MODEL, REF. 6262, CASE NO. 2'475'546
ROLEX. A VERY RARE 14K PINK GOLD AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS AND DATE
OYSTER PERPETUAL MODEL, REF. 6105, CASE NO. 846'961
ROLEX. A RARE 18K PINK GOLD AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DATE AND BRACELET
OYSTER PERPETUAL MODEL, REF. 6105, CASE NO. 837'498
ROLEX. A VERY RARE STAINLESS STEEL LIMITED EDITION AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DATE, GAS ESCAPE VALVE AND BRACELET, MADE TO COMMEMORATE THE FORMATION OF THE ROYAL NAVY CLEARNACE DIVER BRANCH
DEEP SEA-DWELLER MODEL, ROYAL NAVY CLEARANCE DIVER MODEL, REF. 116660, CASE NO. 36⁄50 AND G904659, CIRCA 2014
ROLEX. A STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DATE AND BRACELET
SUBMARINER MODEL, REF. 16610LV , CASE NO. M876343, CIRCA 2008
ROLEX. A STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC DUAL TIME WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DATE AND BRACELET
GMT-MASTER II MODEL, REF. 116710BLNR, CASE NO. 6R4925R9, CIRCA 2019
ROLEX. AN ATTRACTIVE 18K GOLD, SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND-SET AUTOMATIC BRACELET WATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS AND DATE
SUBMARINER MODEL, REF. 16618, CASE NO. N224'373, CIRCA 1992
ROLEX. AN 18K GOLD AUTOMATIC BRACELET WATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DATE AND LAPIS LAZULI AND DIAMOND-SET DIAL
DATEJUST MODEL, REF. 16238, CASE NO. T166721
ROLEX. AN 18K GOLD AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DATE AND ONYX AND DIAMOND-SET DIAL
DATEJUST MODEL, REF. 16238, CASE NO. L388726
ROLEX. AN RARE 18K GOLD AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DATE AND WOOD DIAL
DATEJUST MODEL, REF. 16018, CASE NO. 8'234'538, CIRCA 1985
ROLEX. AN 18K WHITE GOLD AND DIAMOND-SET AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DAY AND DATE
DAY-DATE MODEL, REF. 1803, CASE NO. 1'088'317
ROLEX. AN 18K GOLD AUTOMATIC BRACELET WATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, DAY, DATE, GRADIENT BROWN AND DIAMOND-SET DIAL
DAY-DATE MODEL, REF. 18038, CASE NO. 5'951'149
ROLEX. A VERY RARE AND ATTRACTIVE 18K GOLD AND DIAMOND-SET AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTER SECONDS, DAY, DATE, "STELLA" DIAL, BARK FINISHING AND BRACELET
DAY-DATE MODEL, REF. 18108, CASE NO. 8'961'548
ROLEX. AN ATTRACTIVE PLATINUM AND DIAMOND-SET AUTOMATIC BRACELET WATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS, CHINESE DAY AND DATE
DAY-DATE MODEL, REF. 18296, CASE NO. A626762
ROLEX. A RARE STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH BRACELET AND “FLOATING” DIAL
DAYTONA MODEL, REF. 16520, CASE NO. L346160
ROLEX. AN 18K WHITE GOLD AND DIAMOND-SET AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH BRACELET
DAYTONA MODEL, REF. 116509, CASE NO. V390762, CIRCA 2010
ROLEX. AN ATTRACTIVE 18K WHITE GOLD AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH PINK MOTHER-OF-PEARL DIAL
DAYTONA “BEACH” MODEL, REF. 116519, CASE NO. P455367
ROLEX. A RARE AND ATTRACTIVE 18K WHITE GOLD AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH SODALITE AND DIAMOND-SET DIAL
DAYTONA MODEL, REF. 16519, CASE NO. A786513
ROLEX. A RARE 18K GOLD AND BAGUETTE-CUT DIAMOND-SET AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH BRACELET AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL DIAL
DAYTONA MODEL, REF. 116568BR, CASE NO. Z469773
ROLEX. A VERY RARE 18K WHITE GOLD, DIAMOND AND SAPPHIRE-SET AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH
DAYTONA MODEL, REF. 116589SACI, CASE NO. V024270, CIRCA 2016
ROLEX. A FAMED AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC DUAL-TIME WRISTWATCH WITH DATE, THE CASEBACK HAND-ENGRAVED ‘M. BRANDO’ BY MARLON BRANDO HIMSELF
SIGNED ROLEX, GMT-MASTER MODEL, REF.1675, CASE NO. 3’245’836, CIRCA 1972
ROLEX. AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT 18K GOLD CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH EARLY 'LEMON PAUL NEWMAN' DIAL WITH WHITE SUBSIDIARY GRAPHICS AND BRACELET
SIGNED ROLEX, DAYTONA PAUL NEWMAN MODEL, REF. 6263, CASE NO. 2'330'402, CIRCA 1969
ROLEX. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND OUTSTANDINGLY WELL PRESERVED 18K PINK GOLD AUTOMATIC TRIPLE CALENDAR WRISTWATCH WITH MOON PHASES AND STAR HOUR MARKERS
SIGNED ROLEX, OYSTER PERPETUAL, 'STELLINE' MODEL, REF. 6062, CASE NO. 788’629, CIRCA 1952
ROLEX. AN EXCEPTIONALLY HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC EXPERIMENTAL WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS ESPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED FOR DEPTH PRESSURE TESTING PURPOSES, WITH A STAINLESS STEEL AND GOLD ROLEX BRACELET
SIGNED ROLEX, DEEP SEA SPECIAL NO. 1, MOVEMENT NO. 419251, CIRCA 1953