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Lot Essay
Consigned by the family of the original owner, the present timepiece, numbered '102' and dating to 1961, features a distinctive and highly unusual textured case. Notably, it lacks the 'King Midas' engraving typically found on the left side.
Rolex ‘King Midas’ was designed by the legendary Gerald Genta long before he came to prominence with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and Patek Philippe’s Nautilus. Introduced in 1961, it was produced through the 1960’s before it was absorbed into the Cellini line-up from 1972. The Midas models were characterised by their asymmetrical shape that was inspired by the Pantheon of the Gods and the left-handed winding crown which was inspired by the legend of King Midas - everything he touched with his left hand turned to gold. Interestingly, the King Midas, the heaviest gold watch around in the 1960s, was also the most expensive Rolex model. Super luxurious and alluding to the lustre and compelling attraction of solid gold, it cost roughly 30 percent more than the Day-Date at the time, which was the other Rolex model only made in precious metals.
It is believed that only 1000 examples of the King Midas were ever produced from which only 144 were white gold, making this incredible and heavy timepiece featuring a sharp case and crisp hallmarks, an amazing opportunity for the astute collector to own.
The most famous example of the King Midas was worn by Elvis Presley. While performing six shows at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1970, he was presented with a yellow gold reference 9630, No. 343. Today, this watch is on display at his home Graceland. Another famous example of the King Midas was worn in the 1974 James Bond movie, ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’, by the villain Francisco Scaramanga, played by Sir Christopher Lee.
Rolex ‘King Midas’ was designed by the legendary Gerald Genta long before he came to prominence with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and Patek Philippe’s Nautilus. Introduced in 1961, it was produced through the 1960’s before it was absorbed into the Cellini line-up from 1972. The Midas models were characterised by their asymmetrical shape that was inspired by the Pantheon of the Gods and the left-handed winding crown which was inspired by the legend of King Midas - everything he touched with his left hand turned to gold. Interestingly, the King Midas, the heaviest gold watch around in the 1960s, was also the most expensive Rolex model. Super luxurious and alluding to the lustre and compelling attraction of solid gold, it cost roughly 30 percent more than the Day-Date at the time, which was the other Rolex model only made in precious metals.
It is believed that only 1000 examples of the King Midas were ever produced from which only 144 were white gold, making this incredible and heavy timepiece featuring a sharp case and crisp hallmarks, an amazing opportunity for the astute collector to own.
The most famous example of the King Midas was worn by Elvis Presley. While performing six shows at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1970, he was presented with a yellow gold reference 9630, No. 343. Today, this watch is on display at his home Graceland. Another famous example of the King Midas was worn in the 1974 James Bond movie, ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’, by the villain Francisco Scaramanga, played by Sir Christopher Lee.