AR / ITEM / 00100425

The Rolex 'Bao Dai' Reference 6062

Rolex

The gold, diamond-set Rolex 6062 bought in Geneva in 1954 by Bảo Đại, the last emperor of Vietnam; sold at Phillips in 2017 for over CHF 5 million.

Date
Bought 1954
Reference
Reference 6062
Catalogue
Rolex reference 6062

Plate not recorded
No photograph with documented reuse rights is held for this record.

Record

Bảo Đại was in Geneva in 1954 for the peace talks on Indochina when, according to Phillips, he walked into a watch retailer and asked for the most expensive Rolex available. Reference 6062 is one of only two Rolex models combining a full calendar with moon phase. Phillips sold the watch at its Geneva Watch Auction: Five on 14 May 2017 for about CHF 5.06 million after eight minutes of bidding, then the highest price for any Rolex.

Culture
Swiss
Medium
Yellow gold; black dial with diamond markers
Origin
Geneva, Switzerland

In the Tapestry

Owned by · from 1954
Bảo ĐạiB
Associated with · 1954, 2017
GenevaB
Made by
RolexB
Associated with · 2017
PhillipsA

Provenance and history

  1. 1954

    Bought in Geneva by Emperor Bảo ĐạiB

    During the Geneva peace talks on Indochina.

  2. 14 May 2017

    Sold at Phillips, Geneva, for about CHF 5.06 millionA

Sources

  1. A

    Europa Star, 'Rolex "Bao Dai" sets auction world record'

    ↗ View original record
  2. B

    Phillips, 'The Bao Dai Rolex'

    ↗ View original record

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