Feature: The Most Expensive Rolex Watches
Rolex has never claimed to be the greatest watchmaker in terms of craftsmanship and horological wizardry. If it’s perpetual calendars or métiers d’art dials you’re seeking, go and knock on the door of Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin.
But this simpler approach to watchmaking hasn’t stopped some Rolex models reaching astronomical prices.
Whether due to rarity, celebrity provenance or merely embellishing a watch with precious gemstones (sometimes all three), Rolex watches frequently make those “Most Expensive…” lists that are otherwise dominated by high-end independents and the so-called “Big Three”.
From the SARU GMT-Master II to Paul Newman’s personal Daytona, Elton John’s outrageous Leopard Daytona to the ultra-rare reference 6062, we’ve rounded up the best of Rolex’s priciest timepieces right here…
Day-Date in Everose gold, with diamonds, reference 128345RBR
At the time of writing, the most expensive Day-Date—indeed, the most expensive watch—in the Rolex catalogue is this Everose gold masterpiece. Just looking at it should tell you why, but if you want to dig down into the details, here they are. The dial is a riot of colour thanks to 10 baguette-cut sapphire hour markers in the colours of the rainbow. These are set against a pavé diamond dial, with diamonds also on the bezel and the centre links of the President bracelet.
The Calibre 3255—the Rolls Royce of modern Rolex movements—powers this watch and provides a 70-hour power reserve. Brand-new, it’ll cost you £125,300, but mere mortals will find it all but impossible to get hold of one when the waiting list almost certainly includes elite athletes and A-list celebrities.
Daytona "Rainbow", references 116595RBOW, 116599RBOW & 116598RBOW
One of the highlights of Baselworld 2012, where it was first released to bedazzled attendees, the Daytona Rainbow initially came in white or yellow gold before it was followed several years later by an Everose version. Rolex threw the whole artist’s palette at this watch, giving the bezel 36 baguette-cut sapphires in a rainbow gradation, while the mid-case is set with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds.
The dial is black lacquer with either diamond or sapphire indices, and the chronograph counters use 18k pink-gold crystals for an intriguing mottled effect. It’s powered by the automatic Calibre 4130, although few people who own such a watch will care about the movement. This is all about the looks. Pre-owned, you’re looking at anything between $200k and $400k.
Daytona “Leopard”, reference 116598 SACO
This yellow-gold model is as colourful as it gets when it comes to Rolex’s catalogue. The eye-catching leopard print dial and matching leather strap cement this as one truly wild piece. The addition of 36 trapeze-cut yellow sapphires on the bezel and 48 brilliant-cut diamonds on the hoods between the lugs, plus eight diamond hour markers, make this one glamorous Daytona.
It’s no surprise that legendary British musician, Sir Elton John, had one in his collection given his flamboyant style. He eventually sold his model in 2024 via Christie’s, as part of his ‘Goodbye Peachtree Road’ sale, for an impressive $176,400—a world record for this reference.
Paul Newman’s personal Daytona, reference 6239
Image courtesy of Phillips
Take a very cool-looking vintage Rolex with a sought-after dial and give it Hollywood royalty provenance. It’s a potent combination, which is why this Daytona, personally owned by Paul Newman, went under the hammer for almost $17.8m back in 2017. This made it the most expensive wristwatch ever, before it was beaten by a Patek Philippe two years later.
It could be many years before any Rolex surpasses the price paid for this reference 6239, which is ironic considering how hard it was for Rolex to shift these watches when they were first launched. Now, of course, it’s probably easier to get hold of weapons-grade plutonium than a brand-new Daytona.
GMT-Master II ‘SARU’, reference 116759 or 116758
The “SARU” is another highly desirable bejewelled Rolex, this time with a bezel clad in baguette-cut rubies and sapphires (18 of each), as well as twin baguette-cut diamonds marking the hours. While the dial itself is gem-free, it does have pavé-set lugs and crown guards for that extra dazzle.
The SARU is, of course, a top-tier version of the GMT-Master II, Rolex’s dual-time watch known for its blue and red “Pepsi” bezel. But whereas a standard GMT-Master is in stainless steel, SARU versions come in yellow or white gold—naturally. Expect to pay between $70-100k pre-owned.
Marlon Brando’s GMT-Master, reference 1675
Image courtesy of Phillips
Once owned by none other than legendary actor, Marlon Brando, this GMT-Master caused quite a stir on the set of Francis Ford Coppola’s cult 1979 film, Apocalypse Now. A notoriously difficult man, Brando refused to take off his personal GMT-Master while shooting, even when Coppola insisted the watch wasn’t something Brando’s character, Colonel Kurtz, would wear and that its red and blue “Pepsi” bezel would be a distraction.
Eventually the pair reached a compromise: Brando would wear the watch but remove the bezel—the whereabouts of which remains unknown. Despite the missing bezel, this GMT-Master fetched a whopping $1,952,000 in 2019 when it was sold to a private buyer at a Phillips auction. It also boasts a caseback inscribed with ‘M. Brando’ by the man himself.
Daytona Oyster 40mm, reference 126595TBR
This striking model is, at the time of writing, the priciest Daytona in Rolex’s catalogue, costing a whopping £120,200. Although the Daytona is a sports watch purpose-built for motor racing, this glamorous timepiece would have you thinking otherwise. Its 18k Everose-gold case and Oyster bracelet are complemented by a “Sundust” dial set with eleven diamond hour markers.
The Daytona’s traditional tachymeter bezel—used for measuring time intervals and calculating average speeds—has been replaced by a dazzling arrangement of 36 trapeze-cut diamonds. And if that wasn’t enough bling, the lugs and crown guard are also adorned with a string of brilliant-cut diamonds.
‘Jean-Claude Killy’ chronograph, reference 6036
Image courtesy of Bonhams
The reference 6036 earned the nickname “Jean-Claude Killy” after the French skiing champion, once a Rolex brand ambassador. Few people realise that when Killy won his trio of gold medals at the Winter Olympics in 1968, he was actually wearing a Breitling, but that hasn’t affected the desirability of this Rolex. It boasts a chronograph and a triple calendar and was one of several chronographs Rolex produced in relatively low numbers before the dawn of the mighty Daytona.
Although one well-kept example reached almost half a million dollars in 2021, most of these sell in the region of $50k to $100k. Well-known to vintage Rolex collectors, this legendary reference can be found in both yellow gold and stainless steel.
Daytona “Eye of the Tiger”, reference 116588 TBR
After the release of the Daytona “Leopard” in 2004, Rolex waited 15 years before it once again answered the call of the wild, taking inspiration from another jungle feline: the tiger. This time the bezel features 36 trapeze-cut diamonds while the black lacquer dial accommodates a dazzling pattern of gold and diamonds, a tribute to the iconic stripes of this majestic big cat.
It’s another Daytona with the sort of wow-factor that few people besides extrovert rock stars could carry off—although that didn’t deter basketball superstar LeBron James and Brazilian footballer Neymar from buying one. Both white- and yellow-gold versions were produced, twinned with either a black rubber Oysterflex (pictured) or matching gold Oyster bracelet with diamond-covered centre links. Powering this, as with the Leopard, is the Calibre 4130. Pre-owned prices at the time of writing sit between £130k and 180k.
Moonphase Triple Calendar, reference 6062
Image courtesy of Phillips
Rolex discontinued the almost mythical reference 6062 after a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it production run in the early 1950s. It boasts a complete calendar, with the date displayed via a pointer hand, rather than the signature magnified window, plus a prominent moonphase display at 6 o’clock. Yes, the discontinued Cellini range featured models with this complication, but the 6062 managed to integrate it into a sporty aesthetic. It’s a watch that shouldn’t really make visual sense, but does.
Stainless steel versions make headlines in the watch world when they come up for auction as just a handful were made. However, it was a yellow-gold version that fetched an incredible $6.2m at auction in 2025. The one pictured was owned by former Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai.
Moonphase Triple Calendar ‘Padellone’, reference 8171
Image courtesy of Bonhams
The reference 8171 is very similar to the aforementioned 6062 in that it’s a triple-calendar moonphase—something Rolex hasn’t made since the 1950s. But the 8171 is a little dressier as it doesn’t have the Oyster-style tonneau case or come on an Oyster bracelet, giving it less of a tool-watch silhouette.
It’s known to Italian collectors as the “Padellone” (or “big frying pan”) due to its 38mm case—large for the 1950s when it was launched. A grail watch for serious vintage Rolex fans, this is another model where stainless-steel versions are far rarer than yellow or pink gold, and therefore more sought-after. One example sold for €8.1m in 2013, putting it at the very top echelon of collectable vintage Rolexes.
