Eric Clapton's Rolex Sells for Record-Shattering $505,000Posted Apr 27th 2008 2:02PM by Jared Paul Stern Filed under: Timepieces, Auctions The other day we reported on the world records set at Antiqorum's recent $8.5 million Rolex auction, where the top-priced timepiece fetched $248,000. At Sotheby's
Important Watches auction on April 23, however, that record was
shattered by the sale of an ultra-rare 1971 "Albino" Rolex Daytona that
formerly belonged to rock & roll icon Eric Clapton. Eclipsing its pre-sale estimate of $100,000 - $150,000, the Daytona went for a whopping $505,000 including buyer's premium.
Though the total proceeds from the Sotheby's sale, $6,588,451, were far
less than Antiquorum's, the Clapton sale set a record for the Daytona and was the second-highest price ever achieved at auction for a Rolex
watch. This model is known as the "Albino" because both the background
and subsidiary dials are in a monochrome silver color, as opposed to
the usual contrasting variations found on more common examples.
The second through fifth highest prices paid at the Sotheby's auction were all for Patek Philippes,
ranging from $445,000 - $217,000. The sixth highest was also a Rolex, a
so-called "James Bond" 1959 Submariner, which brought in $211,000. |