Sam Hines, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Watch Division, commented, “Following strong results for our spring watch sales in Hong Kong and London, we are delighted to present in Geneva a very fine selection of rare watches and timepieces. The exceptional Rolex Daytona ‘Paul Newman’ - with its stunning toffee brown subsidiary dials - and the superb 1938 Patek Philippe reference 130, with its beautiful black sector dial, each exemplify the untouched original features which are so sought-after on today’s auction market.”

ROLEX DAYTONA ‘PAUL NEWMAN’ WRISTWATCH WITH RARE “TROPICAL” DIALThe star highlight of the sale, the rare Rolex Daytona ‘Paul Newman’ wristwatch presents a highly unusual effect: the colour of its three subsidiary dials – originally black when the watch was made – has naturally faded to a beautiful rich brown. The piece has been cherished by a single owner who received it as a wedding anniversary present from his beloved wife in 1975. More than 40 years later, a chance meeting on a visit to his local jeweler revealed that this gift held a thrilling secret: not only was it a ‘Paul Newman Daytona’, widely recognized as the most highly coveted vintage Rolex models on the market, but the watch features what are known as a “tropical” subsidiary dials.

The piece will be offered in Geneva on 13 May 2018, with a pre-sale estimate of CHF 200,000 – 400,000 ($208,000-416,000) (Lot 276, dedicated press release available).