Rare Asprey Rolex Daytona and more up for grabs now at Sotheby’s Fine Watches online auction

Zach Blass

When I recently visited Sotheby’s, it was not just their range of Important Watches auction lots I went hands-on with. While the Important Watches auction will be held live in NYC on December 7, concurrently there is also the Sotheby’s Fine Watches auction happening right now on their website – with the bidding on all lots closing on December 12, 2023. Of these proclaimed “fine” watches, I got up close and personal with four exceedingly rare references. Patek Philippe and lume in the same sentence, at least for non-sports models, is very rare. And, to have a Rolex watch I have never heard of or seen in front of me is a very rare occurrence as well.

Lot 248: Asprey Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN circa 2021

I was already familiar with Rolex rarities like the Supreme Submariner, but this stainless steel Rolex Daytona from Asprey was a complete surprise to me. In 2021, 25 of these Rolex Daytona watches were made. However, it is unclear what the nature and genesis of this “collaboration” was. Sotheby’s explains: “The collaboration between Asprey and Rolex has been highly coveted since the 1970s when the Omani government began ordering customized ‘Omani’ dial timepieces to be given as gifts for British SAS soldiers who were involved in the Dhofar Rebellion (1970-1976). Asprey was an official retailer of Rolex and is well known for selling customised pieces.”

All of the watch’s components were manufactured by Rolex, including the dial which has Rolex stamping and hallmarks on its backside. What is unclear, ultimately, is whether or not the dial left the factory with its purple hue and Asprey co-branding or if the colour and signature were later added by a customiser. I really fell hard for this watch and was teary-eyed taking it off and handing it back to Sotheby’s staff. The lilac purple lacquer is the perfect shade, and purple is hardly seen in the watch world at present. As I said before, only 25 pieces exist and I doubt that, short of a monumental event like Rolliefest, I will see one of these ‘in the metal’ again. The watch is accompanied by its original Asprey outer and inner box, along with the Asprey warranty card.

To learn more or bid on this Asprey Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN, click here. Estimate: US$70,000 – US$100,000.

Lot 239: Patek Philippe ref. 5550P-001 Advanced Research circa 2012

Stepping away from contemporary customisation, I was also treated to a closer look at not one, but two Advanced Research watches from Patek Philippe. The Advanced Research project was launched by Patek Philippe in the early 2000s, a department of the manufacture with the sole mission of exploring new materials and mechanisms, developing new patents, and pushing the boundaries of Patek Philippe watchmaking. This particular example, the ref. 5550P-001 Advanced Research, was part of a limited edition run of 300 watches encased in platinum. Before we get to what well and truly makes this model befitting of the Advanced Research nomenclature, it is important to note that the dial features luminous hours and minutes hands along luminous applied hour indices – something very rarely seen on Patek’s complication-tier watches.

On the exhibition caseback crystal you will notice there is a cyclops-like magnification lens over the escapement. This is to showcase and allow better viewing of the Advanced Research technology within. This is no ordinary micro-rotor calibre 240. Sotheby’s explains: “More than a perpetual calendar, the wristwatch incorporates the patented Oscillomax ensemble. This ensemble comprises the Gyromax-Si balance in Silinvar and 24k gold, the Spiromax balance in Silinvar, and a refined Pulsomax escapement. A notable result of the accrued efficiency brought by the new Oscillomax ensemble, the power reserve of the watch was increased by nearly 50%, from 48 hours to 70 hours, and the movement accuracy was greatly increased. This new balance wheel was an evolution of Patek’s original Gyromax balance design, which is why the release of the ref. 5550G coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Gyromax’s creation.”

To learn more or bid on this Patek Philippe ref. 5550P-001 Advanced Research, click here. Estimate: US$80,000 – US$120,000.

Lot 240: Patek Philippe ref. 5450P-001 Advanced Research circa 2009

Before the ref. 5550P above, Patek Philippe presented this ref. 5450P Advanced Research in 2009. It also uncommonly incorporates lume into its salmon dial, and in my opinion, no manufacture does salmon better than Patek. An annual calendar, rather than a perpetual one, inside the watch is an advanced configuration of the in-house calibre 324 that utilises a Gyromax balance with Spiromax hairspring, the Pulsomax escapement, and an updated silicon escape wheel and pallet lever. This model, like the ref. 5550P, is encased in platinum and was limited to 300 pieces.

Significantly, though, this ref. 5450P had the honour of being the first Advanced Research model to be encased in platinum and the last model within the Advanced Research series to bear the Geneva Seal – as Patek Philippe would switch to the internal Patek Philippe Quality seal later that year. I should also mention that both the 5550P and 5450P feature a diamond embedded within the case between the lugs at the 6′ position, a Patek design signature for their platinum watches.

To learn more or bid on this Patek Philippe ref. 5450P-001 Advanced Research, click here. Estimate: US$70,000 – US$100,000.

Editor’s note: The Sotheby’s Fine Watches online auction is currently ongoing, with bids closing on December 12, 2023. You can view the full catalogue of lots here.