The crown jewel of auction results though, is the aforementioned Rolex “Bao Dai”, that broke the existing world record for the most expensive Rolex wristwatch.

And how much it was sold for. It more than lived up to expectations.

6062 triple calendar moonphase watch made for the Vietnamese emperor from whom it gets its name. A unique, complicated Rolex with a diamond dial and a strange history? I only realized then that this MUST be the famous Bao Dai Rolex.To understand the importance of the Bao Dai watch and why it fetched a world record in 2002 – lets step back in time to 1954.Emperor Bao Dai was asked to travel to Geneva in 1954 to help broker peace talks between France and Vietnam.While peace talks were being held in the Hotel de Bergues in Geneva in 1954, Emperor Dai excused himself one afternoon and went shopping (so the story goes). They tend to have snappy names, often taken from celebrities, world leaders, and luminaries of other sorts. Rolex reference 6062 in stainless steel with two-tone dial, 1953.

This color configuration– gold case and black, …

In fact just earlier this year Second the USD was much stronger than the CHF, at almost 1.6 CHF to 1 USD (completely unimaginable today), while the USD and EUR were at parity (which we are heading back to at the moment).Third in 2002 the world was still recovering from the technology bubble and financial markets were extremely depressed. The Bao Dai Rolex 6062 is the only known black dial example (at least to me) with the Officially certified chronometer) written in the moon phase area. You will not find much.Yes – it is in the Goldberger book of 100 superlative Rolex watches, and you might find a piece on The watch carried an estimate of CHF 200-250’000 or approx. $130-160’000 according to Phillips de Pury the auction house.

Sometime in 2002 Emperor Bao Dai’s favourite son and a young expert appraiser from Phillips de Pury – Aurel Bacs – got together in Paris to view the watch and put a minimum promised reserve of a then unheard of CHF 200’000 – which was a highest reserve ever offered by an auction house for a Rolex wristwatch. 6062 triple calendar moonphase watch made for the Vietnamese emperor from whom it gets its name. Remarkably, in the Rolex ads for the ref 6062 the term ‘Cosmograph’ was used. Reigning from 1926 to 1955, Bảo Đại was the last Emperor of Vietnam. In many ways it is the most famous, for sure one of the most complicated and perhaps the most valuable Rolex in the world.While I was doing research on the HK themed sale that Phillips hosted in HK, I accidentally came across some information that I find most fascinating and that I would like to share it with you. Who owned the watch after Bao Dai. When it does appear – I will attempt to be the very first source to let you know.Below the Bao Dai Rolex 6062 with black dial again fitted this time with gold jubilee bracelet – I personally prefer it with a leather strap as above in main picture. A black dial 6062 fitted with 5 diamond baguettes.

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Reference 6062:”Bao Dai” là một chiếc đồng hồ có chức năng vô cùng đặc biệt: lịch mặt trăng.

This watch was last offered in 2002, and it achieved a then record-breaking price of $235,000 (remember that the auction market and the exchange rate were extremely different then). Take a look at the auction description below of the Phillips de Pury catalogue back in 2002.It explains in detail why the Officially certified chronometer is written in the moonphase. He asked Rolex in Geneva for the most expensive wristwatch available and Rolex Beguin in Geneva (according to Aurel Bacs) supplied him with best watch they had.