The Untold Story Behind the $3.5 Million Rolex Auction

When a Rolex watch commands a staggering price at auction, there’s typically a clear reason – whether it’s a rare model, a famous past owner, or a combination of both. The most expensive fake Rolex ever sold, a Daytona “Paul Newman” once owned by the late actor himself, fetched $17.7 million at auction in 2017. However, this past weekend, a Rolex sold at Monaco Legend’s Exclusive Watches Auction for €3,284,000 (just under $3.5 million), making it the fifth most expensive Rolex ever sold. Surprisingly, this isn’t a Daytona, nor does it have a famous former owner. In fact, it doesn’t even have a name, just a reference number: 4113.

So, what makes this vintage Rolex so special?

The reference 4113 isn’t well-known outside of the most dedicated Rolex collectors. If you have heard of it, you’re likely familiar with John Goldberger (also known as Auro Montanari), a vintage Rolex expert. Goldberger has written several highly regarded books on vintage watches, including the renowned “100 Superlative Rolex replica Watches.” The 4113 is featured on the cover of this book, and its inclusion is largely responsible for bringing this rare watch into the limelight.

The history of the ref. 4113 is shrouded in mystery. Rolex never advertised or sold it to the public, and only 12 examples were ever made, all in 1942. Today, only eight are known to exist, making it one of the rarest Rolex watches ever produced.

But rarity alone doesn’t explain its allure. The 4113 is a unique watch in several ways. With a 44mm stainless steel case, it’s unusually large for its time and remains one of the largest watches Rolex has ever made. Yet, its size isn’t its most remarkable feature. The 4113 is a split-seconds chronograph, a complication that allows the user to time two events simultaneously. While split-seconds chronographs are not uncommon in the world of horology, the 4113 is the only one ever made by Rolex, powered by the manually wound Valjoux caliber 55 VBR 17 2/3”’.

Other examples of the 4113 have appeared at auction before, with one selling for $2.6 million in 2016. The additional $1 million this example fetched is likely due to its pristine condition and the fact that it once belonged to John Goldberger himself. This watch is the very one that graces the cover of Goldberger’s influential book. Additionally, the replica watch was sold with a unique accessory: the cheese knife Goldberger used to open its caseback in an episode of Hodinkee’s “Talking Watches.”

It may be some time before another Rolex 4113 surfaces at auction, and it’s unlikely that any future sale will surpass the record set by this extraordinary watch.