Lot 177

Rolex

King Midas

A stunningly beautiful, extremely rare and mint vintage full set of the iconic "King Midas"

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This assymmetric pentagonal masterpiece was designed in the 1960s by none other than Gérald Genta and takes its inspiration from the Parthenon temple dedicated to the goddess Athena in Greece. When looking at the watch sideways, so that the crown points to the top, the triangular outline is reminiscent of the roof of a Greek temple while the grooves in the bracelet represent its columns. The first King Midas models reference 9630 appeared on the market in the mid 1960s in a limited edition of circa 850 watches, each of those engraved with its individual number on the back. At the time of its launch the King Midas was the heaviest gold watch available on the market – aptly named after mythological king Midas who was known for his ability to turn everything he touched into pure gold. Elvis Presley owned this model and so did John Wayne. The watch was originally twice as expensive as a gold Rolex Day-Date. Two more limited editions of the King Midas were produced in the early 1970s (refs. 3580 and 4315). It is interesting to note that these two series continued the numbering from the first series in the 1960s.
This King Midas, reference 4315 dates from 1976 and bears the case number 4982. The watch comes in an 18 K gold case with integrated bracelet and 18 K folding clasp. The distinctive case features a saw-tooth-shaped winding crown on the left side of the case instead of the right, which would be the more commonly used position. It is assumed that this is a reference to king Midas who had the ability to turn everything he touched with his left hand into pure gold. To the left and right of the crown the words "King" and "Midas" are engraved. The clearly structured gilt dial bears the Rolex logo and the "Rolex Genève" signature at 12 o’clock and the Greek signature "ΜΙΔΑΣ" (Midas) at 6 o’clock. The minimalist look of the dial is complemented by plain bar-shaped gold hands.
This distinctive Rolex King Midas model is not only incredibly rare, it also comes with a case that is likely to take your breath away. Most Rolex watches come in a green box, but this King Midas rests in a case that has the form of an antique Greek amphora, made of black wood with red embossing in the style of Greek vase painting. It opens to display the magnificent timepiece in its plush bed of red velvet. Even the white covering box is embellished with Greek figures and gold ornamental friezes. The original hang tag shows a profile of the legendary King Midas. The watch is in a breathtakingly beautiful, almost new condition, and has probably never been worn. It shows no signs of wear at all, neither on the clasp, nor on the bracelet, which both are still tight. The bracelet is complete and the links are stamped with the last three digits. All marks are perfect without any impurities. The spaces between the links have darkened in a way, that we usually only see with the so-called "Safe Queens".
The solid gold Rolex King Midas is incredibly rare and a truly remarkable timepiece, more a statement than just a timekeeper. This watch will remain an ageless eyecatcher forever and as full set it is the holy grail among the most exclusive timepieces of all times.