Time really is our most precious commodity.
Paul Newman’s iconic Rolex Daytona just set a world record for a wristwatch sale at auction, selling for $17.8 million at the recent Phillips New York “Winning Icons” event. The bidding lasted 12 minutes.
It was initially expected to go for about $1 million.
The stainless steel chronograph, with off-white dial and tachymeter bezel, was so synonymous with the actor and car enthusiast that it eventually earned the “Paul Newman” nickname. It arrived to the auction house via James Cox, who dated Newman’s daughter Nell years back and received it as an impromptu gift (the watch was initially a gift to the actor from his wife, actress Joanne Woodward.
“[It’s] arguably the most iconic collector’s wristwatch of the 20th century,” noted a press release from Phillips. You can read more about the history of this iconic timepiece here.
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