The Vault › All references › Cellini
Cellini · 1964 to 1970s
“King Midas”
Grade C · 61/100Today's call: Watch
C: wear it, don't flip it. Ranked #108 of 129 references in The Crown Index vault.
| Original retail (1970) | $2,500 |
|---|---|
| Market today | $9,000 – $16,000 |
| Vs original retail | +400% |
| 1-year trend | +6% |
The strangest Rolex ever made: a solid-gold asymmetric slab inspired by the Parthenon, briefly the heaviest gold watch in the world, and worn by Elvis Presley and John Wayne.
Numbered production and celebrity provenance built a cult around it. Liquidity is thin because each buyer has to be the exact person looking for one.
Commissioned thinking Greek temples: the case is an asymmetric slab of gold inspired by the Parthenon, the integrated bracelet pours out of it like an architrave. Gerald Genta-era audacity before integrated bracelets were a genre.
Elvis Presley received one and wore it on stage; John Wayne had one too. Numbered rather than mass produced, it was briefly the heaviest gold watch in the world and remains the only Rolex that reads as sculpture first.
Our verdict: C as an investment, S as a conversation. Buy it because nothing else looks remotely like it; sell it slowly through a specialist.
| Sizes | Asymmetric, approx 28mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet material | Solid 18k yellow or white gold |
| Factory bracelet | Integrated asymmetric gold bracelet |
| Factory bezels | None: one-piece sculpted 18k gold case, Parthenon-inspired |
| Notable dials | Gold linen; Black |
| Caliber | 650 (manual) |
| Production | 1964 to 1970s (discontinued) |
Live eBay listings ↗ Open in the interactive Vault