It’s not a Daytona. It wasn’t owned by any famous actors. It doesn’t even have a name. So why is this 1942 chronograph so special?
Monaco Legend Group
When we hear about a Rolex watch fetching an insane sum at an auction, the reason why is usually pretty clear. Historically, record-setting Rolexes have been rare, highly coveted versions of popular models with impressive provenance. For example, the most-expensive Rolex ever sold — which netted $17.7 million at auction in 2017 — was a Daytona “Paul Newman” that was previously owned by the late actor himself.
But over the weekend at Monaco Legend’s Exclusive Timepieces Auction, a Rolex sold at auction for € 3,284,000, or just shy of $3.5 million, ranking it as the fifth most-expensive Rolex ever sold. But it’s not a Daytona and it wasn’t owned by any famous actors. Hell, it doesn’t even have a model name, only a reference number: 4113. So what is it about this unusual vintage Rolex that made it such a hot commodity on the auction block?
Here’s what you should know about the ultra-rare Rolex ref. 4113.
A Hidden Holy Grail
Unless you’re deep down the Rolex rabbit hole, you probably aren’t familiar with the reference 4113. If you have heard of it, then you’re no doubt acquainted with vintage Rolex collector and authority John Goldberger (a.k.a. Auro Montanari).
Goldberger has authored a number of acclaimed books on vintage watches, including tomes about Patek Philippe and Longines, but his best-known work is 100 Superlative Rolex Watches. This coffee-table compendium features the ref. 4113 on its cover and is largely responsible for bringing the watch’s existence to a wider audience.
The ref. 4113 appears on the cover of John Goldberger’s 100 Superlative Rolex Watches.Monaco Legend Group
The split-seconds chronograph complication of the 4113 is unique in Rolex’s catalog.Monaco Legend Group
Rare Is an Understatement
The overall history of the ref. 4113 is murky, as the watch never featured in Rolex’s catalog or advertising and is not believed to have been sold to the public. Just 12 examples were ever made, all of which were produced in 1942, and just eight of them are known to survive today. For a brand like Rolex, which is known for industrializing watch production, that is a minuscule number, and the 4113 ranks as one of the rarest Rolex references ever produced.
A Rolex Unlike Any Other
Rarity is one thing, uniqueness is another, and the 4113 is a strange bird. For one, it’s quite massive, with its 44mm stainless steel case clocking in not only as exceptionally big for the time period but also ranking among the largest watches The Crown has ever produced. But even more unusual than its size is the watch’s complication.
The 4113 is a split-seconds chronograph. This is a type of chronograph featuring two center-stacked chronograph seconds hands that run concurrently until you actuate the pusher to “split” them, allowing you to time two events in one chronograph timing session. The complication itself isn’t rare in the world of horology as a whole, but the 4113 stands alone as the only split-seconds chronograph ever made by Rolex. The watch is powered by the manually wound Valjoux caliber 55 VBR 17 2/3’’’.
A Horolgical Celebrity
Accompanying the watch in the sale is the cheese knife that was infamously used to open its caseback.Monaco Legend Group
Other examples of the 4113 have gone to auction before, with the previous record-holder having sold for $2.6 million in 2016. The additional ~$1 million premium for this watch is likely due not only to inflation and the watch’s pristine condition but also because it’s a bit of a horological celebrity.
This record-setting watch comes from the collection of John Goldberger himself and is the same one that appears on the cover of the book that made it famous. What’s more, the watch was sold with a unique accessory that made it all the more interesting to watch fans: the Goldberger-emblazoned cheese knife that the collector used to open the caseback of the watch in a decade-old episode of Hodinkee’s Talking Watches.
It may be a while before we see another Rolex 4113 come up for auction, but even if one does appear, it’s hard to imagine one breaking the record established by this very special example.