Star-studded Rolex Worth Millions


The offered Rolex Stelline is one of the rarest Rolex watches there is. It was introduced in 1950 and was only in production for three years, which explains the watch's status and the high value it is estimated at.
Watches for Divers, Pilots, and Arctic Explorers
The story of the world's most well-known wristwatch brand, Rolex, begins in London in 1905, where the German watchmaker Hans Wilsdorf founded the company "Wilsdorf & Davis" with his brother-in-law. A few years later in 1908, however, he registered the name that we know the company by today – Rolex.
The brand is especially known for its fantastic quality and timeless design, which is reflected in several groundbreaking models. Not least the first waterproof Oyster from 1926, the automatic Perpetual from 1931, the DateJust from 1945 and the Day-Date from 1956, as well as the sporty Submariner, GMT-Master and Milgauss from the 1950s and Daytona and Sea-Dweller from the 1960s. Many of these watches were originally produced to meet the demands of professional divers, pilots and race car drivers. The watches were therefore worn by PanAm pilots, COMEX divers and British special forces, as well as scientists and Arctic explorers who chose to wear a Rolex because the watches met the professionals’ criteria for functionality and design – back then as well as today.
It is especially the watches from the 1950s-70s that are currently enjoying enormous attention at auctions all over the world, which is also the case with one of the brand’s absolute crown jewels – the star-studded Rolex "Stelline", which can mean both "starlet" and "small stars" in Italian.
Iconic Nautilus 3700
An early version of the world's most iconic and luxurious sports watches, Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700, is also included in the auction. The watch was originally designed in 1976 by legendary Gerald Genta, who is considered one of the world's leading watchmakers. The watch at the auction is from 1977 – the year after it was introduced.
The extremely stylish expression, the thin case and the characteristic rifled dial are all undoubtedly part of what makes the Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700 something quite unique. The actual clock movement was made by Jaeger-LeCoultre and was subsequently named calibre 28-255 by Patek. This ultra-thin movement of only 3.05 mm in height is still the world's thinnest automatic movement with a central rotor. Something of an achievement – especially in the 1970s!
The History of Patek Philippe
The Swiss family-owned watch company Patek Philippe belongs among Europe's oldest. It was founded in 1851, but the earliest watches can be traced back to 1839, where the Polish watchmaker Antoni Patek began to manufacture pocket watches in Geneva together with Franciszek Czapek from the Czech Republic. They eventually ended their collaboration in 1844 after which Patek combined forces with the watchmaker Adrien Philippe, who invented the keyless winding mechanism. The pair founded the company we know today as Patek Philippe.
Visit Us in London!
We are exhibiting a series of wristwatches in London from the upcoming auction in Copenhagen. The special preview will take place at the Royal Danish Embassy, 55 Sloane Street, on Tuesday, 28 November between 11 am and 5 pm, followed by a cocktail reception. Everyone is welcome!
Please note, the Royal Danish Embassy requires registration 24 hours in advance and photo ID at the door. The registration can be made via e-mail: dkembassyevents@um.dk
Auction: Thursday, 30 November at 6 pm at Bredgade 33, Copenhagen
Preview: 23-27 November at the same address
View all the lots with wristwatches
Read more about the auction
Read about how to bid
For further information, please contact:
Casper Behrendtzen: +45 8818 1235 · cab@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Esben Skov Jensen: +45 8818 1199 · ej@bruun-rasmussen.dk