In brief
- Paul Newman’s Daytona ref. 6239 is the most expensive Rolex, sold for $17.75 million in 2017.
- Four unique Four Seasons Daytonas sold for a combined £37.3 million (about $49.4 million) in September 2026.
- The top single Four Seasons watch, Summer, made £10.3 million, about $13.65 million.
- Nine of the ten most expensive Rolex watches are Cosmograph Daytonas.
As of October 2026, the most expensive Rolex ever sold is Paul Newman’s own Daytona reference 6239, which fetched $17.75 million at Phillips New York in October 2017. In September 2026, four one-off gem-set Daytonas made for charity sold for a combined £37.3 million (about $49.4 million), taking places two to five.
Almost every record Rolex is a Cosmograph Daytona. Prices depend on three things: who owned the watch, how rare the reference or dial is, and its condition. Figures below include buyer’s fees unless stated otherwise.
Most expensive Rolex watches at a glance
| Rank | Watch | Price | Sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Newman’s Daytona ref. 6239 | $17.75 million | Phillips New York, 2017 |
| 2 | Four Seasons Daytona: Summer | £10.3 million (about $13.65 million) | Phillips London, 2026 |
| 3 | Four Seasons Daytona: Autumn | £10.2 million (about $13.5 million) | Phillips London, 2026 |
| 4 | Four Seasons Daytona: Winter | £10 million (about $13.2 million) | Phillips London, 2026 |
| 5 | Four Seasons Daytona: Spring | £6.8 million (about $9 million) | Phillips London, 2026 |
| 6 | Rainbow Daytona ref. 16599SAAEC | About $6.3 million (reported) | Phillips, 2024 |
| 7 | Unicorn Daytona ref. 6265 | $5.9 million | Phillips Geneva, 2018 |
| 8 | Paul Newman’s Big Red Daytona ref. 6263 | $5.475 million | Phillips New York, 2020 |
| 9 | Bao Dai ref. 6062 | $5.06 million | Phillips Geneva, 2017 |
| 10 | Marlon Brando’s GMT-Master ref. 1675 | $1.95 million | Phillips New York, 2019 |
1. Paul Newman’s Daytona ref. 6239: $17.75 million
Actor and racing driver Paul Newman received this steel Daytona from his wife, Joanne Woodward, who had the caseback engraved “Drive Carefully Me”. He wore it for years and later gave it to James Cox, a friend of his daughter Nell.
Also readLuxury Gifts for Men 2026: 12 Premium Picks Worth BuyingPhillips sold it in New York on 26 October 2017 for $17.75 million including fees, against a hammer price of about $15.5 million. Nearly nine years later, it is still the most expensive Rolex sold at auction.
The sale drew wide attention to vintage Daytonas with the exotic dial that collectors now call the Paul Newman dial.
2. Four Seasons Daytona, Summer: about $13.65 million
On 28 September 2026, Rolex held its first charity auction with Phillips in London. It offered four unique gem-set Cosmograph Daytonas, one for each season, with all money going to the Federer Foundation and Re:wild.
The Summer watch has an 18 carat Everose gold case, a turquoise dial, ruby counters and a bezel set with pink sapphires and diamonds. It sold for £10.3 million, about $13.65 million, the top price of the night.
Because it was a charity sale, Phillips waived the buyer’s premium, so the hammer price was the final price.
3. Four Seasons Daytona, Autumn: about $13.5 million
The Autumn Daytona is made in 18 carat yellow gold, with a mookaite stone dial, chrysoprase counters and green tourmalines with diamonds on the bezel.
It sold for £10.2 million, about $13.5 million, just behind Summer.
4. Four Seasons Daytona, Winter: about $13.2 million
Winter is the only platinum watch of the four. It has a blue opal dial, lapis lazuli counters and a bezel with a blue to fuchsia sapphire gradient.
It sold for £10 million, about $13.2 million. The three top watches finished within £300,000 of each other.
5. Four Seasons Daytona, Spring: about $9 million
Spring uses an 18 carat white gold case, a chrysoprase dial, lepidolite counters, and purple sapphires and diamonds on the bezel.
It sold for £6.8 million, about $9 million, the lowest of the set. Even so, it ranks among the most expensive Rolex watches ever sold. The four watches together raised £37.3 million.
6. Rainbow Daytona ref. 16599SAAEC: about $6.3 million
Before 2026, this gem-set white gold Daytona from the Zenith-movement era was the second most expensive Rolex at auction. It has a bezel set with sapphires in rainbow colours and a dial set with diamonds.
It sold at Phillips in 2024. Reports put the price at about $6.3 to $6.5 million, depending on the exchange rate used.
7. Unicorn Daytona ref. 6265: $5.9 million
The Unicorn earned its name as the only known reference 6265 Daytona made in 18 carat white gold. Most 6265 Daytonas were made in steel or yellow gold.
Collector John Goldberger sold it at Phillips Geneva in May 2018 for about $5.9 million, with proceeds going to charity. Some later reports have raised questions about its originality.
8. Paul Newman’s Big Red Daytona ref. 6263: $5.475 million
This was another gift from Joanne Woodward to Paul Newman, engraved “Drive Slowly Joanne”. It is a reference 6263 with a black dial and the red Daytona text that collectors call Big Red.
Phillips New York sold it in December 2020 for $5,475,000.
9. Bao Dai ref. 6062: $5.06 million
This yellow gold reference 6062 belonged to Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam. It has a triple calendar with moon phase and a black dial with diamond hour markers, a rare combination.
Phillips sold it in Geneva in May 2017 for about $5.06 million, a record for any Rolex at the time.
10. Marlon Brando’s GMT-Master ref. 1675: $1.95 million
Marlon Brando wore this GMT-Master while filming Apocalypse Now. He removed the bezel and had his name engraved on the caseback.
Phillips New York sold it in December 2019 for about $1.95 million.
How we ranked these
We ranked watches by the final price paid at public auction, using figures reported by Phillips and major news outlets. Pounds and Swiss francs are converted to US dollars at rates reported at the time of each sale.
We left out watches that were withdrawn or are only quoted with estimated values. Some other Daytona sales in the $2 to $5 million range are reported with figures that differ between sources, so they are not ranked. For other brands, see our list of the most expensive watches.
Sources: Phillips: Four Seasons charity auction, Luxe Digital: Four Seasons results, CNBC: the Unicorn, WristReview: Big Red Daytona, Luxury Bazaar.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive Rolex ever sold?
The most expensive Rolex ever sold is Paul Newman’s Daytona reference 6239. Phillips sold it in New York in October 2017 for $17.75 million including fees. The watch was a gift from his wife, Joanne Woodward, and is engraved “Drive Carefully Me” on the caseback.
How much did the Rolex Four Seasons Daytonas sell for?
The four unique Four Seasons Daytonas sold at Phillips London on 28 September 2026 for a combined £37.3 million, about $49.4 million. Summer made £10.3 million, Autumn £10.2 million, Winter £10 million and Spring £6.8 million. All proceeds went to the Federer Foundation and Re:wild.
Why are Rolex Daytonas so expensive at auction?
Rare Daytonas combine low production, unusual dials and famous owners. The Paul Newman dial, gem-set one-offs and white gold vintage cases are especially scarce. Strong collector demand since the 2017 Newman sale has kept prices for top examples in the millions.
What is the Unicorn Rolex?
The Unicorn is a Rolex Daytona reference 6265 made in 18 carat white gold, believed to be the only one of its kind. Collector John Goldberger sold it at Phillips Geneva in May 2018 for about $5.9 million, with proceeds going to charity.
How much is the Bao Dai Rolex worth?
The Bao Dai Rolex, a yellow gold reference 6062 owned by the last emperor of Vietnam, sold at Phillips Geneva in May 2017 for about $5.06 million. At the time it was the most expensive Rolex sold at auction, until Paul Newman’s Daytona later that year.
See more Wealthy Garage stories on Google
Add us as a preferred source and our stories will show up more often in your Top Stories.
Add Wealthy Garage as a preferred source on Google
