Vietnamese Emperor's Rolex Sells for Record $5 Million in Geneva
- Phillips sets record auction price, surpassing Sotheby’s
- Christie’s sells Haile Selassie Patek Philippe for $2.9m
A Rolex that was owned by the last emperor of Vietnam became the Swiss watchmaker’s most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction, fetching $5 million at Phillips as Geneva’s spring auction season kicks off.
The “Bao Dai,” a Rolex that the late emperor bought during Geneva peace negotiations in 1954, was sold to an unidentified phone bidder on Saturday, according to the auction house. The bidding war lasted eight minutes among 10 bidders in the room and three on the phone.