Rolex Used in a Historic Swim to Resurface at Sotheby’s Auction

A Rolex watch worn almost a century ago by the first British woman to swim the English Channel will be put up for auction by Sotheby’s.

Mercedes Gleitze’s Rolex Oyster could fetch over $1.3 million at the Nov. 9 auction in Geneva, according to Sotheby’s. It is considered to be the world’s first practical waterproof wristwatch, and helped establish the Swiss company’s reputation as a maker of watches that were both stylish and cutting-edge.