They say there’s nothing better than owning a Rolex. But one could argue that nothing is better than selling a Rolex, especially if it is a super rare timepiece that sells for $5.9 million. That was the case this weekend when a one-of-a-kind luxury watch became the second-most expensive Rolex to ever sell at an auction.
We take you to the Phillips auction house in Geneva, Switzerland, where this treasured timepiece sold for a whopping $5.9 million. The one-of-a-kind watch that was auctioned off on May 12 was a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona and it is the only one of its kind to be a white gold vintage. This particular Rolex Daytona is so rare that it is nicknamed “The Unicorn” and was only discovered eight years ago.
At $5.9 million, this was the second-most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction, but it doesn’t even come close to the top wristwatch. A Rolex Daytona owned by Paul Newman sold last fall for a whopping $17.8 million. But the sale of The Unicorn watch did set a record because the seller, famed watch collector John Goldberger, donated the proceeds to the charity Children Action. The extremely generous donation is believed to be the highest ever charitable donation from the sale of a vintage watch.
“We are thrilled with this historic result and philanthropic gesture, and delighted by the lasting benefits the sale of this watch will provide to so many children,” said Aurel Bacs, of Bacs & Russo, which held the auction in conjunction with Phillips.
Don’t have $5.9 million to blow on a timepiece? Check out these stylish watches that come with a much, much more reasonable price tag.
[Fortune]