Rolex

To celebrate the Dutch national football team and their exceptional achievements during the World Cup 2010 in South-Africa, the Dutch Football Association commissioned Rolex, through the retailer GASSAN, to create a special batch of 30 watches.

While the crowned brand normally declines all special requests, they accepted this time to produce a special Daytona for this occasion.

Fifteen pieces were made on a leather strap (Ref. 116519) and fifteen on white gold bracelet (Ref. 116509), such as the present lot. Each player of the Dutch national football squad and a few key staff members were granted a watch.

The agreement of Rolex is truly exceptional, and its importance could not be overstated enough. It makes this lot an extremely rare and significant piece.

The dial of this special commission was produced by Rolex and pays tribute to the Netherlands by using the highly popular national color. The outer track of the dial, the chronograph seconds hand as well as inner graduations and the hands of the subsidiary dials are in a vibrant orange.

The created effect is extremely strong. The contrast between the orange parts, the black dial and the white gold gives this piece a unique and most attractive appeal and character.

It should be further mentioned that orange color is extremely rarely used by Rolex. Apart from the leopard pattern of the Ref. 116598SACO, literature does not list any Daytona using orange. This lot would be the first confirmed non SACO Daytona with this color to ever appear on the international auction market.

In additional to the exceptional dial, each one of the 30 watches had there case back engraved with the name of the player, squad number and the World Cup 2010 logo. All the pieces on this edition, including the present one, have this engraving. This operation was made by the accredited Rolex retailer GASSAN, who was the link between Rolex and the Dutch Football Association for this unique project.

The present Rolex Daytona, beautifully adorning its factory black and orange dial, part of an exceptional special commission and made unique by its engraving on the back, can easily be categorized as one the rarest, most coveted and collectible automatic Daytona ever produced.

Its appearance on the market is a very exciting opportunity for a seasoned collector.