A historically important stainless steel Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Paul Newman” that once belonged to the Hollywood legend Paul Newman himself was sold by Phillips New York for a record-breaking $17.8 million!

The Phillips Winning Icons – Legendary Watches of the 20th Century Sale was held on October 26. Featuring 50 important high-end watches, including Paul Newman’s 1968 Rolex Daytona that was introduced to the public for the first time, it was a historical event for all collectors and connoisseurs of fine watches. The bidding war for the iconic Rolex was opened at $10 million and lasted 12 minutes before the luxury watch was finally sold for a record $17.8 million to an anonymous bidder on the phone, thus becoming the world’s most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction.

Among other important Rolex high-end luxury watches that went under the hammer on October 26 are:

• Rolex Ref. 8171 “Padellone,” 1950 – sold for $603,000
• Rolex Submariner Ref. 6200 “Big Crown,” 1954 – sold for $579,000
• Rolex Ref. 6284 Enamel Dial, 1950 – sold for $567,000
• Rolex Ref. 6062 “Stelline,” 1953 – sold for $495,000
• Rolex Oyster Chronograph Ref. 6236 “Jean-Claude Killy,” 1958 – sold for $262,500

It is also impossible not to mention the following fine watches auctioned by Phillips at the Winning Icons Sale:

• Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Perpetual Calendar, 1951

35mm 18k pink gold case, hand-winding mechanical movement, Calibre 13”’, 23 jewels, perpetual calendar watch with chronograph, tachymeter scale, and moon phase indication.

Sold for $975,000.

• Philippe Dufour Duality Double Regulator, 1996

35.5mm platinum case, hand-winding mechanical movement, Calibre 10, 40 jewels, world’s first luxury watch with a double escapement.

Sold for $915,000.

• Audemars Piguet Ref. 5516 Perpetual Calendar, 1957

36.5mm yellow gold case, hand-winding mechanical movement, Calibre 13VZSSQP, 18 jewels, perpetual calendar luxury watch with additional dial, leap year indication, and moon phases.

Sold for $675,000.

• Patek Philippe Ref. 1463 “Tasti Tondi,” 1949

35mm stainless steel case, hand-winding mechanical movement, Calibre 13”’, 23 jewels, chronograph watch with outer tachymeter scale and two-tone silvered dial.

Sold for $591,000.

• Vacheron Constantin Ref. 4764 “Cioccolatone,” 1958

36mm 18k pink gold case, hand-winding mechanical movement P495, 17 jewels, triple calendar complication with moon phase indication, two-tone silvered dial.

Sold for $387,000.

With such results, the Phillips New York Winning Icons Sale is sure to go down in history as one of the greatest of all time!