1068
Rolex
Ref. 4314
Cellini Queen Midas
An extremely attractive and rare lady’s yellow gold rectangular-shaped wristwatch with coral dial and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Rare lady’s Queen Midas variant of the celebrated King Midas
- Heaviest gold wristwatch of its era and the most expensive model in the Rolex catalogue
- Rare and flawless coral dial
- Excellent overall condition with crisp engravings and hallmarks
The lavish Rolex King Midas debuted in 1962 and has long enjoyed a star-studded reputation among prominent figures. The inaugural reference 9630 was notably the timepiece of choice for icons such as Elvis Presley, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", and John Wayne. Its daring asymmetrical silhouette was conceived by Gérald Genta, the celebrated designer behind horological icons such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus.
Inspired by Greek mythology, the Midas embodies the legendary "Midas touch"—the ability to turn everything into gold. Its original architecture drew inspiration from the Parthenon, featuring sharp, angular lines crafted from solid gold that rendered it both the heaviest gold wristwatch of its era and the most expensive model in the Rolex catalogue.
In the 1970s, Rolex integrated the collection into the Cellini family, updating the dials to replace the original Greek "MIDAS" inscription with "Cellini". During this period, the brand expanded the line with rectangular case profiles and introduced a ladies’ variation: the Queen Midas.
The present Queen Midas reference 4314, executed in yellow gold, is distinguished by a striking exotic coral dial that pairs seamlessly with the warm tone of the case. Preserved in excellent overall condition with correct attributes inside the caseback, this distinctive, substantial timepiece represents a standout treasure among vintage ladies' Rolex timepieces.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.