A recent story was told by Paul Alteri of Bob's Watches.  It was of a Canadian woman who purchased a 2nd hand couch for $25 at a thrift store and found a Daytona 6241 Paul Newman, worth millions, in between the cushions.   

Ok.  So, it is pretty obvious that from a price perspective, finding an old Rolex Daytona would probably be first on everyone's list.  However, let's take away the profit potential from the equation here.  Let's say, you had an opportunity to happen upon a Rolex timepiece and that timepiece would have the highest resale value of any timepiece sold.  Here you get to make the decision based purely on aesthetic reasons.  Which one do you like better?  Which one would you rather find, whether it be to wear it yourself, or to gift it to someone you care about?

Here are my top three.  

The Rolex Yacht-Master is one of the timepieces I would most like to find because of it's absolute beauty and distinctive appeal.  I don't own a yacht.  I love boats.  Although this would not be the first timepiece on my "buy list", I would certainly love to own one.  

Wearing a Yacht-Master shows you have taste, culture and style.  You are seen as a man or woman of ultimate leisure - who appreciate the finer things in life.  

The Red, White and Blue are not only highly legible and readable, but it is also an American icon and color palette.  You honor more than yourself when you don this beautiful timepiece.

The Rolex Sky-Dweller is another timepiece that would not be first on my buy list.  However, it is stunning and practical.  The rotating dial adds huge visual appeal to it.  I think I admired it even more when I saw LeBron James showing off this timepiece - of course in Gold.  Frankly, I am perfectly fine with finding a steel version of this one in my couch with the dark blue with luminescent hour markers and date window.  

The Rolex Sky-Dweller is ideal for travelers.  The 2nd time zone in the center dial and big red triangle makes it easy to see both your current time zone and your home base zone at one glance.  I love the fact that it represents the 2nd zone in 24 hour markers.  It has a militaristic appeal allowing you to track in 24 hour marks rather than just relying on notations of AM or PM.  The sophistication and intricacy that went into the development of this caliber is incredible.  

As if this was not enough, there is a MONTH calendar around the actual dial.  So, not only do you get the day of the month aperture at 3 o'clock, but the hour markers can show you what month 1-12 you are in.  A red square appears above the hour marker for the month you are in.  Pictured above, you can see it is in the 11 o'clock position, indicating November. 

#1 Rolex Daytona with Black Rubber Strap and Gold Case, Champagne Dial.  

If you read through some of my blogs, you will see that this is a timepiece that I absolutely love.  It is a Rolex Daytona with gold and black coloring throughout.  It is spectacular in every way.  Not only does it have a timer and complexity with its pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock, but it is absolutely one of the most stunning timepieces you could own from the Rolex collection.  

Even though most collectors are looking for vintage Daytona's and this one would hardly compare in resale value, this is what speaks luxury, and exceptional style.  The black and gold is very masculine and not over the top with gold.  It is comfortable to wear, because of the rubber band. The champagne dial looks unbelievable against the black inner dials and black and white luminescent hour markers.  I love how you get hour markers all around the dial with the exception of the 12 o'clock position where the crown sits.  Most Rolexes drop the 3 o'clock hour marker because of the date aperture.  

The black bezel with gold markings finish off the timepiece.  It makes me want to get out on the highway and drop the foot pedal to the metal.  

It is a cut above the standard steel Daytonas.  The golden luxury makes this timepiece look good any time day or night.