Diamond and Sapphire bedazzled Rolex Daytona revealed at Baselworld 2018  (Photos: Rolex.com)

Rolex didn't hold back with this Daytona, pulling all punches and making a statement as a Jeweler of the highest quality.  Rolex wants to dispel the myth that they use low quality gems or are a watchmaker first and gemologist second.  In this Daytona the combined 36 baguette cut sapphires in the circular formation along the bezel where the tachometer markings would normally go for a typical Daytona.  On the case itself, Rolex opted for 56 diamonds of several different sizes.  The gem artistry that went into the design of this piece is amazing.

They opted to go for 18 carat Everose (pink) gold for this Daytona which seems to sparkle and reflect many of the rainbow colors it is presenting.  On the dial, the rainbow sapphires are cut into hour markers and lay on the black dial near the outer ring where the sapphire matches the outer ring sapphire color.  So for example, the blue sapphire ranges from 8 o'clock to the 6 o'clock position both on the bezel and on the dial.  The impressive workmanship is doubled when you consider the gem selection that went into finding gems that would graduate the rainbow look.  The Reds melt into the Blues and Blues into Purples and so on.

The inner dial is a pink gold color which nicely matches the case and bracelet.  Although I wouldn't consider a gem-set Rolex as high on my list of wish-list items, I think this Daytona has made an impact on my viewpoint of Rolex being just a watchmaker of the highest order.  This piece clearly establishes them as gem-setting masters and gemologists of the highest order.  Clearly each gem had to be selected with stringent quality and then placed to reveal its beauty, color and sparkle.  Yet, being true to the watchmaking requirements, all gems must have strength and resistance to magnetic fields and shocks in order to qualify for inclusion on a Rolex.

It is with great difficulty that we must move onto the components of this timepiece.  The gems must take the top podium step in any discussion regarding this timepiece.  However, this isn't to undermine the Rolex artistry of the timepiece itself.  This Cosmograph Daytona is powered by a caliber 4130 self-winding movement which gives a power reserve of approximately 72 hours.  Even with all the gems on the case, it is only a 40 mm diameter.  Although it is unlikely that an owner would ever wear this piece in the ocean or in a swimming pool, the timepiece utilizes a triplock waterproofness system and is water resistant to 330 feet.

The bracelet is a Oyster with flat three-piece links.  It uses an Oysterlock safety clasp with Easylink comfort extension links for easy adjustments.  On the dial, it has a center hour, minute and seconds hands in Everose gold.  It has a small seconds at 6 o'clock,  a 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock and a 12 hour counter at 9 o'clock.

Rolex Daytona 6265 in White Gold

This is a vintage Rolex Daytona Reference 6265 in solid 18k white gold.  It was a special order made in 1970 and delivered to a German retailer in 1971.  It is rare because Rolex did not make any white gold manual-winding Daytonas - only thought to have been produced in yellow gold or stainless steel.  Of course, vintage Daytona's are in high demand, but this is a one of a kind making it a priceless artifact.  Nicknamed "The Unicorn" partly because of its rarity and partly because of its white gold color, the Reference 6265 is going up for auction at Phillips, with proceeds going to Children Action.

John Goldberger, collector and owner of "The Unicorn"  Image: Hodinkee

Famed collector John Goldberger, and author of 100 Superlative Rolex Watches and Patek Philippe Steel Watches, is the current owner of the rare Daytona.  He acquired the timepiece just eight years ago.   Upon picking up the Daytona for the first time, he noticed that this did not feel like a stainless steel Daytona.  It was much heavier.  Although Rolex used white gold in their production of Day-Date models during the 1970's the precious metal never made it to the Daytona line which was designed to be an every-day watch.  Most Daytonas were made in stainless steel to stand up to the wear and tear of daily use.

The Unicorn has a black "sigma" dial and white gold hour markers.  The bracelet comes from a white gold reference 1507 Oyster Date, but is not the original band that came with the timepiece.  It isn't known what band was delivered with the white gold model.  The crown and pushers are made from stainless steel, rather than white gold.  The Daytona bezel with tachymetric scale supports measuring average speeds up to 200 miles or kilometers per hour.  It has a small seconds hand at 9 o'clock a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock.  On modern Daytonas the dials at 9 and 6 are swapped.

The Unicorn will likely fetch millions for the charity, if recent history and astronomical price increases at auction are any indication.  The question is whether it will set new records, considering its rarity.  Certainly the most expensive Daytona, the Paul Newman, which recently went for over 17 million, has celebrity fame to drive the price up.  The Newman watch though was not nearly as rare as The Unicorn.  We will find out on May 12, 2018, in Geneva, where the Unicorn will be featured as part of the Daytona Ultimatum auction.

Labron James wearing a Yellow Gold Day Date  Image:Getty

LeBron James is arguably the greatest basketball player in history.  Certainly he is the most noteworthy player to play in the NBA since Michael Jordan and is often compared with Jordan's greatness.  Although he has less NBA Championship rings (three as compared to Jordan's 6), he is an absolute force of nature on the court and still has many more years left to play.  He is taller and stronger than Jordan and can play all 5 positions, making him one of the most versatile players in NBA history.  Most impressively, James has powered his team to attending 8 championship series in his career, and notably 7 of the last 7, and winning it all 3 times on two different teams.

James is touted for his consistency (averaging over 37 points a game), durability (very few injuries) and a multitude of skills including defensive, offensive, rebounding and assists.  James is the ambassador to Audemars Piguet and is most often seen sporting the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James.

However, James has been spotted wearing his share of Rolex timepieces.  He has been spotted with three different Rolexes, all showing his preference for new timepieces in Yellow Gold.

Rolex Day Date in Yellow Gold

Rolex Presidential Day Date in Yellow Gold
The Rolex Day-Date was released in 1956 and was noteworthy becoming the first wristwatch to display both the date and day of the week on the dial.  Due to the President bracelet and the luminaries that have worn the Day-Date, the Day Date became known as the "Presidents" watch. 

The Presidential Day-Date II Reference 218238BKRP has a stunning black dial and Arabic numerals in 18k gold.  The case and bracelet are made from 18k gold. The fluted bezel gives the timepiece a distinct luxury, often adding a level of sophistication and a distinctive look of alternating light and dark gold.

It is the smallest of the three Rolexes in LeBron's collection at only 41mm, but it sports both the day of the week at 12 o'clock and the date at 3 o'clock.

The Day-Date II is powered by a caliber 3156 with 48 hours of power reserve.  It has a twinlock double waterproofness system, supporting a depth of 330 feet.

Sky Dweller in Yellow Gold

Rolex Sky Dweller in Yellow Gold

The Rolex Sky-Dweller provides information that global travelers need to keep track of time.  It has the Dual Time Zone function so that you can see two time zones simultaneously.  The center hour, minute and seconds hands indicate the local time.  The hour hand can be adjusted quickly in one hour increments forwards and backwards without stopping the watch, preserving time accuracy.  This is a key requirement for the King who needs to have quick hour adjustments when traveling back and forth to basketball stadiums across the US.

The Sky Dweller has a 24 hour display allowing the wearer to distinguish daytime from night time hours.  The Date change is linked to local time and the date changes in a few milliseconds at midnight in its aperture at 3 o'clock.  The scratch resistant sapphire crystal has a cyclops lens over the date window for better readability.

This timepiece is stunning for several reasons.  It has a champagne color dial and 18 ct gold hour numerals.  It has a matching 18 ct gold Oyster bracelet with Oysterclasp system. The Sky-Dweller is slightly smaller than the Yacht-Master II, at 42mm.  It is powered by a caliber 9001 self-winding movement with a 72 hour power reserve.  It has a Twinlock double waterproofness system which supports a depth of 330 feet.

Rolex Yacht-Master II in Yellow Gold

Touches of blue and red are extended through on the white dial. It has luminescent hour markers surrounded by yellow gold, with a large triangular marker at 12 o'clock and a rectangular one at 6 o'clock for increased visibility.  The luminescent hour hand is clearly defined as a circular disk and is clearly distinguished from the minute hand.  The Chromalight display provides long-lasting blue luminescence in dark situations.

The countdown clock can be programmed for a duration between 1 and 10 minutes and is noted by a hand with a large red triangle with luminescent inside.   There is an additional small seconds dial at 6 o'clock.

The Yacht-Master II uses scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and has a triplock triple waterproofing system, supporting a water-resistance up to 330 feet deep.  The Caliber 4161 self-winding movement provides reserve power up to 72 hours.

Robert De Niro with a Vintage Rolex Daytona (Paul Newman) image: famewatcher

Robert De Niro is one of the greatest Hollywood A-list actors of all time with a tremendous lineup of some of the greatest movies ever made including The Godfather Part 2 (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), The Untouchables (1987), Good Fellas (1990), Analyze This (1999) and Meet the Parents (2000). You almost can bank on a De Niro film being a powerful moving experience.  Even his comedies have depth.

Clearly De Niro loves his Rolexes.  In the above picture we can see him with the classic vintage Paul Newman Daytona Reference: 6241 with a white dial and stainless steel case and band.  This classic uses a 37 mm case and is powered by a manual winding Valjoux 72 movement. The screw-down crown makes the winding a bit more challenging, and turned off many buyers at the time.

This is a highly sought after Rolex, often pulling in well over 100k at auction.  It has a plexi-glass crystal and a Paul Newman dial.  The chronograph pushers are at 2 and 4 o'clock and the dial can support measuring track lap times up to 200 kilometers/miles per hour.  It has a centre hour, minute and seconds hands, small seconds hand at 6 o'clock, 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and 12-hour counter at 9 o'clock.

Robert De Niro in the Academy Award Winning movie Deer Hunter with a Submariner Ref 5512 No Date - image in Rolex Magazine

In the title of this article I am making reference to De Niro's Submariner in both "Deer Hunter" and more recently, in the movie "Killer Elite."  The Vintage Submariner 5512 had a long production run from 1958 through 1978.  It has a 40mm stainless steel case and matching stainless steel band.  It has no date, a black dial, and as it ages, its lumens create a beautiful and highly coveted patina which is extended to the patina on the hour and minute hands.  It is powered by a caliber 1530 movement and supports a diving depth of up to 660 feet.  It has an acrylic crystal and a black matte dial, making the hour markers stand out impressively. The crown guards protect the scre-down crown.  Because of the long production history, it isn't difficult to pick up a Reference 5512 for under 15k.

Orlando Bloom wearing a vintage Rolex Explorer II image from CrownandCaliber.com

Orlando Bloom is an English actor whose breakthrough role came as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This was followed up by The Hobbit trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean and Troy (2004). Bloom has had great success as part of historical and ensemble casts. However he has received numerous nominations and awards while creating some of the most memorable supporting characters in history. Personally, Bloom has been tied to superstar singer Katy Perry, super model Miranda Kerr (who he married), and actress Kate Bosworth.

In 2009, Orlando Bloom was robbed by thieves connected to the Bling Ring. They stole over $500,000 worth of Rolex timepieces including some of the beautiful Vintage Rolexes shown below.

Rolex Explorer II: Image from Fratello Watches

Rolex Milgauss 6543: Image BobsWatches

Vintage Rolex GMT-Master 1675 Image: BobsWatches