One of the rarest Rolex timepieces ever made recently changed hands at an auction last weekend, setting a new record. One of nine known examples of the Rolex split-second chronograph ref. 4113 was at Monaco Legend Group’s auction and managed to sell for €3.3 million (~ $3.5 million), which is a new record for the model. The previous record was held by an example that was sold for roughly $2.6 million at Phillips’ Star-Stop-Reset auction in 2016.
The recently auctioned timepiece comes from the collection of renowned watch collector and horology expert Auro Montanari, also known as John Goldberger. The horological scholar has been collecting vintage timepieces for more than four decades and has written several books on watches. The watch was also featured in Montanari’s 100 Superlative Rolex Watches book. According to the auction house, the particular piece had never appeared in the auction before, which further added to its desirability.
Interestingly, very little is known about the Rolex split-seconds chronograph Reference 4113. It is the only split-seconds chronograph ever produced by Rolex, which adds to its exclusivity. Only 12 examples of the timepiece were made, all uniquely crafted in 1942, with serial numbers ranging from 051313 to 051324. With a case diameter of 44mm, it represents one of the largest cases the iconic Swiss watch brand has ever made to date, while it also remains one of the thinnest split-seconds chronographs ever produced.
Housed inside the oversized case is a caliber 55 VBR chronograph movement with a split-seconds complication. According to the auction house, the Rolex split-seconds chronograph was originally intended for aviation pilots; however, it’s believed that it found a niche in the automotive world. The watch was also sold with a “caseback opener” knife similar to the one used in Goldberger’s first Talking Watches to pop open the caseback.
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