Padellone sells for $1.14 million

It seems like it wasn't so long ago that not a single Rolex had ever sold publicly for over $1 million.

Now, it seems to be happening every (Christie's) sale. Last month, a rare Rolex Daytona Paul Newman "RCO" broke the million dollar mark, and in the spring, this split-seconds 4113 also broke a million. Then, just yesterday, a very rare Rolex "Padellone" triple calendar moonphase sold for $1,145,00 in heavy bidding. But there are a few interesting things to note here.

First, we should point out that the three $1,000,000 Rolex watches we mention here are all stainless steel – not a single one of them is gold or platinum – again proving that the least noble metal is actually the choice of the most serious collectors in the world. Additionally, this particular Padellone was in true top condition, proving that again condition is paramount, even in some cases surpassing rarity. And, speaking of rarity, the 8171 is not a particularly rare reference, but finding one in steel with a diamond dial such as this, in this remarkable condition, is definitely something special. This price was, of course, a record for the reference, and it is also the very first time a Rolex has broken $1,000,000 at Christie's New York – all former sales at this level were in Geneva.