Rolex King Midas : The watch for the elite of society

Rolex has been characterized by setting standards in the world of watchmaking, one of its most legendary models being the Rolex King Midas, which is not unique for its construction, design, and popularity, the “King” has also had several unique owners. , between politicians and superstars.

One of the highest peaks of the watchmaking house occurred in the 1960s, with the launch of iconic models such as the Submariner and the Day-Date, at this stage when one of the greatest watchmakers in history was in Boom, Gerald Genta.

Genta wanted to deliver a different timepiece, one that would set new records but honor the royalty of days gone by, so in 1964, the Rolex King Midas was produced.

This watch was designed for the elite of society, politicians, and superstars, for this reason, it was called “King Midas”, since it is not a piece designed for a society in general.

Despite everything that encompassed this watch, its sales rose slowly, to the point that during the 70s it merged with the Cellini range, giving birth to the Rolex Cellini King Midas.

It was within that line that the King Midas found its home, its extravagant design, and intricacy fitting perfectly with the Cellini, eventually managing to maintain its original name in the eyes of Rolex lovers, King Midas.

A Luxury Watch for Collectors

The King Midas went out of production in the 1970s, making it one of the most coveted watches among collectors, especially since the original “King Midas” was limited to only a thousand pieces.

At the time of its launch, the goal was for “King Midas” to be the heaviest and most expensive gold watch on the market, appealing to tall people as a symbol of their wealth.

Aside from the gold, the first thing you’ll notice is the unique design style. A watch that almost looks like a bracelet, the off-center pentagon dial blends into an integrated gold bracelet.

The watch face is incredibly simple, combining the Rolex logo, minute and hour hands, and the Greek inscription “ΜΙΔAΣ” to indicate the Midas model name. These limited dial features sit on top of a slightly lighter gold-yellow dial that blends to create a simple overall design.

A watch designed to be worn on the right wrist, the crown is located on the left of the case together with an engraving of “King Midas”, the reference of this legendary watch is 9360

Some Featured “King Midas” Users

The Rolex King Midas was created to be worn by the elite, the rich and famous, and the top royalty around the world, however, during the 1960s there was only one king on the scene and of course, he was one of the bearers of this legendary watch: Elvis Presley, the singer obtained the number 313 in production.

Apart from Elvis, another movie legend carried one, John Wayne the king of westerns, in this case, the actor carried the King Midas number 557 of the original production, which was sold in 2011 during an auction of “Personal property of John Wayne”, achieving, at the time an amount of 26 thousand 290 dollars, triple what had been predicted.

Rolex King Midas Price

Once launched, the King Midas Rolex cost around USD 2,500, with the increase in popularity when it was worn by Elvis Presley, in the mid-70s, a King Midas doubled its price, even reaching USD 5,500, equivalent to 38 thousand 390 current US dollars.

Despite this and the fact that there are only a thousand King Midas watches in the world, this model can be found among current collectors for approximately USD $30,000.