Ultra-rare Rolex sells for $4.7 million in record-breaking Dubai auction

Dubai: A Rolex Reference 4113 has sold for a world-record $4.72 million in Dubai, marking one of the most significant Rolex auction results ever recorded and setting the stage for heightened interest ahead of Dubai Watch Week.

FutureGrail, the luxury auction house specialising in rare timepieces who brought the model to auction, said the hammer price exceeded the previous record for a Reference 4113 by more than $1.2 million. This places the piece ninth on the all-time list of the most expensive Rolex watches ever sold.

Only 12 Reference 4113 watches were produced in the 1940s, and only nine are confirmed to have survived. It remains the brand’s only vintage split-seconds chronograph and has long been linked to motor racing circles, with several examples historically owned by drivers and team principals.

Ali Nael, CEO of FutureGrail, said: “This sale is one of the most significant in auction history, breaking a world-record and underlining the demand from luxury watch collectors across the globe. It is a privilege to bring such a rare item to the market, demonstrating that from Geneva to Dubai to Singapore, watches of this calibre command incredible interest. We may not see a Rolex Reference 4113 of this quality come to market for a long time.”

Arnaud Tellier, FutureGrail’s Head of Curation and former Director of the Patek Philippe museum, said: “From individual collectors purchasing for pleasure to investors diversifying their portfolios outside of traditional stocks and real estate assets, there is huge demand in the luxury watch market. Shrewd collectors optimise value and potential liquidity of purchases by finding rare items in the best possible condition.”

Singapore-based FutureGrail plans to expand its physical operations to the UAE in 2026 as demand from regional collectors accelerates. The firm has quickly established itself as a global platform for rare timepieces, supported by an in-house horology team and 6% buyer and seller premiums.

The record-setting sale reinforces Dubai’s influence in the global watch market and adds momentum to collector activity in the days leading into Dubai Watch Week.