Four Rolex watches fetch $50m for DiCaprio conservation group

Four luxury watches turned a collectors' event into one of the most unusual charity sales the industry has seen. Four unique Rolex Cosmograph Daytona timepieces, each a one-of-a-kind piece representing a different season, sold in London for a combined £37.3 million, approximately $49.4 million. According to auction house Phillips, this marks the largest single consignment ever sold in a charity auction.

The sale, held on September 28 in partnership with Rolex and Phillips, featured the "Four Seasons" collection. The watches were crafted from precious metals and set with gemstones, diamonds and sapphires, with each model featuring a combination of colors and materials representing a different season.

The watches sold at auction (Photo: Phillips)

The most expensive watch in the sale was the "Summer" model, made of 18-karat Everose gold with a turquoise dial and pink sapphires. It sold for £10.3 million. The "Autumn" model, crafted from yellow gold and set with green tourmalines, fetched £10.2 million. The platinum "Winter" model, featuring a blue opal dial and sapphires in varying shades, sold for £10 million, while the white gold "Spring" model brought in £6.8 million.

The exceptionally high prices reflect more than just the value of the watches themselves. During the auction, wealthy collectors competed for the four pieces, with three of the winning bidders participating by telephone and one present in the room. Bidding began in the hundreds of thousands of pounds but quickly climbed into the millions.

Federer with children supported by the foundation he established (Photo: Federer Foundation)

All proceeds from the sale are designated to be split equally between two organizations. The first is the Federer Foundation, established by former tennis star Roger Federer, which works to advance early childhood education in southern African countries. The second is Re:wild, an environmental organization co-founded by actor Leonardo DiCaprio that works to protect endangered ecosystems and species. Each organization is expected to receive approximately £18.65 million, close to $25 million.

Phillips noted that this was the first charity auction of its kind held in partnership with Rolex. Unlike regular auctions, no buyer's premium was charged, ensuring that the entire sum from the four watches will go to the charitable causes.