It’s fair to say that Rolex have produced a lot of watches in their time. So many in fact that keeping all the references straight in your head is a somewhat futile task for all but the most dedicated Rolex enthusiasts. Making it all the more difficult is Rolex’s historic penchant for off-catalogue watches and very secretive collaborations that barely leave a paper trail online. Although such things are much rarer today. Which is what makes the anonymity of the purple dial Rolex Daytona Ref. 116500LN x Asprey so unusual because it was only released in 2021. The watch in question is currently available to purchase in Sotheby’s Fine Watches online auction, which closes on December 12th.
Rolex first began collaborating with Asprey back in the 1970s when the retailer’s connections to international heads of state was a boon to Rolex selling customised watches to the Omani government. Coincidentally the resulting “Omani Dial” Rolexes are also highly sought after. Around this time, Asprey began getting in on the customised Rolex action themselves by bringing their signature purple colour to a handful of watches.
So, while Asprey Rolexes have been around for almost half a century, they have always remained exceedingly rare. Which brings us to the watch that’s up for sale now, the Rolex Daytona Ref. 116500LN x Asprey. It was released in 2021 and there is practically no information regarding this release online, which feels like an unlikely miracle in this day and age.
None of the major watch publications (including us) got wind of the release and it seems Rolex and Asprey did everything possible to keep news of it quiet. Presumably, all 25 of the limited-edition watches were sold to private collectors in the back room of an Asprey boutique. Asprey are very familiar with custom watch collaborations, just look at the Andersen Genève x Asprey Worldtimer from this year.
As for the watch itself, it’s made from stainless steel with a 40mm diameter in the traditional style of the Daytona. The black tachymeter bezel features purple typography in the same shade as the dial. It’s a lovely purple as well, slightly lighter than royal purple but more saturated than lavender, which puts it in the region of violet. It makes for an incredibly striking appearance paired with the Daytona’s tricompax display.
It’s marked as number 21/25 and presented with original Asprey packaging and warranty card dated to August 2021. As mentioned, the purple Rolex Dayona x Asprey is available from Sotheby’s with an estimate of $70,000 – $100,000. At time of writing, the current bid sits at $75,000 (approx. £60,000) with eight days of auction time remaining, closing at 15:48 GMT on December 12th 2023.
More details at Sotheby’s.
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