Policies & IssuesNov 14, 2025
U.S., Switzerland Reach Deal That Drops Tariff to 15%The Swiss government announced the deal, which cuts the tax on Swiss imports by more than half, on social media Friday morning.
AuctionsMay 14, 2018
White Gold ‘Unicorn’ Rolex Sells for $5.9M
The Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265 is the second-most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction.
This Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265, dubbed “The Unicorn,” became the second-most expensive Rolex at auction Saturday when it garnered $5.9 million.
Geneva--“The Unicorn” Rolex, a watch that generated much excitement when Phillips announced its auction, has become the second-most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction.
The white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265 was sold as part of the “Daytona Ultimatum” thematic auction held by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo on May 12 in Geneva, where it went for CHF 5.9 million ($5.9 million), nearly doubling its pre-sale estimate.
That makes it the No. 2 Rolex at auction behind Paul Newman’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, which garnered $17.8 million last October.
“The Unicorn” is so known because of its rarity, being the only known white gold manual-winding Daytona ever produced.
Until the discovery of the Ref. 6265, it was believed that Rolex only produced manually wound Daytonas in stainless steel or 18-karat yellow gold, with some 14-karat yellow gold watches created for the U.S. market.
Rolex manufactured this particular watch in 1970 and delivered it in 1971 to a German retailer, who, it is believed, had placed a special order for an exclusive client with enough means and influence to convince the watch brand to stray from its norm. (Though Rolex made plenty of watches in white gold in the 1970s, they were Day-Dates.)
The white gold Ref. 6265 had been in the private ownership of collector John Goldberger, who discovered it eight years ago. Though he always said the Daytona would never be for sale, given its irreplaceable status, he eventually changed his mind.
All proceeds of the Unicorn’s sale will benefit Children Action, a foundation dedicated to helping the lives of youths across the world, resulting in one of the largest charitable contributions ever in the field of watches.
Phillips offered a total of 32 Rolex Cosmograph Daytonas in the “Daytona Ultimatum” sale on Saturday, curated by renowned watch scholar Pucci Papaleo.
All of the watches offered were sold, and the combined total achieved by the 32 pieces was $22.2 million.
In total, five Daytona watches cleared the $1-million mark, four of which were made in stainless steel. Phillips said this result can be attributed to both their rarity and the fine
condition in which they were offered.
More on Auctions
The Latest
FinancialsNov 14, 2025
Richemont’s Q2 Jewelry Sales Up 12%Plus, how tariffs and the rising price of gold are affecting its watch and jewelry brands.
CollectionsNov 14, 2025
Piece of the Week: Silvia Furmanovich’s ‘Butterflies in Flight’ Jewelry BoxFurmanovich designed the box to hold Mellerio’s “Color Queen,” a high jewelry collection consisting of 10 rings.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
Events & AwardsNov 14, 2025
JCK Names New Event DirectorJennifer Hopf, who has been with JCK since 2022, will lead the execution of the long-running jewelry trade show.
Weekly QuizNov 13, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsNov 13, 2025
127-Year-Old New Orleans Jeweler to CloseAdler’s Jewelry is set to close its two stores as 82-year-old owner Coleman E. Adler II retires.
IndependentsNov 13, 2025
Green Lake Jewelry Works to Move to New Seattle StudioFounder Jim Tuttle shared how a dedication to craftsmanship and meaningful custom jewelry fueled the retailer’s double-digit growth.
Brought to you by
Jewelers of America Aligns New Mission to Create Meaningful Impact for MembersFrom educational programs, advocacy, and recent MJSA affiliation, Jewelers of America drives progress that elevates businesses of all sizes.
MajorsNov 13, 2025
Vahan Jewelry Founder Leon ‘Sacha’ Der Calousdian Dies at 85The third-generation jeweler is remembered as a passionate creative with a love of art, traveling and sailboat racing.
CrimeNov 12, 2025
Father, Son Jewelers in Chicago Victims in Double Homicide JSA and Cook County Crime Stoppers are both offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved.
AuctionsNov 12, 2025
Historic Rolex Oyster Fetches $1.7M at Sotheby’sMercedes Gleitze famously wore the watch in her 1927 swim across the English Channel, a pivotal credibility moment for the watchmaker.
GradingNov 12, 2025
It’s Time: GIA’s Express Holiday Service Is Back GIA is offering next-day services for natural, colorless diamonds submitted to its labs in New York and Carlsbad.
MajorsNov 10, 2025
Jewelers Focus on Love, Joy In 2025 Holiday Campaigns Tiffany & Co., David Yurman, and Pandora have launched holiday campaigns depicting their jewelry as symbols of affection and happiness.
SurveysNov 10, 2025
5 Things Retailers Should Know About Holiday Shoppers This YearThe National Retail Federation is bullish on the holidays, forecasting retail sales to exceed $1 trillion this year.
AuctionsNov 10, 2025
300+ Colored Diamonds Up for Auction at Christie’sLate collector Eddy Elzas assembled “The Rainbow Collection,” which is offered as a single lot and estimated to fetch up to $3 million.
EditorsNov 07, 2025
Piece of the Week: An MVP’s Sapphire Tennis Necklace At the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto sported a custom necklace made by California retailer Happy Jewelers.
IndependentsNov 07, 2025
Foundrae’s New Palm Beach Location Is a ‘Golden Solarium’The brand’s seventh location combines Foundrae’s symbolic vocabulary with motifs from Florida’s natural surroundings.
FinancialsNov 07, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s H1 Sales Up 8%The retailer also shared an update on the impact of tariffs on watch customers.
SourcingNov 06, 2025
Pink Tourmaline Bracelet, Emerald Suite Take Top Spectrum Honors Pink and purple stones were popular in the AGTA’s design competition this year, as were cameos and ocean themes.
IndependentsNov 06, 2025
Greenwich St. Jewelers Hosts Raffle Supporting Food RescueAll proceeds from the G. St x Jewel Boxing raffle will go to City Harvest, which works to end hunger in New York City.
IndependentsNov 06, 2025
Cornell’s Jewelers Names New PresidentCourtney Cornell is part of the third generation to lead the Rochester, New York-based jeweler.
SourcingNov 06, 2025
De Beers’ Production, Sales Increase in Q3 De Beers also announced more changes in its upper ranks ahead of parent company Anglo American’s pending sale of the company.
WatchesNov 05, 2025
Shinola President Steps Down Just as He Starts Former Signet CEO Mark Light will remain president of Shinola until a replacement for Ulrich Wohn is found.
AuctionsNov 05, 2025
Taylor Swift’s Engagement Ring Designer Makes Her Auction DebutKindred Lubeck of Artifex has three rings she designed with Anup Jogani in Sotheby’s upcoming Gem Drop sale.
FinancialsNov 05, 2025
Pandora Posts Modest Q3 Sales Growth Amid ‘Weak’ Consumer Sentiment The company focused on marketing in the third quarter and introduced two new charm collections, “Pandora Talisman” and “Pandora Minis.”
FinancialsNov 05, 2025
Brilliant Earth’s Q3 Sales Climb 10%The jewelry retailer raised its full-year guidance, with CFO Jeff Kuo describing the company as “very well positioned” for the holidays.
Policies & IssuesNov 04, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case WednesdayAhead of the hearing, two industry organizations co-signed an amicus brief urging the court to declare Trump’s tariffs unlawful.
