The History of the Rolex Cellini

The Rolex Cellini collection takes its name from the famous Italian goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. This name was chosen for the Rolex collection of refined, often gem-set dress watches to celebrate the elegant lines and impeccable craftsmanship of the works. of the artist.

Producing luxury dress watches may seem an unusual move for a brand that built its reputation on making extremely reliable tool watches; however, it was the smart work of Mr. René-Paul Jeanneret that led to this new shift in direction for the brand. As Director of Marketing for Rolex, Mr. Jeanneret spearheaded efforts to create the image of the Rolex watch collector, based on the premise that one should own several Rolex watches for different uses and occasions – the concept of the “tool watch” – rather than a single watch that one would wear during all of life’s activities.

This mantra of owning multiple watches became part of Rolex's marketing language in the early 1960s, and it didn't take long for the public's purchasing perspective to change. Specialized tool watches like the Rolex Submariner and GMT-Master were a hit, giving way to a specialized dress watch, the Rolex Cellini.

According to several sources, Gérald Genta is the designer behind the 1963 Rolex King Midas—a bold, angular, and thoroughly modern solid gold Rolex that was famously owned by Elvis Presley at the time. While this has not been confirmed by Rolex, most collectors believe that Genta is the designer who created the King Midas because this unusual watch features a number of key design elements found in the vast majority of his other work, such as a non-traditional case shape, strong angular lines, and a distinct integrated bracelet.

The Rolex King Midas

Although most early Rolex Cellini references followed a rather classic and conservative aesthetic, the collection expanded during the 1970s to incorporate the bold and angular designs that characterized much of the era. During this time, Rolex hired prominent designers such as Gérald Genta to design some of its new timepieces, and Cellini watches such as the 'King Midas' and the ref. 4651 possess a number of design traits characteristic of watches born during this period.

Christopher Lee - Rolex Cellini King Midas

Legendary English actor Christopher Lee, who often played villains and is best known for his role as Count Dracula, wears an 18-karat yellow gold Rolex Cellini King Midas.

The bracelet is from a Piaget and the dial from a Rolex Cellini King Midas, so it is impossible to determine the price. What price would you give it?

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