October 2025 marked a new chapter in the history of watch collecting: the Rolex 6062 Moon Phase Triple Calendar was hammered by Monaco Legend Group Auctions for the stratospheric sum of 5.33 million euros. This result is not only a triumph for the Geneva-based Maison, but confirms how Rolex’s historical rarities continue to capture the attention of collectors worldwide.
Rolex ref. 6062 Moon Phase Triple Calendar lot 111 auctioned last Oct. 18.
Lot 111 of the “Exclusive Timepieces” sale represents one of the most desirable and mysterious configurations of Reference 6062: 36mm 18K yellow gold case, polished black dial with diamond hour markers, and triple calendar complication with moon phase. A combination so rare that, according to experts, only two or three known examples exist in this exact configuration. The secondina’s small “star” dial, made by Stern Frères, enchants with its faceted star-shaped hour markers.
The technique and historicity of reference 6062
Introduced in 1950, the Rolex 6062 is a pivotal watch in the brand’s history: it was one of the company’s very few models to combine a water-resistant Oyster case, automatic movement (caliber 9 3/4) and full calendar with moon phases. Only one other reference, the 8171 known among collectors as the “Padellone,” shares the same complication but in a non-Oyster case.
Rolex ref. 8171 “Padellone”
The 6062 thus represents the bridge between the historicity and the technical avant-garde of the Maison. The version with a black dial and diamond hour markers further amplifies its charisma.
In the world of vintage Rolexes, an original black dial of this type is extremely rare, as most 6062s were produced with clear, silver or champagne dials.
Monaco Legend Auctions’ watch is also notable for the extraordinary condition of the dial and case: original elements, light patina, and a period bracelet, no less noteworthy, consistent with the stated configuration.
Not surprisingly, therefore, the theatrical audience pushed the bid far beyond initial estimates (2 to 3 million €), bringing it to a figure that places it among the most expensive Rolexes ever sold.
The previous record of the Rolex 6062 “Bao Dai”
To understand the historical weight of this sale, it is inevitable to compare it with the Rolex 6062 “Bao Dai,” the watch that belonged to the last emperor of Vietnam, Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy, known precisely as Bao Dai.
The Rolex ref. 6062 “Bao Dai”
Sold by Phillips in Geneva in 2017 for $5.06 million, the Bao Dai was for a few months the most expensive Rolex ever auctioned until the incredible record achieved by the Paul Newman Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ($17.8 million). It shares the same reference 6062 and the same technical layout as the new record Monaco – triple calendar, moon phases, yellow gold Oyster case – but with one major difference: its black dial with five-point diamond hour markers was custom-made for the ruler.
Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy, known as Bao Dai
Personal history and royal provenance have made the Bao Dai a legend. Unlike Lot 111, which represents a technical and aesthetic rarity, the Bao Dai adds the symbolic weight of an iconic owner. Its sale in 2017 marked the birth of the “modern era” of records for vintage Rolexes, paving the way for the million-dollar figures seen today.
The Rolex Daytona 6265 “Unicorn”: the second most expensive crowned one ever auctioned
A year after the “Bao Dai” and the “Paul Newman,” in 2018, another legend entered auction history: the Rolex Daytona 6265 “Unicorn,” sold by Phillips for 5.9 million Swiss francs. This example, which belonged to the famous collector Auro Montanari (aka John Goldberger), was one of a kind: the only Daytona with a hammered white gold bracelet ever produced by the maison.
The Rolex Daytona 6265 “Unicorn”
While the 6062 represents the more classic and complicated side of Rolex, the “Unicorn” embodies the sporty, mechanical and precious spirit of the house. Made in the 1970s, the 6265 is a manual chronograph without calendar complications, but its uniqueness lies entirely in its material: white gold instead of steel or yellow gold.
The name “Unicorn” stems from this uniqueness. Goldberger decided to sell the watch for charity, giving the proceeds to Children Action Foundation. In addition to its technical value, therefore, the 2018 sale also represented an ethical and cultural moment of great impact in the world of collecting.
Conclusions
So, all three have in common absolute rarity and impeccable condition, but most of all the fact that they are unique in their class: the 6062 Black Diamond for configuration, the Bao Dai for provenance, and the Unicorn for material.
The result of Monaco Legend Auctions in 2025 is not an isolated incident: it is a sign that the market for top-tier vintage Rolexes has returned to growth after a period of relative stability post-pandemic. The million-dollar figures indicate that collectors are increasingly looking for pieces with a history, unrepeatable aesthetics, and crystal-clear traceability.
The 6062 auctioned recently does not have the narrative appeal of the Bao Dai or the material singularity of the Unicorn, but it represents the perfect synthesis of what defines a Rolex masterpiece today: authenticity, aesthetic balance, and extreme rarity.
Ultimately, the Monaco record only solidifies the myth of the 6062 and, more generally, the aura of Rolex as a brand capable of combining innovation, elegance and legend. From the Bao Dai to the Unicorn to this new Black Dial Diamond Index, each decade gives us a specimen destined to redefine the boundaries of collecting.
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