‘Paul Newman Lemon’ Daytona Rolex sells for more than 800k! The "Important Watches" sale that was held on Friday in New York by Sotheby's was highlighted by a number of Rolex watches that have connections to the actor and watch enthusiast Paul Newman.

The auction, which was the second-to-last watch auction held by Sotheby's in 2022, brought in a total of $12 million and saw 87 percent of the lots sold. This result was in accordance with the estimate provided before the sale ($9.9 million to $17.5 million).

Important Watches Finishes Its Best Season Ever

Important Watches, according to Sotheby's, capped off the most successful season in the history of its watch department, with sales worldwide totaling more than $170 million and one more auction, "Fine Watches," still to go. Sotheby's said this auction completes the most successful season in the history of its watch department.

The most valuable watches at the auction were made by Patek Philippe and Rolex, both of which are well-known and respected brands.

A platinumand pink goldPatek Philippe Ref. 5104P-001, which is depicted below, was sold for a price that was $819,000, which was around $20,000 more than its highest pre-sale estimate.

The Ref. 5104P-001 is a semi-skeletonized minute-repeating perpetual calendarwristwatch that was originally sold by Tiffany & Co. It also features an indication for retrograde dates, moon phases, and leap years.

The watch was recently returned from Patek Philippe in Geneva, where it was serviced and sealed before being sold by Sotheby's. The watch came with all of its original accessories.

An approximately 1969 yellow gold Rolex Ref. 6264 "Paul Newman Lemon" Daytona sold for $819,000, coming in toward the lower half of its pre-sale projected range of $700,000 to $1.4 million. The watch got its nickname for having a yellow dial on it.

According to Sotheby's, the family of the watch's original owner decided to sell it after it had been owned by a "distinguished foreign diplomat." The watch is now up for auction.