Rolex Ref. 4113 Split-Second Chronograph

Hodinkee calls the Rolex Reference 4113 the rarest, most valuable reference of Rolex on earth… the grail among grails for chasers of the crown and wonders aloud if the specimen you see above could soon be the first Rolex to sell for more than $1 million at auction.  Christies, who will put the hammer down on a Rolex Ref 4113 bearing case no. 051318 (Lot 129 of the 16 May 2011 Geneva Auction), states that Recent research reveals and confirms that indeed only twelve examples of this outstanding chronograph were ever made by Rolex.  All cased in steel and finished in 1942, they carry individual case numbers ranging from 051313 to 051324. Further research indicates that just eight of the twelve Rolex References 4113 are known to have survived, and of these eight, only five have ever been offered at auction.  Seems the twelve Ref 4113’s were exclusive gifts to famous race drivers and team owners during the early 1940s, thus their obscurity — via Perpetuelle.com Watch Blog