Roger Federer, Leonardo DiCaprio and Rolex are bringing 4 extraordinary Cosmograph Daytona watches to auction, and they are about as far removed from an everyday Daytona as they can get. Created as the Rolex Four Seasons, the four unique timepieces are inspired by spring, summer, autumn and winter, with natural-stone dials, coloured gemstones, diamonds and precious-metal cases. They will be offered in four lots at an auction in London on September 28, with proceeds benefiting the Federer Foundation and Re. The auction forms part of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative and reflects tennis icon Roger Federer and Hollywood legend Leonardo DiCaprio's involvement with causes focused on children’s education and the planet. The Federer Foundation supports children in Southern Africa and Switzerland, while Re works to protect and restore the natural world.
From the white-gold Spring Daytona to the platinum Winter Daytona, the collection turns the familiar racing chronograph into four dramatically different gemstone-set creations.
The Rolex Spring Cosmograph Daytona pairs an 18-carat white-gold case with a chrysoprase dial and lepidolite counters. Eight baguette-cut and three square-cut purple sapphires form the hour markers, while 36 trapezoid-cut purple sapphires decorate the bezel. The lugs and crown guard are set with 54 brilliant-cut diamonds.
For Summer, Rolex uses an 18-carat Everose-gold case with a turquoise dial and ruby counters. Pink sapphires appear on the hour markers and bezel, while the same 54-diamond treatment frames the case.
The Autumn Daytona moves into richer territory with an 18-carat yellow-gold case, a mookaite dial and chrysoprase counters. Green tourmalines mark the hours and encircle the bezel, giving the watch an appropriately earthy character.
The most striking of the quartet may be the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Winter, which is housed in 950 platinum. Its blue-opal dial features lapis lazuli counters, while 36 sapphires create a blue-to-fuchsia gradient around the bezel. Diamond hour markers complete the icy-season interpretation.
Despite their radically different appearances, all four watches share Rolex Calibre 4131, with an approximately 72-hour power reserve and Superlative Chronometer certification. The result is a fascinating collision of Rolex’s technical watchmaking and high jewellery. Each Daytona is unique, each represents a season, and all four will be offered for a cause larger than the watches themselves.
The Rolex Four Seasons proves that the Cosmograph Daytona can be far more than a racing chronograph. In these four one-off creations, Rolex turns the model into a celebration of colour, natural stone and gem-setting, while giving collectors the chance to acquire something that, by definition, cannot be replicated.