WHAT IS SPECIAL
Introduced in 1962 and designed by Gérald Genta, who would later create the Nautilus, it was made from a frankly excessive amount of solid gold. Its name comes from King Midas of Greek mythology, whose touch turned everything to gold, while its form draws directly from a Greek temple.
Lay the watch flat on a table and the architecture comes alive. The pointed case becomes the temple’s pediment, while the clean, powerful rhythm of Doric columns is worked into the bracelet links.
This example is an original Ref. 9630, with ΜΙΔΑΣ written in Greek on the dial. It has a far more classical character than the printed Cellini signature found on later versions, and fewer than 800 examples are believed to have been made. Rolex was equally generous with the gold. The first generation can weigh almost 40 percent more than later versions
With such an extraordinary design and so much actual gold on the wrist, it is easy to understand why the King Midas has gained so much momentum in recent years. After all, who would not want a watch with gold value supporting the downside, history providing the upside, and a silhouette that could never be mistaken for anything else?