FutureGrail, a leading luxury auction house specialising in extraordinary watches, has revealed a record-breaking sale of a Rolex Reference 4113. The extremely rare timepiece sold for a world-record US$4,717,000 after a packed preview showcase at the Bvlgari Yacht Club, Dubai.
Ali Nael, CEO of FutureGrail said, “This sale is one of the most significant in auction history, breaking a world-record and underlining the demand from luxury watch collectors across the globe. It is a privilege to bring such a rare item to the market, demonstrating that from Geneva to Dubai to Singapore, watches of this calibre command incredible interest. We may not see a Rolex Reference 4113 of this quality come to market for a long time.”
The timepiece is now the ninth-most-expensive Rolex in history, a significant achievement for the auction house. The sale far outstripped the last Rolex Reference 4113 at auction, beating the previous record by more than US$1.2 million.
Produced in the 1940s, only a dozen Rolex Reference 4113s were ever made, with only nine known to have survived to date. It is the only ‘split-seconds’ vintage chronograph that the manufacturer ever produced, underscoring its rarity. The watch is closely related to motor racing, with many examples passing through the hands of drivers and team owners.
FutureGrail is headquartered in Singapore and is expanding its physical operations to the UAE in 2026, to cater for the high demand within the Middle East region.
The combination of FutureGrail’s specialist in-house horology team and one of the industry’s lowest premiums for buying and selling, has quickly established the business as a leading global platform for luxury watch collectors seeking rare and coveted timepieces.
Arnaud Tellier is FutureGrail’s Head of Curation and a former Director of the Patek Philippe museum. He added, “From individual collectors purchasing for pleasure to investors diversifying their portfolios outside of traditional stocks and real estate assets, there is huge demand in the luxury watch market. Shrewd collectors optimise value and potential liquidity of purchases by finding rare items in the best possible condition.”