Late President Nasser's Rolex Sells for USD 840K at New York Auction

A rare Rolex Day-Date that was once owned by late President Gamal Abdel Nasser has been sold for USD 840,000 (around EGP 42 million) at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. The sale was part of the auction house’s ‘Important Watches’ event.

The Rolex Day-Date, often known as the ‘President's Watch’, was first introduced in 1956 and is made exclusively from precious metals. The yellow-gold Rolex was a gift from President Anwar El Sadat in 1963, and features an Arabic inscription that reads "Mr Anwar El-Sadat 26-9-1963" on its back. The timepiece had been expected to fetch between USD 30,000 and USD 60,000 (approximately EGP 1.4 million to EGP 2.9 million), with its final sale price exceeding the pre-sale estimate by over 10 times.

Nasser was known for his modesty, and this Rolex is one of the few material possessions associated with his legacy. According to Nasser's grandson, Gamal Khalid Gamal Abdel Nasser, the watch was passed down to his father and then to him after his father’s death in 2011. The watch remains the only personal item of Nasser's that is not housed at the Nasser Museum in Cairo.