Sotheby’s to Auction Rolex Owned by President Gamal Abdel Nasser

A rare 1963 Rolex Day-Date once owned by former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on December 6th. The timepiece, a gift from Nasser's successor, President Anwar El Sadat, is being offered by the Nasser family for the first time, with an estimated value between USD 30,000 and USD 60,000.

“Having sacrificed many temptations and extravagances as one of the most influential Arab leaders in modern history, one can understand how and why he cherished this gift from a life-long friend and comrade in arms,” Gamal Khalid Gamal Abdel Nasser, Abdelnasser’s Grandson, tells Cairoscene. “Shortly after my grandfather’s death, my grandmother gave the watch to my father. A few years before my father passed in September 2011, he showed me the watch for the first time and passed it on to me, just as his mother had done with him.”

The Rolex Day-Date, often referred to as the 'President's watch', was introduced in 1956 and became symbolic of prestige and leadership, famously worn by heads of state and influential figures. Nasser, known for his modesty and reluctance to indulge in material possessions, kept the watch as a personal memento from Sadat. Engraved with the inscription ‘Mr. Anwar El Sadat 26-9-1963’, it signifies the bond between the two leaders.

While Abdel Nasser’s possessions were donated to his namesake museum in Cairo, the watch remains the sole possession not to leave the family. “Rarely do we see storied watches from Presidents, such as this Rolex Day-Date, come into the public eye, typically hidden away for decades with families or donated to museums and presidential archives,” Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s Global Head of Watches, tells CairoScene. “Offering this timepiece is not just about the object itself, but about the rich tapestry of history it represents.”

On December 6th, Nasser's memento will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s ‘Important Watches Auction’ in New York.