This watch is arguably the most cult piece in the history of watch collecting, and for this reason alone, rather than any horological complication, it became the world’s most expensive wristwatch on Thursday evening after going under the hammer at Phillips auction house for an eye-watering $17,752,500.
To put this into context, when the original Daytona (then simply labelled ‘Chronograph’) was released in the early 1960s, they were selling for around $200 each or in some cases being given away free as a sweetener with more expensive pieces.
Many viewers, myself included, gathered on our @watchanish livestream from the auction house in New York to witness history in the making. When the watch was sold for over $17m I’m sure many of our minds were racing with all of the possible alternatives that sum of money could buy. So, to save you the hours of rummaging through the Harrods magazine, or scrolling through our Instagram feed, we thought we’d share a few of the items, in no particular order, one could choose as an alternative to the Paul Newman Daytona:
1. Aston Martin AM37
Making its debut at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show, the 37-foot Aston Martin AM37 is perhaps one of the most elegant powerboats money can buy. This is a boat from the guys who created the One-77, Vulcan and DB11. Quite a résumé if you ask me. Crafted by the designers at Quintessence Yachts from the highest possible grades of leather, metal, glass and wood, ensuring that the finish and feel are beyond comparison. The wraparound windscreen has been created from a single piece of sculpted glass fluidly draped over the AM37’s foredeck.
Furthermore, sliding technology allows the cockpit and carbon fibre dashboard of the boat to be covered at the touch of a button.
The AM37 is a day cruiser which can be transformed with ease to accommodate some overnight comfort, with the simple transformation of the table into a spacious bed. Equipped with your necessities such a coffee machine and refrigerator, as well as rear seating accommodating up to 8 passengers, Aston Martin have insured that the AM37 is functional for both speed and practicality. Yes, speed. The powerboat has a top speed of 45 knots, provided by a choice of two 370 hp Mercury diesel or two 430 hp Mercury petrol engines. For those of us who like a bit more power to unleash, the AM37S version can reach 50 knots, generously fuelled by its twin 520 hp Mercury petrol engines.
The starting price for the AM37 is a paltry $1,640,000. So if you only just missed out on the Daytona, you could buy yourself a fleet of 10 of these beauties.
2. Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage
So, a bespoke Speedboat from Aston Martin doesn’t drain the Coutts card enough? I’m sure there is something we can do about that. This comes in the form of the Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage. One for the sophisticated, (and brave) ladies. Released at SIHH 2017, the Diamond Outrage spiked cuff watch is the last in a trilogy of secret watches released by the brand over a 3-year period. It comes as a piece unique in two versions: all diamond, or all sapphire.
The 18-karat white gold cuff (which is the whole watch) is covered in 48 gold spikes, varying in height to emulate the icicles that form in the company’s home town Vallee de Joux. Lying amongst the spikes is a hidden watch face, which is covered by a gemstone-encrusted flap. Some would argue it is more of a weapon than a timepiece, but either way, it’s going to attract a crowd even in Casino Square, Monte Carlo, which I’m sure was what they were going for.
Each version of the watch holds around 11,000 gemstones (either diamonds or sapphires) weighing in at 65.47 karats, with 2,500 hours required to individually set the stones.
All of this ‘ice’ comes at a cost of $1,250,000 So for the price of the Daytona, you could make 14 women very, very happy!
3. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti
Possibly the holy grail of cars, and the one that dominates our dreams and the camera roll on our phones. The 250 GT California is by far one of the prettiest cars in existence. To be completely honest with you, going through the specification of this car is almost futile because of course it doesn’t have top speed or bhp numbers to brag about, but the body? The body is flawless, and so it’s best to scroll to the pictures and let them paint 1000 words.
One recently sold at Sotheby’s for $9,100,000. Which means for just fractionally over the Rolex price tag you wouldn’t have to choose between the red or the blue, you could have one of each!
4. 4 bedroom flat in Marylebone
Even though the Watch Anish team is spread all over the world, and the boss basically lives on an airplane, London is still pretty much our main hub. In particularly, Marylebone where our office is. So we thought we’d see what was available for the money in our neck of the woods. The property in mind is a 4 bedroom duplex penthouse with panoramic views of the city. With 4,079 sq.ft of open plan living space, I’m sure there will be just enough room to store your Buben & Zorweg safe containing all that wrist candy!
The apartment comes with all the necessities; under-floor heating, fully automated lighting system, and underground parking for up to 5 cars. So, plenty of space for your newly acquired 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider to sit without the risk of door dings! Further benefits include 24-hour porterage as well as 4 bathrooms.
The asking price is $9,100,000 (£6,950,000) which is no surprise considering the location. It’s a fair chunk of prime real estate, particularly when you consider you could own the matching apartment next door too the for the cash necessary to pick up the Paul Newman Daytona.
5. Henri Matisse ‘Les régates de Nice’
Whether you possess a passion for fine art or not, I’m sure you’re at least familiar with the name Henri Matisse. Remembered for his most famous paintings such as ‘La Danse’ and ‘Le bonheur de vivre’, Matisse was a French artist who mastered the expressive language of colour and drawing in the late 19th and early 20th century. At Watch Anish we tend to leave this kind of thing to our colleagues over at Art Anish, but in this case we thought we’d try and be a little more cultured for a change.
The piece ‘Les régates de Nice’ depicts two young women at ease, with a large French window opening on blue skies and the sea in the distance. These visual amenities are classic hallmarks of Henri Matisse’s art during the early 1920s, only a few years into his life-long love affair with the city of Nice on the Cote d’Azur. I warm to this painting in particular as our team shares the love affair for the South of France with Matisse, and the piece seems to capture the essence of the French coast perfectly.
‘Les régates de Nice’ is currently available at Christie’s auction house, with an estimate of $12,000,000 – $18,000,000. The Matisse masterpiece may well hold the potential to beat the Paul Newman Daytona when it goes under the hammer in November this year.
So now that I’ve planted the seed of expensive luxury in your minds, and provided an answer to the question we all asked ourselves when the hammer dropped last Thursday, which would you go for out of the 5 options I’ve put forward? To be honest I could have included a whole list of bank-breaking goodies, however it does become increasingly difficult past the $5,000,000 mark, unless you just want to play with classic cars, yachts and property! So, whether its fine art, Italian motoring, or a watch designed to stun Monte-Carlo, I’ll leave you to with the PN Rolex Daytona to pitch against these 5 luxuries. Happy buying!
Written by Azzam Jamil @tourbillonlifestyle
The post 5 Things you can buy for the price of that Paul Newman Rolex Daytona appeared first on WATCH ANISH.
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