Rolex Viceroy from the Andy Warhol Collection at Monaco Legend Group
Among the many treasures in this October’s Exclusive Timepieces sale in Monaco, few possess the cultural significance, artistic connection, and quiet elegance of the Rolex Viceroy formerly owned by Andy Warhol.
Offered with original documentation from the landmark Sotheby’s 1988 sale of Warhol’s personal jewellery and watch collection, this exceptional piece represents not just a fine example of pre-war Rolex watchmaking, but a rare and fascinating glimpse into the collecting mind of one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic characters.
To describe Andy Warhol as a collector is to understate the case. He was an obsessive accumulator of objects, from cookie jars to Cartier, and watches were no exception. He didn’t wear watches to tell the time, he once said, but simply to look at them. In many ways, this sums up Warhol’s worldview: timepieces as objects of beauty, expression, and narrative, rather than purely time-telling tools. His collection, much like his art, was eclectic and layered; less concerned with cachet or ostentation than with visual impact and aesthetics.
The Rolex Viceroy offered in the Exclusive Timepieces sale this October, fits perfectly into that frame. Produced in the 1930s, it is a watch that embodies the discreet luxury and Art Deco styling of its era. With its elegant tonneau-shaped case in 18K yellow gold and sharply defined Roman numerals dial, the Viceroy has always held a special place in the hearts of passionate vintage Rolex aficionados. This example is in remarkably well-preserved condition and is offered with a period yellow gold bracelet that adds to the watch’s intrigue.
What elevates this watch beyond its aesthetic and horological merits is its provenance. This very piece was lot 180 in Sotheby’s 1988 sale of Warhol’s personal jewellery and watch collection and this lot is accompanied by the original Sotheby’s tag and sale catalogue. The watch carries a direct and documented link to Warhol himself.
Warhol blurred the lines between art and life, the elevated and the everyday, and this Rolex Viceroy sits perfectly within that philosophy. It is a luxury object enhanced by celebrity ownership, infused with the energy and ambiguity that defined its former custodian. It doesn’t just tell time. It tells a story!
For collectors of Rolex, of 20th-century art, or of cultural artefacts more broadly, this is an opportunity rarely seen: a historically important, remarkably preserved wristwatch with a connection to one of the defining artistic figures of the modern age.
It is offered with an estimate of €20,000–40,000.
