Bao Dai. (Credit: Edward Quinn via @niccoloy/Instagram)
Watch writer and researcher Nick Gould uncovered earlier this week a remarkable piece of Rolex history: a 1955 photograph showing Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, in Cannes, France, wearing what appears to be a Rolex Submariner. Jake's Rolex World was first to report the news.
Bao Dai is already well-known in collectors' circles for having owned an ultra-rare Rolex reference 6062, which set records when it sold for 5 million Swiss francs at a Phillips auction in 2017. This 1955 photograph shows that his appreciation for Rolex extended beyond dress watches. If found, this Submariner could be one of the earliest known examples linked to a prominent figure.
The discovery is the latest sign of Rolex's competitive advantage as a brand, with a (still-emerging) history that seems bottomless. As provenance keeps shaping the watch world, every piece of Rolex history that resurfaces only adds to the brand equity.