A 1952 Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6062 Made to Order for the Emperor of Vietnam
1952 Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 6062 for Emperor Bao Dai / Credit: Phillips
While you may know Vietnam from its flirtations with communism in the latter half of the 20th century, until 1945, Vietnam was ruled by an emperor from the Nguyen dynasty. The last emperor in that line of rulers was Emperor Bao Dai or Nguyen Vinh Thuy. Bao Dai was the son of Emperor Khai Dinh when Vietnam was a French colonial vassal state, he was mostly educated in France and succeeded his father in 1926. Bao Dai is a title that means “Keeper of Greatness” which he was given when he ascended to the throne.
Emperor Bao Dai or Nguyen Vinh Thuy
Most of his rule was spent combating the French colonial rulers who opposed his attempts at modernizing Vietnam, but he did succeed in abolishing several customs and establishing a House of Representatives. During WWII, when the Japanese took control of French Indochina, they retained Bao Dai as a symbolic figurehead, but he eventually lost his power when Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh took control in their August 1945 revolution; eventually abdicating and famously saying, “I want to be a people of a free country, rather than a king of a slave country.” Bao Dai left for Hong Kong in 1946 where he lived lavishly for many years before returning to Vietnam, installed again by the French. His rule was short-lived however, as Vietnam became a republic in 1955 and he returned to France, where he had spent most of his youth, living a peaceful life until his death in 1997 in Paris.
Now, upon Bao Dai’s return to Vietnam in 1949, after his brief exile in Hong Kong, France agreed to give the east Asian nation more independence, retaining control of only its defense and finances. In Hong Kong, Bao Dai had been known for his frivolous spending, and this was no different now that he was back home. The ‘Playboy Emperor’, as he was known, asked for the rarest Rolex that existed at the time while on a diplomatic trip to Geneva, Switzerland in 1954,. This Rolex was a reference 6062 Oyster Perpetual, with the day and date at 12 o’clock and the moonphase at 6. It also had diamonds for markers at 2, 4, 8, 10, and 12 o’clock. The black dial and 36 mm yellow gold case and bracelet supposedly captivating the emperor when he was first presented with this Rolex ref. 6062 (originally manufactured in 1952).
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 6062’s dial / Credit: Phillips
Thus far, the watch has appeared in auction only twice. The first time in 2002, consigned by the emperor’s descendants to Phillips and selling for 370,000 CHF. The second time in 2017, breaking records at the time for the most expensive Rolex ever sold at over 5 million CHF⁶! While it may not seem so special compared to other reference 6062s, the provenance of the last emperor of Vietnam’s wristwatch should not be understated. There was only one Bao Dai, after all.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
“Bao Dai.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bao-Dai.
Hung, Tuan. “Emperor Bao Dai - The Last King Of Nguyen Dynasty.” Journey On Air, August 7th, 2020, https://journeyonair.com/vietnam-travel-guide/emperor-bao-dai-last-king-nguyen-dynasty.
“The Bao Dai Rolex.” Phillips, May 12th, 2017, https://www.phillips.com/article/11398883/the-bao-dai-rolex.
A vintage King Seiko Hi-Beat Chronometer 45-8010 on its original bracelet. For sale on Toronto Vintage Watches.