A wristwatch that belonged to Elvis Presley has been sold at the Geneva Watch Auction: Seven, by Philips in Switzerland, setting a world record for any Omega timepiece ever purchased. After a long round of bidding, the 18K white gold watch featuring a manually-wound calibre, 44 cut diamonds on its bezel and a silvered ivory dial, reached a final price of CHF1.5 million (Dh5.5 million) and the Omega Museum in the Swiss town of Biel/Bienne became its proud new owner.
It has been described as the “most historically significant Elvis Presley-owned watch to ever appear on the market” and was presented to the artists by RCA Records in February 1961, at a charity luncheon and concert to celebrate his 75 million records sold worldwide – believed to be the first time that milestone had been achieved by anyone. As a reminder, the case back was engraved and included the words: “To Elvis, 75 Million Records, RCA Victor, 12-25-60.”
Presley was a known Omega fan and wore several over the years, including a Seamaster when he served time in the US Army, and the provenance of this one has been added to with photographs of ‘The King’ wearing it, as well as a certificate of authenticity from the founder and CEO of the Elvis Presley Museum, Jimmy Velvet.
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