Overview

• The watch is slated for Sotheby’s Important Watches Live Sale at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva on November 9.
• The 9‑carat gold Oyster was worn during Gleitze’s October 21, 1927 “vindication swim,” undertaken after doubts over her earlier Channel crossing, and it remained watertight for 10 hours 24 minutes.
• The piece returns to auction for the first time in 25 years, having last sold in 2000 for £17,037 by a descendant of the swimmer.
• Rolex leveraged the event in early advertising, calling the Oyster “the greatest triumph in watchmaking” as it promoted its new waterproof case.
• Sotheby’s executive Sam Hines characterizes the watch as a turning point for Rolex’s tool‑watch legacy, with fresh attention spurred by the 2024 film Vindication Swim.