In the early 1960s, Rolex introduced an asymmetrical pentagon shaped watch with an integrated bracelet crafted from massive 18K gold. The watch was aptly named King Midas, after the figure from Greek mythology who could turn everything he touched into gold.

The watch was designed by an up and coming designer, Gerald Genta, who would create masterpieces like the Nautilus and the Royal Oak a decade later. In a sense, the King Midas moniker might’ve been even more suitable for the Genta given his wildly successful watch designs.

The King Midas was released as a limited edition of around 800 watches. After this initial run, Rolex kept creating different variations of the King Midas until the late 1980s, with the number of watches produced nearing just 6,000.

The ref. 4611 is one of the most exceptional amongst all King Midas references. Available in the second half of the 1970s, it featured a symmetrical case with a sumptuous diamond setting together with a gemstone dial.

This ref. 4611 from 1976 is executed in a 24 x 33 mm 18K yellow gold case with three rows of factory-set diamonds on the top and bottom of the case. The integrated bracelet with the horizontal grooves and concealed clasp resembles that on the original King Midas and features the production number of the watch (no. 3801) engraved on the back.

The dial, meanwhile, is crafted from mesmerizing blue lapis lazuli. This lapis dial is in faultless condition and the most desirable variation of lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli often occurs in nature with deposits of two other minerals: calcite (which shows as white veins in the stone) and pyrite (which look like gold veins). This dial contains no calcite deposits and some evenly spaced golden pyrite flecks. The ultramarine color of the dial is complemented by an 18K yellow gold applied Rolex coronet, simple gold hands, and a discreet “ΜΙΔΑΣ” (Greek for Midas) signature.

The watch is in excellent condition with sharp lines and is powered by an ultra-thin manual-winding movement.