Donor: Vicki Parmentier
Rolex Dress Watch

In honor and memory of her late husband Robert Safford, Vicki donated this stunning Rolex to the Watch Project to help others reach their dreams of higher education. Both she and Bob believed in the importance of higher education and have supported Brian's Foundation since its inception in 1992.
This is a lady's 18k yellow gold vintage Rolex dress wristwatch. The square case measures 14 mm and has an integrated 13.25 mm, 18 karat yellow gold herringbone design bracelet. The champagne dial has raised yellow gold markers. Set down the east and west sides of the case are eight round four-cut diamonds, approximately .03 carat each. The caliber 1401 manufactured mechanical movement is manually wound.
A special thanks to Rummelle’s Jewelers, an authorized Rolex dealer in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for their professional help in preparing this lot for auction.

The Brian LaViolette Foundation was formed by the LaViolette family to honor the memory of their son, Brian, who passed away in a swimming accident in Green Bay, Wisconsin when he was just fifteen years old in 1992. Brian was not only an excellent student, athlete, and musician, but he loved watches, starting his own collection when he was four years of age.
Since 1992, the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation has presented 1,058 scholarships to deserving college-bound students in Northeastern Wisconsin, the United States, and other parts of the world. The Foundation continues Brian's legacy by helping high school seniors financially to achieve their educational dreams and, at the same time, providing them with encouragement and inspiration.
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Learn more about the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation

In 1905, at age 24, German businessman Hans Wilsdorf founded a company with Alfred Davis called Wilsdorf & Davis in London with the goal of selling high-quality, affordable timepieces. Three years later, he and Davis registered the brand name Rolex in Switzerland with a singular vision: quality, good-looking watches. Wilsdorf created the first watch to receive the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision in 1910. In 1914, he changed the name of the company to The Rolex Watch Company and several years later he moved their headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, where the company remains to this day.
Rolex is likely the most recognizable watch in the world, and for good reason. The “Crown” (as it is affectionately called by collectors) it is in many ways the brand to which all other brands are compared. Rolex’s “firsts” are myriad and include the first waterproof watch in 1926 and the first self-winding mechanism in 1931. They are not the oldest watchmaker, nor are they the most exclusive, and certainly not the most expensive. However, when one thinks watches the first name that often comes to mind is Rolex, in large part due to it having been the timepiece of choice for athletes and adventurers.
In 1927, a Rolex Oyster made it across the English Channel on the wrist of swimmer, and in 1953, a Rolex survived Sir Edmund Hillary’s Mount Everest conquest. The dive into the Mariana Trench and the James Cameron Deepsea Expedition are two more examples of where a Rolex came out unscathed. The company also designed watches specifically for pilots, navigators, and world travelers.
It can be argued that every single model in the Rolex lineup is iconic, from the Submariner to the Daytona. For as long as Rolex has existed, the company has been synonymous with sport, adventure, luxury, and royalty. Some of the most famous names in history have donned a Rolex including Sir Winston Churchill, Paul Newman, and Roger Federer.
Upcoming Lots Rolex
Auction Results Rolex

Rolex
Iconic 'Cosmograph Daytona Paul Newman' stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 6239
estimate: $200,000–250,000
result $230,000

Rolex
Iconic 'Big Red Daytona Cosmograph' stainless steel wristwatch Ref. 6265
estimate: $60,000–80,000
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estimate: $30,000–40,000
result $37,500

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'Oyster Perpetual Turquoise' stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 124300
estimate: $20,000–40,000
result $27,500

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"Double Red" Sea-Dweller wristwatch, ref 1665
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result $27,500

Rolex
'Red Submariner' stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 1680
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result $27,500

Rolex
'Submariner Hulk' stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 116610LV
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result $25,000

Rolex
'Submariner Kermit' stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 16610LV
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result $21,250

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estimate: $20,000–30,000
result $21,250

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'Explorer II Tiffany & Co.' stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 16570
estimate: $12,000–15,000
result $18,750

Rolex
'GMT Master II Coke' stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 16710
estimate: $16,000–18,000
result $16,250