Anyone have a King Midas?

[buddenfan]

Anyone here have a King Midas? How does it wear? Post photos

[ralpie]

Check out Morillo55 on Instagram, he always posts those.

[offrdmania]

Keep in mind that a King Midas has little to no moisture protection.
I remember some pretty old posts of people wearing them, washing their hands and next thing they know, the inside of the crystal is fogged up.
They are also quite small by todays standards but Elvis wore one :)

[miamiclay]

Idk about the later Cellini ones, but the earlier, non-Cellini ones are strikingly heavy for their size.

They offered a LOT of different styles over the years - Ribbed or “carved” cases and bracelets, stone dials, symmetric and asymmetric cases, two or three colors of gold combined in stripes, etc. Also, the original “Grecian urn” boxes they were sold in may be the best packaging Rolex has ever done.

I think they look great!

[TimeLord2]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

Idk about the later Cellini ones, but the earlier, non-Cellini ones are strikingly heavy for their size.

They offered a LOT of different styles over the years - Ribbed or “carved” cases and bracelets, stone dials, symmetric and asymmetric cases, two or three colors of gold combined in stripes, etc. Also, the original “Grecian urn” boxes they were sold in may be the best packaging Rolex has ever done.

I think they look great!

Yes! I have heard the Greek Urn packaging is actually worth more than the watch! Still, can't wear an urn on your wrist…

[baumare]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

Idk about the later Cellini ones, but the earlier, non-Cellini ones are strikingly heavy for their size.

They offered a LOT of different styles over the years - Ribbed or “carved” cases and bracelets, stone dials, symmetric and asymmetric cases, two or three colors of gold combined in stripes, etc. Also, the original “Grecian urn” boxes they were sold in may be the best packaging Rolex has ever done.

I think they look great!

My friend owns a MIDAS white gold and it weight a ton!!
But I love it, is really a work of art

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by TimeLord2

Yes! I have heard the Greek Urn packaging is actually worth more than the watch! Still, can't wear an urn on your wrist…

Urn apologists would conversely argue that you can't store ashes in a watch.

[Incroyable12]

They're alarmingly expensive now but before they became popular you couldn't give them away.

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Urn apologists would conversely argue that you can't store ashes in a watch.

Very good and while doing historical gags....

Morecambe and Wise Show from mid-70's

Ernie: What's a Greek urn?'

Eric: 'About 40 drachmas a week!'

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by TuRo

Very good and while doing historical gags....

Morecambe and Wise Show from mid-70's

Ernie: What's a Greek urn?'

Eric: 'About 40 drachmas a week!'

[1William]

Interesting watch from a different era. Not for me in any way though.

[77T]

There was also a Queen Midas made during the Cellini phase of the model’s lifecycle.

In Greek mythology, the story of King Midas and his Queen has been retold in various forms over the centuries, and the names of the Queen can differ depending on the version.

Here are a few examples:

1. In some adaptations, the Queen is known as Marigold. This name is commonly associated with the Queen in the English fairy tale "The Golden Touch" by Joseph Jacobs.

2. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's version of the story, the Queen is referred to as Zoe.

3. There are other versions of the story where the Queen's name is not mentioned at all.


Thus, I suggest the ladies version be called a “ Marigold Zoe” for the avoidance of doubt


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[miamiclay]

“Urn apologists” is not a phrase I expected to encounter today!

Other KM factoids -
I understand that the crown is on the left because according to one version of the legend, it was only Midas’s left hand which turned everything to gold (which it seems would eliminate Midas’s whole starvation problem).
Catalog MSRPs show it as then the most expensive production watch Rolex made, about 25–30% more than a YG Day-Date (and thus about the same as a Tridor DD, iirc). It was one of the first of the few Gerald Genta designs for Rolex.

[buddenfan]

Originally Posted by offrdmania

Keep in mind that a King Midas has little to no moisture protection.
I remember some pretty old posts of people wearing them, washing their hands and next thing they know, the inside of the crystal is fogged up.
They are also quite small by todays standards but Elvis wore one :)

I have an Or Masif, same size. Favorite watch in my 35 pc collection

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

“Urn apologists” is not a phrase I expected to encounter today!

"Urn apologists" is an anagram of "glorious pants," of course.

Apparel with which you might wear a King Midas, funnily enough.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by zapokee

"Urn apologists" is an anagram of "glorious pants," of course.

Apparel with which you might wear a King Midas, funnily enough.

Love this

[buddenfan]

Interesting pieces for sure

[Incroyable12]

I regret not buying a white gold King Midas for what was essentially the scrap price, something like $6500. It was being offered right at the start of COVID when these hadn't yet become hot.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

...when these hadn't yet become hot.

Can they be described as hot? They're rather niche, and more of a ladies' size these days.

[physicist]

White hot according to chrono24. They have one listed for 55 grand.

[offrdmania]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

I regret not buying a white gold King Midas for what was essentially the scrap price, something like $6500. It was being offered right at the start of COVID when these hadn't yet become hot.

At the same time, Patek 5167a's were floating around $25-27,000. Its all relevant

[oysterfisher]

Originally Posted by physicist

White hot according to chrono24. They have one listed for 55 grand.

Last week one with claimed to have original diamond setting has been sold in the bay at less than 10k from hess

[Jaegodylan]

Here’s a picture of Elvis’s .. currently on display in London.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by oysterfisher

Last week one with claimed to have original diamond setting has been sold in the bay at less than 10k from hess

Must be aftermarket if it still hasn't sold at less than $10k with the ability to make an offer.

[oysterfisher]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

Must be aftermarket if it still hasn't sold at less than $10k with the ability to make an offer.

nope, as you see in the description, factory setting. Hess also is a well known dealer.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Can they be described as hot? They're rather niche, and more of a ladies' size these days.

It's similar to the hype surrounding all these previously unloved '70s watches like the Vacheron 222, the rectangular AP Royal Oak, Patek Beta 21, and Piaget.

Piaget is a latecomer since everything else had become so expensive.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by oysterfisher

nope, as you see in the description, factory setting. Hess also is a well known dealer.

That's a pretty good deal if it's factory.

[77T]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

That's a pretty good deal if it's factory.

That watch was a sad mess, filthy and slanted dial. Was the white gold version, and had diamonds. None of that helped since yellow gold is the expectation from the fable.

Needed a service that Rolex would refuse to do because of its age.


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[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by 77T

That watch was a sad mess, filthy and slanted dial. Was the white gold version, and had diamonds. None of that helped since yellow gold is the expectation from the fable.

Needed a service that Rolex would refuse to do because of its age.


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Aren't the white gold King Midas more valuable?

All those issues could have been remedied by a service by a good independent. Case looked unpolished.

[77T]

Less were made but I don’t see their prices being elevated per se.

Condition matters most.


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