The Supreme Submariner versus the Asprey Daytona – which went for more?
Zach BlassEarlier this month, we went hands-on with a curated selection of ‘fine’ lots from the Sotheby’s Fine Watches auction, a rolling online auction that had all of its lots end on December 12. There were a ton of interesting lots, but two in particular I kept a close eye on. Not because I could afford them, but rather I was pitting them head-to-head eager to see which customized Rolex would go for more: the Asprey Daytona or the Supreme Submariner. Also, the last lots belonging to notable Australian collector Alan “Hammer” Bloore were up for grabs. Let’s dig into these results below.
The Supreme Submariner versus the Asprey Daytona
While the Supreme Submariner is rather infamous in the watch world, with its massive Supreme crossover appeal and profane ‘F*CK EM’ red text on the dial, has long been a customised Rolex of intrigue. Understandably, the estimate was set between US$50,000 – $100,000. It’s a sizeable premium over its original cost. The friends and family customised offering would have ultimately set back Supreme the cost of a ref. 114060 in 2013 plus the customisation cost to simply engrave the caseback with the Supreme logo and add a line of red text to the dial – 20 in total were made. But this estimate makes complete sense considering, over the last 10 years, any time this watch has been offered for sale on the secondary market it has been listed between US$50K and US$100K.
The Asprey Daytona, however, is much more of a wildcard. I had never heard of it until I visited Sotheby’s and went hands-on with it. In my pre-auction coverage, I explained that in 2021 25 of these Rolex Daytona watches were made. But, it remains unclear what the nature and genesis of this “collaboration” was. Sotheby’s explained to me: “The collaboration between Asprey and Rolex has been highly coveted since the 1970s when the Omani government began ordering customized ‘Omani’ dial timepieces to be given as gifts for British SAS soldiers who were involved in the Dhofar Rebellion (1970-1976). Asprey was an official retailer of Rolex and is well known for selling customised pieces.” It is a stunning Daytona I firmly believe Rolex should just make themselves one day. I also explained that all of the watch’s components were manufactured by Rolex, including the dial which has Rolex stamping and hallmarks on its backside. What I could not confirm, however, was whether or not the dial left the factory with its purple hue and Asprey co-branding or if the colour and signature were later added by a customiser. Were every aspect of this watch 100% confirmed to be executed by Rolex it would be no contest – surely the Asprey Daytona would prevail.
But even in that uncertainty, I suspected while leaving Sotheby’s after my visit that the Supreme Submariner would likely go between its estimate. The Asprey Daytona, though, which I was smitten with, I firmly believed would go over its conservative estimate of US$70,000 – US$100,000. Even were it to go within the estimate, it would be well over even the secondary market price of a steel Daytona of the same reference number. But I just had this inkling, which ultimately proved correct. The final hammer price of the Supreme Submariner: US$63,500. The final hammer price of the Apsrey Daytona: a whopping US$177,800.
I know it is not an apples-to-apples battle, considering it is not two of the same model that was customised. But, it would seem the Supreme hype cannot overpower the mystique of this lesser-known Asprey Daytona. At least lesser known for now…
Australian collector Alan “Hammer” Bloore’s remaining 15 watches achieved US$178,121
View this post on Instagram
To recap for those unfamiliar, Alan “Hammer” Bloore has been a fixture of the watch-collecting community for decades. The Australian collector is known as an early “Paneristi”, ahead of the curve in collecting coveted references from the legendary Italian dive watch brand Panerai. Sadly, Bloore would find himself paralyzed below the armpits after a boating accident in the early 2000s. This, however, did not break his spirits nor extinguish his enthusiasm for collecting watches. The first batch of Bloore’s watches, 37 in total, were hammered off in the Important Watches auction and achieved US$1.6M. The remaining 17, 15 of which were sold during the Fine Watches auction, managed to rake in a total of US$178,121. Below you can find the top five results from Bloore’s collection of lots.
| Watch | Result |
| Panerai Luminor 1950 8 Days Rattrapante ref. PAM 00319 | US$27,940 |
| Rolex GMT Master ref. 1675 | US$17,780 |
| Panerai Radiomir 1940 ref. PAM 000399 | US$16,510 |
| Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 | US$15,240 |
| Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Calendar ref. 273.2.84 | US$11,430 |
With perhaps more casual lots, for lack of a better phrase, Bloore’s pieces did not hit six-figure results like his Rolex Reference 6263 Daytona which earned US$171,450. But, I will say it is interesting to see pieces like a 5513 Submariner and 1675 GMT Master hammer off for prices close to what secondary sellers would ask for – and that includes the buyer’s premium.