- Ayrton Senna gifted his mentor Angelo Parrilla a gold rolex with a personal incription
- The all-gold Rolex ‘Zenith’ Daytona Reference 16528 will be autioned at Phillips’ The Geneva Watch Auction: NINE
- Senna was a Brazilian racing driver who won Formula One world championships for McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991
- He died in an accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend where he drove for Williams
F1 legend Ayrton Senna gave his mentor Angelo Parrilla a gold rolex that included a personal inscription from him. Fast forward 40 years, the watch is now up for sale to the highest bidder at Phillips’ The Geneva Watch Auction: NINE at Hôtel La Réserve on May 11-12.
The all-gold Rolex ‘Zenith’ Daytona Reference 16528 is engraved with a message “A Angelo da Ayrton 1978” which translates to “To Angelo from Ayrton 1978” at the back. The watch comes with an F1 helmet face shield signed by Senna and dated 1988.
1978 was a significant year for the Formula One driver, who was “discovered” by Parrilla and brought him to Italy to take part in the Karting World Championships.
This R series 16528, the earliest iteration of Rolex’s first automatic gold chronograph Daytona, is fitted with a rare floating dial and Mark 1 bezel.
According to Phillips, “This timepiece spans more than horology. It is part of a unique history between one of the most iconic watches in the world, the sport that the Daytona is synonymous for and one of its greatest ever drivers.”
Recently, Ayrton Senna’s 1990 F1 helmet sold for more than $168,914, becoming the most expensive racing helmet ever. The previous record was held when Senna’s 1991 helmet sold for $97,782 in 2012.
