What do Elvis, The Weeknd, and Rihana have in common (except the music) ?
The King Midas.
WARNING ALERT: Please note that our opinion is totally biased in this article. For us, the King Midas is by far one of the most beautiful creations of the Crown brand. The design is signed by the king of kings Gerald Genta, and it was hard to expect anything better. One could easily call this watch an « anti-Rolex » since its lines are the opposite of everything the brand had offered before.
Let’s go back to the context of the 70s, where the explosion of watches with integrated bracelets and funky dress watches was at its peak. Rolex had to respond to its competitors with force, as it knew how to do. Genta then had the idea of creating a watch around the ancient storytelling of King Midas. Everything he touched turned to gold, and the idea was born to create a real gold bar by taking inspiration from the architectural lines of Greek temples.
The watch is presented with a Midas signature at 6 o’clock for the first generation. It would then take on the signature of the famous Cellini line. The case is just as stylish as the watch, this time taking inspiration from a Greek jar. To mark the occasion, it was the most expensive watch in the Rolex catalog, making a Day-Date look like an entry-level product.
Several « King Midas » variations would be created, including squares, diamonds, white gold, leather bracelets, and many more. Whether you love it or hate it, it would be dishonest to say that a watch like this would leave anyone indifferent. Extreme in its approach to the « dress watch, » it is almost impossible to put these watches into a specific category. And that’s their strength. On the wrist, they catch the eye, even provoke. More than a status symbol, it’s a real stance that must be assumed and claimed!
