The Fascinating Story of the Stolen Rolex “Prasad”

Among the most mysterious and symbolic timepieces in the history of watchmaking is a unique Rolex, which belonged to one of India's most illustrious figures: Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India.

A Leader, a Symbol, and a Rolex

Rajendra Prasad was much more than a politician. First a teacher, then a lawyer, he became one of the main architects of the Indian independence movement. A close collaborator of Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he was elected President for two consecutive terms, a record that has never been replicated. On January 26, 1950, the day India officially became a Republic, Dr. Prasad received a Rolex Oyster Perpetual in 18k rose gold. A remarkable and symbolic watch:

• Enameled cloisonné dial
• A map of India
• The engraved date of Republic Day

The timepiece was one of only two pieces ever made by Rolex, specially commissioned through the official agent in Bombay. The second was intended for Nehru.

The Theft and the Disappearance

In 1964, the watch was stolen from the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, a political and historical center where Prasad had lived and worked. Since then, all trace of it has been completely lost, until… 2011.

The reappearance in Geneva

Almost half a century later, the mysterious Rolex “Prasad” reappeared among the lots of a prestigious Sotheby’s auction in Geneva. Included among a selection of watches belonging to post-war political leaders, its estimated value was between $222,000 and $444,000. However, the auction house never managed to sell it.

The family’s intervention and the auction blocking

Dr. Prasad’s grandchildren, having learned of the sale, publicly opposed it, declaring that the watch had been stolen and that no sale would be legitimate. They contacted the Indian government, which, in turn, Once, it officially moved to block the sale. Sotheby's was forced to withdraw the lot. Since then, the fate of the watch has been unknown: no one knows where it is, whether it was returned, or whether it lies hidden in some private collection.

An object, a nation

Rajendra Prasad's Rolex is not just a rare watch. It is a piece of national history, a relic of the birth of modern India, and probably one of the most significant Rolexes ever produced by the Geneva-based company for its symbolic content and unique execution. One day, maybe, he will come home.