A Rolex president of a president who revolutionized the Middle East.

A country has many leaders throughout its history, there are solemn few who are fondly remembered years after their passing. Gamal Abdel Nasser is one amongst them. This is the story of the man and his watch.

Nasser was one of the leading members of the Free Officers Movement which overthrew King Farouk I of the Kingdom of Egypt in the 1952 revolution/coup d’état which was led by then commander-in-chief Maj. Gen. Mohamed Naguib and a young Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser.

 King Farouk

The Free Officers Movement was a group of revolutionary Egyptian nationalists which operated within the Egypto-Sudanese Armed Forces consisting mainly of young officers.

The movement eventually toppled the regime of King Farouk I (who too was an avid collector). The monarchy, to a larger extent was seen as repressive and a stooge of western powers which kept Egypt, the Arab world and Africa under their influence and interests. The King was also labelled as a British agent allowing troops to settle in Egypt.

The King, an avid collector himself was said to be living a life of luxury on foreign payroll neglecting the general populus, which became a major point leading to his abdication and exile in 1952.

The leaders of the 1952 Revolution, Mohamed Naguib (left) and Gamal Abdel Nasser (right) in a car post coup.

Nasser was part of the wave of nationalists leaders that rose post independence after WW2. “He was one of the true post independence nationalists. Like Nkmurah or even Nehru. And he threw out the Brits and abolished the monarchy” says Roni Madhvani, fellow desi collector and businessman based in Uganda.

Egypt under Nasser led by Nehru from India and Tito from Yugoslavia, joined by Ghana presided by Kwame Nkrumah and Sukarno of Indonesia formed what was known as Non- Aligned Movement. Something of the Swiss nature during the height of the bi-polar cold war.

Rolex Boys – 1961 Belgrade Conference

As of now, the Non-Aligned Movement has 120 member states. The movement stays on the principle of mutual non-alignment and peaceful coexistence. Owing to Nasser and Kwame’s efforts, whole of the Africa is today a part of NAM.

Nasser’s watch

Amongst the Free Officers Movement was another officer along with Nasser, a young Major Anwar el-Sadat. Owing to his rank, Sadat was a senior member of the Free Officers and a close confidant of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, under whom he served as minister of state/vice president twice and succeeding him as president in 1970 after the former’s death.

Nasser with Sadat in the National Assembly, May 1964.

Sadat and Nasser were partners and often accompanied each other on trips and event around the country and abroad. Sadat had also been in the Egyptian Military Academy with Nasser.

Nasser was always known as a man of the people and considered widely accessible to the general population. Although he wore a few different watches during his lifetime, he was not a man of many material possessions or a collector. Owing to his middle class upbringing Nasser kept away from luxury, which was also important for his socialist, anti-imperial image.

The watch of interest – a Rolex Ref. 1803 from 2nd generation production of the iconic day-date collection of Rolex was gifted by Nasser’s confidant and colleague Col. Anwar El-Sadat in 1963.

Caseback Chronicles – Mr. Anwar El-Sadat 26-9-1963

The watch is engraved with the name of the patron and the date the watch was given on. The date, we believe marks the one year anniversary of the 26th September Revolution in Yemen that marked the beginnings of the Yemeni Civil War in 1962, which was ideologically and militarily supported by Nasser. The war, although disastrous for the Egyptians, would later result in the formation of the Yemen Arab Republic which was ideologically victory for Nasser.

President Gamal Nasser of Egypt with Abdullah al-Sallal, President of the Yemen Arab Republic.

Back to our watch, a gift by his friend and later president Anwar El-Sadat was part of the Nasser family until his grandson, Gamal Khalid Gamal Abdel Nasser put it on auction at Sotheby’s.

Despite his lack of material possessions, this watch and his friendship with Sadat meant a great deal to Nasser – and this watch is ever present throughout many historic moments of his presidency. It can be seen in photographs during pivotal moments like the Six-Day War as well his many diplomatic meetings on his quest to unite the Arab world. The watch is ever present until his passing in September of 1970.

“Having sacrificed many temptations and extravagances as one of the most influential Arab leaders in modern history, one can understand how and why he cherished this gift from a life-long friend and comrade in arms,” Gamal Khalid Gamal Abdel Nasser, president Nasser’s Grandson, told Cairo Scene.

“Shortly after my grandfather’s sudden death, my grandmother gave the watch to my father, being the eldest son. A few years before my father passed in September 2011, he showed me the watch for the first time and passed it on to me, just as his mother had done with him.”

After Nasser’s death on September 28, 1970, many of his possessions were gifted to the museum in Cairo that bears his name, with only the watch remaining in the family, making it the sole possession of Nasser’s that remains outside of a museum.

Nasser’s chess set at the namesake museum. Inset – watch.

Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s global head of watches explains its significance. “Rarely do we see storied watches from presidents, such as this Rolex Day-Date, come into the public eye, typically hidden away for decades with families or donated to museums and presidential archives. Offering this timepiece is not just about the object itself, but about the rich tapestry of history it represents. It embodies both personal friendship and monumental legacy, making it a truly unique artefact for collectors and historians alike.”

Colonel Nasser with soldiers during the Six Day War.

While the intention of selling the watch by his grandson is not yet clear but it comes of as a relevant decision considering how volatile the environment and controversial the legacy of Nasser is. The auction lot carries a letter by his grandson describing the watch.

Conclusion

Nasser left behind a controversial legacy. He came to power as a beacon of hope and led the nation and the Arab world in unification of masses. His time in presidency saw revolutionary changes in Egypt and the whole of Middle East – wars, expanding trade in Suez Canal, infrastructure & dams and education to unification of Syria to Egypt, Nasser led a full life.

While his legacy is overshadowed by the action of his successors and chaos that ensued in the upcoming decades. His critics openly accuse him of being inexperienced and overly authoritarian and dictatorly, with his nationalisation and censorship of media and political parties.

“Whether you like Nasser or hate Nasser, there’s one thing you can’t dispute,” says Abdallah Al-Senawi, a prominent Nasserist writer who strongly defends the late leader. “He rewrote Egypt’s history in a way that no one can ignore, and he will always be remembered, whether 100 years after his birth or 200 years after his birth.” and this somehow remains true.

Nasser changed the course of action for Egypt, making it regional powerhouse from a British vassal state. The role it still plays in a relatively important region which controls more than half of sea-trade across the world.

The watch is being sold for bids starting from $30,000 – $60,000. Our experts believe the watch will be sold for near $100,000. Nasser was a great leader for majority of his people but his term was short-lived and has been overshadowed by his successors. Making him a not-so-popular and relevant personality today. Perhaps, and we hope it will make to a Nasserist protégé or an Arab collector.

The lot also comes with a collection of postage stamps from 1960-1977, a treat for philatelist. This was a story of a man and a watch, who wanted to change the world.