Rolex King Midas 1st Series

In 1969, Rolex stepped into a different arena.

This was not a sports watch chasing lap times or depths. It was not a dress watch trying to disappear under a cuff. The King Midas reference 9630 was something else entirely. A solid 18k yellow gold creation shaped with intention, carved into sharp angles, and released as a statement of capability at the height of late-sixties excess.

This is the first series. The reference collectors come back to again and again. The earliest expression of the idea, and the one executed with the most material behind it. Quite literally.

The name King Midas carries weight. In Greek mythology, everything he touched turned to gold. Rolex translated that story into form. The asymmetrical 27mm case leans forward with a pointed edge that, when viewed from the side, evokes the stepped silhouette of the Parthenon. The lines are angular and deliberate. It does not follow the usual Rolex template. It stands apart from it.

And then there is the mass.

This example weighs 189.8 grams. On the wrist, you feel the density immediately. It sits with authority and balance, not because of size, but because of substance. Later Midas references became slimmer as the 1970s oil crisis made gold more expensive. The first series did not compromise. It remains the most materially substantial King Midas Rolex produced.

Condition is where this one separates itself.

The case remains completely unpolished. The edges are sharp and well defined. The vertical ridges along the bracelet links retain their depth. The beveled transitions between each link are crisp and tactile. Running your fingers along the flanks, you can feel the definition that polishing would have softened. This is one of the cleanest examples we have handled.

The bracelet is integral to the experience. Solid 18k yellow gold, structured, and engineered with a double folding clasp that opens like a butterfly. When secured, the Rolex coronet sits on its side, locking the piece closed with a reassuring click. It feels purposeful and mechanically satisfying.

Along the case side, “KING MIDAS” is engraved by hand. The crown is unique to the model, its tips flared outward like radiating sun rays. Even the smallest detail was designed specifically for this reference.

The dial offers contrast to the sculpted exterior. A clean champagne surface with applied coronet, “Rolex” printed beneath, “Midas” above six, and “Swiss” at the bottom. No numerals. No visual clutter. It allows the case and bracelet to carry the visual weight.

‍

Then there is the box.

The original King Midas presentation box is included, and it is as important as the watch itself. Leather covered and adorned with Greek mythological imagery, it was created specifically for this model. These boxes have become highly collectible in their own right, often commanding significant sums on the secondary market. Having the watch with its original throne completes the story.

This piece dates to 1969. The year of the moon landing. A time when design leaned bold, experimental, and unapologetic. The King Midas fits squarely into that cultural shift. It does not borrow from the Submariner or the Datejust. It exists in its own chapter of Rolex history.

This is the first series. The reference that set the tone. The one with the most gold. The one collectors search for when they want the real beginning of the King Midas story.

And examples this sharp, complete with their original box, rarely surface.