Rolex Cellini King Midas 4315

Let’s get this out of the way first: if you’re going to name a watch after a mythical monarch who turned everything he touched into gold, you better bring it. And Rolex, with the King Midas 4315, didn’t just bring it — they dropped the crown.

This is the third series in the King Midas lineage, and by this point, Rolex and Genta had clearly stopped playing around. It’s still bold. Still unapologetically asymmetrical. But now, it's more refined, more cohesive — and finally wears like the sculpture it always wanted to be.

Before we dive deeper, let’s zoom out. The King Midas isn’t just a weird little niche Rolex. It’s the most avant-garde piece the Crown ever put out, designed in the 1960s by the same man who sketched the Royal Oak and the Nautilus on napkins that probably belong in museums now: Gérald Genta. The man didn't just make watches. He made icons. And this one? It was his ancient Greek phase. Literally. The King Midas takes its design cues from the Parthenon — sharp angles, temple-like structure, and all the gold your wrist can handle.

And it was named after King Midas, that ill-fated Greek ruler who made gilded furniture and ruined brunch by turning bagels into bricks. Fitting, because this one’s cased and braced entirely in solid 18k yellow gold, weighing in at a rather immodest 138 grams. That’s not a typo — that’s a full-on golden gauntlet.

But here's where the 4315 version steps up. It refined what the earlier 9630 and 3580 started. The previous generations had bulkier clasps that sat awkwardly on top of the bracelet. The 4315? It smoothed that out. The clasp is now integrated, sleek, almost invisible — a bracelet that finally matches the case’s harmony. Even better, the 7.25inch bracelet is adjustable with removable links, so you don’t need a master goldsmith to resize it.

Under the hood (or temple, if we’re sticking to the Parthenon metaphor), you get a manual-wound caliber 651, an ultra-thin movement developed by Piaget, who basically wrote the book on ultra-thin. It’s also an upgrade from the previous Caliber 650, making this King not just heavier, but smarter too.

Let’s talk shape. You’re looking at a proudly asymmetric 28 x 27mm case. That sounds small on paper, but the way it wears is all swagger. It’s not trying to be versatile. It’s trying to be unforgettable — and if that bothers you, it’s not the watch’s fault.

Now — and this matters — the condition. This one is razor sharp. The kind of sharp that bites back when you run a finger along its edge. The bracelet? Zero stretch. The case? Probably allergic to polish. The hallmarks are crisp. The bevels are untouched. You don’t have to squint or lie to yourself. This thing’s honest. And pristine.

Culturally? Elvis Presley wore one. So did Liberace, John Wayne, and a few others who never asked for permission before doing anything. If the Day-Date was for presidents, the King Midas was for entertainers and eccentrics. For those who wanted to wear a Rolex and have strangers ask, “Wait, what is that?”

That’s the King of Kings. Not your usual Rolex. And that’s the point.