If you’re a fan of motorsports, you’ve likely seen the impressive number of sponsorships from top watchmakers. Perhaps both automative and watchmaking experts share common ground by working with intricate mechanical objects. On the other hand, it could just be that they just have piles of money lying around to help advertise their craft. Anyway, Formula 1 racing fanatics are surely going to lust after this exquisite timepiece by Artisans de Genève. This is the Rolex Daytona 4130 La Barrichello – a beautiful custom wristwatch for a legendary driver – in a stunning rose gold finish.

This is one Rolex that you won’t find on display at any official outlets. The name obviously hints that Rubens Barrichello is closely working with the Swiss shop for this exclusive offering. For the uninitiated, the Formula 1 driver currently holds the world record for 322 race starts in his 19-year career. His exceptional achievements also include 68 podium appearances and 11 Grand Prix victories. Artisans de Genève is modifying a Rolex Daytona 4130 as an ultimate homage to Barrichello.

Luxury watch enthusiasts will quickly notice that the dial of this custom timepiece is unique. After carefully taking the wristwatch apart, meticulous work was done to skeletonize the dial and other components. Meanwhile, powering the watch is Rolex’s 4130 automatic with a 72-hour power reserve and comes with some minimal modifications. Almost all of the components are in rose gold, except for the tachymeter bezel, dial, and two sub-dials, which are in black. Artisans de Genève is producing only a few Rolex Daytona 4130 La Barrichello wristwatches. Each one will set you back a cool $78,000.

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Images courtesy of Artisans de Genève