Gamal Abdel Nasser’s Son Accuses Nephew Over Auctioned Rolex

Abdul Hamid Gamal Abdel Nasser, son of the late Egyptian president, has accused his nephew Gamal Khaled Gamal Abdel Nasser of taking a historic Rolex belonging to his father and selling it at auction in New York.

Abdul Hamid said his nephew does not represent the Abdel Nasser family, framing the sale as an unauthorised disposal of an item connected to the former president’s legacy.

The watch, a gold Rolex commonly known as the “Presidential”, was sold by Sotheby’s in December 2024 for around USD 840,000. The 18k yellow-gold piece features Arabic day and date displays and carries an Arabic inscription on the caseback alongside the date September 26th, 1963.

According to accounts surrounding the sale, the watch was connected to Anwar Sadat and dated to 1963, several years before Sadat became president. Sotheby’s watches specialist Jeff Hess described the model as the “Presidential”, a Rolex line associated with political figures including John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford.

Most of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s personal belongings had previously been donated by the family to a museum bearing his name, making the watch unusual as one of the few major personal items known to remain outside the collection.

Ahead of the 2024 auction, Nasser’s grandson said he hoped the watch would go to someone who appreciated the former president’s legacy and his commitment to freedom and peace.