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Royal Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi spotted wearing Artisans De Genève

Spotted on the wrist of Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, is one of the most technically complex aftermarket commissions available today: the Artisans De Genève 'Juan Pablo Montoya Challenge' — a fully hand-skeletonised Rolex Daytona built on a stainless steel Oyster case and Oyster bracelet, distinguished by its black forged carbon tachymetre bezel.

Artisans De Genève, the Geneva-based independent atelier founded by Florian Serex, built its reputation on transforming Rolex movements through meticulous hand-finishing and structural skeletonisation. The 'Juan Pablo Montoya Challenge' project — named in collaboration with the Colombian Formula 1 and IndyCar champion — pushes the Cal. 4130 automatic chronograph movement to its aesthetic limit. Technicians manually remove material from the bridges, mainplate and barrel covers using hand-held burins, then chamfer every edge and apply Geneva stripes and perlage by hand. The exposed movement reveals a multi-coloured architecture of blued, gold-treated and natural steel components that are invisible on a standard production Daytona.

The forged carbon bezel — replacing Rolex's standard ceramic unit — is a signature Artisans De Genève touch on this reference. Forged carbon offers a distinctive marbled visual texture unique to each piece, while maintaining extreme hardness and scratch resistance comparable to ceramic. The skeletonised dial retains the Rolex crown logo and 'Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph' text, anchoring the piece's provenance.

For collectors, this piece occupies a genuinely rare category. Artisans De Genève produces commissions in strictly limited numbers, with each unit requiring months of atelier time. The Juan Pablo Montoya editions are among the most sought-after in the workshop's catalogue, drawing both motorsport enthusiasts and serious horological collectors. It is not a modification that voids authenticity in the eyes of its target market — rather, it commands a significant premium over base Daytona values.

Sheikh Ammar, a known connoisseur of high-complication and bespoke timepieces, wearing this commission publicly signals the growing appetite among Gulf royalty for watches that transcend catalogue collecting. No official retail price exists for this bespoke commission; secondary market valuations for Artisans De Genève Daytona skeletons routinely exceed $80,000 USD depending on configuration and provenance.