“I almost didn’t take it seriously because the pictures were so crappy,” Golden says. “But the [Canadian jeweler’s] telling me, ‘Listen, he’s not gonna let me take better pictures or send it to you for inspection.” Finally, Golden was able to convince the jeweler to bring the man and his watch to his Toronto shop, so that he could collect a few more pictures near a window letting in some light. The images were just convincing enough. “The crystal was scuffed to all hell,” Golden says. But, even without a buffed crystal, Golden could tell: “If this watch is what I think it is, it’s going to be an excellent example.” 

So, Golden figured, Miami to Toronto isn’t such an awful flight, especially with a Newman waiting on the other end. He’d decided: “I was gonna buy the watch, regardless of, you know, the Drake of things.” 

Staten Island, New York, 2022 

Before Golden booked his tickets to Toronto, a team of people—whose identities have been fiercely protected!—came to Gerald Amerosi of Gerald Peters, an “official Rolex jeweler,” in the Crown’s preferred parlance, in Staten Island. They were looking for a Paul Newman Daytona in unbelievable quality, the best quality possible, because they wanted to give it to Drake for his 36th birthday in October. 

Amerosi needed someone who knew the pre-owned market, so he reached out to Joey Caleca, who goes by The Wrist Watcher. Together, they set out to source a piece worthy of a man who is famously stingy about friendship. They reached out to Marco Nicolini and Golden. “Both of them had some options,” Joey says. “The first option that Adam had that we were going to go with actually sold, and then Adam miraculously pulled this Canada one out and we needed it to be rushed, rushed, rushed.” 

Toronto, Canada

Golden pushed his flight up to Toronto earlier so that Drake wouldn’t have an empty box to open on his birthday. He met with the owner of the watch and his wife. “He really was a sweet old man,” Golden says.