The Most Iconic Movie Chronograph of All Time Is Headed to Auction
The watch set to be auctioned off by Sotheby’s was also worn by McQueen in the film. After filming, it was acquired by on-set mechanic Bevan Weston, who owned it for 40 years before selling it privately in 2010. That second owner is now selling the watch, marking the first time it has ever been up for public sale. The watch has never been on public display, either, as it’s always been privately owned since appearing in Le Mans.
Sotheby’s predicts the watch will fetch between $500,000 and $1 million at the auction, which seems … low. Don’t get me wrong; that is a ton of money for a watch, but given that the last one of these fetched over $2 million four years ago, and with the added intrigue that this one hasn’t been displayed in public since the movie, I’m thinking we could be looking at a new record-breaking Heuer.
Prior to hitting the auction block, the watch will come out of hiding on August 14, where it will be displayed during Monterey Car Week at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction in California. After a three-day exhibit, the watch will return to Sotheby’s in New York and await its fate.
On December 11, McQueen’s Le Mans Monaco will finally go under the hammer during the “Heuer Champions” auction, which is a curated collection of vintage Heuer chronographs being sold as part of Sotheby’s “Important Watches” series. Interested parties can register to bid at Sotheby’s website here.
Source: www.gearpatrol.com
