A Rolex Daytona owned by Paul Newman sold for $5,475,000 in New York at the Racing Pulse watch auction through Phillips under Bacs.
Newman gave the watch, his garment for decades, to his daughter, Clea, who sold it and some of the proceeds went to Paul Newman’s charity. It is nicknamed the “Big Red” for its large red Daytona logo at 6 a. m. The sale also included a Heuer Monaco ref. 1133, owned by Steve McQueen, sold for $2,208,000, more than 10 times his estimate and a world record for a Heuer watch. McQueen, who used the watch in the film Le Mans, gave it to his trusted mechanic, Haig Alltounian, at the end of filming. It’s written on the back of the box with the message “Thank you for keeping me alive for all those months. “
There were several other celebrity-owned trophies in the auction based on provenance, amounting to a total of $27. 6 million. In addition to the relics belonging to Newman and McQueen, it included those belonging to Sylvester Stallone, John Lennon, Andy Warhol, His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Monaco, Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank, Bono, His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Monaco and Guy Laliberté, the founder of Soliel’s Circus.
Sylvester Stallone sold five watches at auction for a combined total of $3,117,400, more than 3 times his estimate. The maxim pointed out the Panerai Luminor he used in the film Daylight, a style widely identified by the launch of the Panerai fashion logo in the 1990s. It sold for $214,200. The other 4 were Richard Milles, whose RM 032 was stationed in The Expendables III ($816,500); an MRI skull 52-01, ($998,000); number 11 in the 50-piece RM 59-01 whirlwind Yohan Blake “Beast” edition, named after the Olympic sprinter ($816,500); and the ultra-built Adventure Tourbillon RM 25-01 chronograph designed to answer the question “Which watch would Rambo wear?”($937,500).
Eleven watches under the motto “Time Counts” raised $ 2,107,350 for the One Drop Foundation, a charity that provides clean water to underprivileged communities. Most were donated via celebrities, adding a Rolex Daytona Ref. 116500LN owned by Kevin O’Leary, known as “Mr. ‘Magnificent’ of Shark Tank fame ($ 56,700); a Jaeger-LeCoultre owned by Bono ( $ 60,480) that he had given to his father and later inherited; an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak belonging to Prince Albert of Monaco ($ 163,800); and 4 Audemars Piguet Grand Complications all of the same reference but in other cases of metals belonging to the founder from Cirque de Soleil, Guy Laliberté.
Another favorite lot of the sale was a pair of white pocket watches, made through American companies, one owned by John Lennon and the other by Andy Warhol. Both watches sold for $50,400. The Lennon watch, manufactured through Howard, was originally sold at an asset auction through his wife, Yoko Ono, in 1984, and is the only watch sold publicly with a direct link to John Lennon. The Warhol watch, manufactured through Elgin, was originally sold at an auction of the artist’s assets in 1988. Lennon and Warhol were smart friends in the 1970s, and the shipper spent years locating those pieces. He was encouraged through a photo of the couple taken by Bob Gruen, a photographer known for his documentation on the history of rock’n’roll. Some of the proceeds will go to the charity Give Peace a Chance, an organization that raises awareness of human rights and prevents violence.
Carol Besler has been writing about watches and jewelry for almost 30 years. He has contributed to Watch Time, Journal Haute Horlogerie, Watch Journal, Robb Report,
Carol Besler has been writing about watches and jewelry for almost 30 years. He has contributed to Watch Time, Journal Haute Horlogerie, Watch Journal, Robb Report, Revolution, Fashion Magazine, Watch Your Time (for the New York Times), Nuvo, Experience, The Hollywood Reporter, a blog to watch and more.