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People enjoy noticing what other celebrities are wearing on red carpets and in their day-to-day lives. Collectors love when one of those items makes its way to an auction house. Like Elizabeth Taylor and her Serpenti watch, the timepiece becomes a part of their signature style. Pieces like Princess Diana’s Vacheron Constantin diamond watch inspire new models even to this day.
The brand bought back John F. Kennedy's Presidential Omega in an auction for $350,000 in 2005. It now resides at the Omega Museum in Bienne, Switzerland. Albert Einstein’s Gold Longines inscribed with his name on the caseback sold at auction for $596,000 in 2008.
It’s this connection to these renowned icons that gives these timepieces their value and story. Let’s look at two of the most iconic celebrity watches sold at auction:
Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona
Paul Newman, legendary actor, director, producer, race car driver, and philanthropist, is adored worldwide. The Academy Award winner studied at The Actors Studio in New York City. He made his Broadway debut in 1953 in a production of Picnic.
A year later, he made his feature film debut in The Silver Chalice. Classically handsome, Butch Cassidy (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) is arguably his most iconic character.
Paul Newman, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
As a professional racing driver, Paul Newman was once part of the Rolex team. He also participated in the 1979 Le Mans race. He wore a Rolex Daytona in his first racing film Winning in 1969. Rolex dealers couldn’t get enough Daytona watches on their shelves.
Introduced in 1963, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona pays tribute to Daytona, Florida where speed racing developed in the early 20th century. Daytona Beach Road Course hosted the first stock car race in 1936, earning its reputation as the world capital of speed. The Daytona is perhaps Rolex’s finest model. Newman wore a Daytona every day from 1972 until his death in 2008.
In 1972, his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, gifted Newman a Rolex Daytona (reference #6239). She surely never anticipated its popularity in the decades to come. Drive Carefully Me was inscribed on the caseback as a reminder to stay safe while he drove in professional races. He wore this watch constantly before gifting it to his daughter Nell’s long-term partner, James Cox.
Fans speculated why he gave up his treasured timepiece, but Paul Newman was a generous man. He also valued punctuality and likely noted that Cox never wore a watch. Perhaps Newman felt he was upgrading, as Joanne gifted him an updated Daytona with Drive Safely Joanne on the caseback. (This later sold at an auction house in London for $5.5 million).
Paul Newman sporting his Rolex Daytona, Reference #6239
James Cox wore the watch for years, even after he and Nell broke up. That was until people started recognizing it. Cox recalls, “I did some research. Once I saw that the watch had its own Wikipedia page, I stopped wearing it. I put it in a safety deposit box.
"I thought that as Paul had done something beautiful in giving the watch to me. Eventually, it was time for me to do likewise. If he was alive today, he would not want his watch to sit in a safe. He would say, ‘Let’s bring it out in the world.’"
With Nell’s blessing, he took the watch to auction. The opening bid for Newman’s Rolex Daytona came in at $1 million from a phone bid. Immediately after, a $10 million bid followed on October 26, 2017, in Phillips, New York. Eventually, the watch sold at auction for $15.5 million, which accumulated to $17.8 million after fees and percentages.
This timepiece set a record for the most valuable watch ever sold at an auction. It’s still unknown who the mystery phone bidder is. Partial proceeds went to Nell Newman’s Foundation, which was created to honor her father.
Rolex Daytona, Reference #6239
This Daytona isn't the most pristine or uncommon timepiece, nor was it popular just because of Paul Newman's celebrity status. It was popular because he was an all-around inspiring human on and off the screen. He served as a US Navy radio operator during WW2 and supported causes for same-sex marriage and global disarmament. He also created a food line called Newman’s Own with profits going to several notable charities.
Watch aficionados consider the reference #6239 Rolex Daytona a piece of American history and a Holy Grail.
Rolex Daytona Caseback, DRIVE CAREFULLY ME
Steve McQueen’s Tag Heuer Monaco and Rolex Submariner
Nicknamed the King of Cool, Academy Award nominee Steve McQueen was one of Hollywood’s renowned actors with a rebellious persona. McQueen changed the definition of what a stereotypical leading man needed to be with his portrayal of quiet and tough antiheroes. The Great Escape (1963) is undoubtedly his most celebrated role.
Steve McQueen, The Great Escape (1963)
Having gone to reform school because of his rebellious behavior, he eventually moved to New York with his mom. He joined the Marine Corps in 1947 to be a tank driver. He later gained admission to the Actors Studio under acclaimed teacher Lee Strasberg. 2,000 actors auditioned and the selection committee chose only two: Martin Landau and him.
In addition to acting, McQueen competed in various motorcycle and car races in the 60s and 70s. With his passion for racing, he insisted on doing many of his own driving stunts in 1971's Le Mans. People admired his films, envied his cars, and deeply valued the watch he wore in the film.
Steve McQueen’s Tag Heuer Monaco, Reference #1133
In Le Mans, McQueen sports a Tag Heuer Monaco reference #1133. It’s square case and daring sporty revolutionized the industry when it was introduced in 1969. The Monaco was also one of the first self-winding chronograph watches. It was the world’s first water resistant square-shaped case.
He bought 6 specifically for shooting the film. The last one he gifted to his personal mechanic, Haig Alltounian, after filming. He had the caseback engraved to read ‘To Haig Le Mans 1970.’
On December 12, 2020, it set a world record selling price for any Heuer watch at a Phillips auction in NYC. Selling for $2.2 million, the final price was ten times its original estimate.
Steve McQueen sporting his Tag Heuer Monaco in the film Le Mans (1971).
Another popular watch that caused a bit of controversy was the Rolex Submariner McQueen gifted to legendary stunt driver Loren Janes. Janes performed memorable stunts for about 19 of McQueen’s films. Inscribed on the caseback read, ‘LOREN, THE BEST DAMN STUNTMAN IN THE WORLD. STEVE.'
The watch survived the LA Sand Fires in 2016 that lasted for nearly two weeks. Gearys, a luxury watch boutique in Beverly Hills, serviced it. When there was nothing more they could do, Gearys immediately sent the watch to Rolex’s headquarters in New York. While they were able to restore the timepiece, there was still soot in between the band clasps and caseback.
Rolex sent a letter with the timepiece when they returned it to Janes' daughter Erika. “The story you graciously shared with our official Rolex Jeweler is an amazing testament to the durability of a Rolex timepiece. We are proud that your father chose to wear a Rolex Submariner."
Rolex Submariner Caseback, Gifted by Steve McQueen to Loren Janes
Experts speculated the timepiece would be auctioned between $300-600k. However, the auction pulled it after evidence suggested McQueen never wore the watch, only gifted it. Instead, Rolex made a generous offer to purchase the watch from the Janes’ family, and they accepted.
A second Rolex Submariner watch (1967’s reference #5512) that McQueen actually owned and wore was auctioned on June 11, 2009, at an Antiquorum. The watch sold at auction for $234,000, a world record price for that type of watch.
Rolex Submariner, Reference #5512
It's funny to believe that these two legendary stars were box office rivals in the 60s and 70s. They were both characteristically handsome, fantastic actors, and delighted in racing cars. McQueen, however, was extremely competitive.
McQueen insisted on equal lines with Paul Newman in The Towering Inferno movie, despite being the main actor. He wanted fans to decide who was the better actor.
No matter who you believe the better actor was, both men shared a great passion for the watch industry. Newman’s Daytona wasn’t the most immaculate timepiece in the watch world. In addition, McQueen’s Tag Heuer was quite the bold look for a sports watch.
The connection to the actors made both luxury watches beloved. They were part of their signature style and legacy. Whether you prefer the Rolex Daytona or the Tag Heuer watch, both are exemplary additions to any collection.
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18k Yellow Gold ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona with Black Dial Reference #116508
