Another example worn by McQueen on the set sold in 2020 for over $2.2 million, making this a big-ticket item for the coming auction season.
It may not be the Paul Newman Daytona (which sold for $17.7 million in 2017), but it’s a closely related grail-piece for lovers of motor sport and watches. A blue-dialed Heuer Monaco worn by Steve McQueen during filming of the 1971 classic film Le Mans is hitting the block at Sotheby’s on December 11 at its Important Watches auction in New York. The watch is estimated to sell for between $500,000 and $1 million, but could go much higher than that, given previous records for similar pieces. This is far and above the prices you’ll pay for vintage Heuer chronographs today, of course, but high-end collectors will be glued to this lot.
The watch is one of six Heuer Monaco reference 1133B models with blue dial sent to the property master Don Nunley on the Le Mans set for McQueen to wear during the filming. Of those, two were fitted on stainless steel bracelets, and four with leather straps. This example is one of the four strap versions. Another of the strap versions came up for auction at Phillips in 2020, and although bidding started at $160,000, the watch sold for a whopping $2,208,000. Another was sold in 2012 by “a private memorabilia house” for $799,500. According to Sotheby’s, two of the six Monaco’s used in the film are in the TAG Heuer museum collection, two have sold through public auctions, and others privately.
This example is being consigned by a private collector who acquired the watch from Bevan Weston, a young mechanic who was working on the Le Mans set, supporting the number 8 Ferrari 512, and who later acquired the watch. Weston was part of the crew recommended to the production team by Derek Bell, who helped train McQueen to drive the Porsche 917, together with Jo Siffert. Weston would go on to work for McLaren, and was part of the team for the Indy 500 in 1971. He wore the Monaco throughout his time at the track, where it must have felt like a badge of honor.
After enjoying the watch for 40 years, Weston sold the watch to a private collector in 2010, who has now decided to part with it. It’s the first time this Heuer Monaco has come up for sale publicly, making it a particularly rare and coveted piece. It will be offered in the December 11 sale as a highlight of “Heuer Champions,” a curated selection of exceptional vintage chronographs that celebrate Heuer’s rich heritage and deep-rooted connection to motorsport. The watch will be on exhibition in Monterey, California from August 14-17, coinciding with RM Sotheby’s classic car auction in Monterey, marking the first time the watch has appeared on public view since McQueen wore it in the film more than 50 years ago.
Originally launched in 1969, the Monaco was among the first commercially available automatic chronograph wristwatches. It represented a new era of sports watch design, with its pioneering square, water resistant case, brushed and polished finishes, and brutalist aesthetics. Like the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona, it wasn’t a hit when it first launched, but when the Monaco was relaunched in 1997 under TAG Heuer, it was a runaway success thanks to advertising campaigns featuring the image of McQueen in the film. “As a lifelong lover of the Heuer brand, it is a career highlight for me to be involved in bringing one of the most important watches in the history of the marque to auction,” says Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s global head of watches. “The connection between cars and watches is well known, but the reference 1133B encapsulates this union in a way unmatched by other timepieces. For enthusiasts of racing, McQueen, or vintage chronographs, this watch represents the ultimate addition to any collection—a true end game piece.”