Story Highlight
– Steve McQueen preferred Heuer Monaco over Omega Speedmaster.
– Heuer pioneered non-automotive sponsorship in Formula One.
– Monaco watches gained fame through McQueen’s Le Mans film.
– Sotheby’s auction features significant Monaco from film set.
– Previous Monaco auctions show rising celebrity watch values.
Full Story
Steve McQueen’s well-known association with the Heuer Monaco watch in the classic motor racing film “Le Mans” could have seen him don an Omega Speedmaster had circumstances been different.
Arno Haslinger, an expert in horology and author of “Heuer Chronographs: Timekeepers and Motorsport 1960s-1980s,” shared insights about the production’s choice of timepieces. Initially, property master Don Nunley had selected the Omega Speedmaster for the film, but McQueen opted for a Heuer instead.
Haslinger noted, “Heuer was one of the first non-automotive sponsors in Formula One. If you look at photos from the early 1960s, racing suits were almost completely plain: white with maybe a simple stripe. Then sponsorship started to appear, and Jack Heuer was instrumental in making that happen.” He explained how Heuer’s connections with Swiss racers like Clay Regazzoni led to an association with Jo Siffert, who became one of the first watch ambassadors in Formula One in 1969.
The relationship between Siffert and McQueen, who were friends and racing companions, paved the way for the iconic film. While preparing for his role, McQueen wanted to mirror Siffert’s style. Although he was originally offered the Omega, he chose to wear a Heuer Monaco in homage to Siffert, marking its significance in the film.
Jack Heuer is believed to have delivered seven Monaco ref. 1133B watches to the set of the 1971 film, with six reportedly worn by McQueen. Over the past quarter-century, several of these watches have changed hands at auction, including two sold privately in the early 2000s by Nunley, who retained three watches from the production. Accounts indicate these sold for under $10,000.
Interest in the Monaco chronographs has surged since 2009, highlighted by an auction where a watch gifted by McQueen to American comedian Bill Maher fetched $87,600. The most remarkable sale occurred in 2020 when Phillips auctioned a watch given to McQueen’s mechanic, Haig Altounian, for an incredible $2.2 million, driven by both celebrity provenance and an engraving that reads “TO HAIG Le MANS 1970”.
Another Heuer Monaco associated with the film is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s New York on June 15, accompanied by a collection of related memorabilia. This particular Monaco is one of three that Nunley secured after filming concluded in late 1970 and is noted for being the piece McQueen wore the most during production. The auction will include a lockbox containing a wealth of documents pertaining to the film’s props.
Nicholas Biebuyck, TAG Heuer’s heritage director, remarked, “The cultural moment of Steve McQueen wearing the Heuer Monaco in Le Mans has reverberated across decades and would play a huge role in giving birth to the icon that the collection has become today. The last watch of Don Nunley and the treasure trove of documentation has taken on a mystical status among the community that has been tracking the watches that were used during the filming of the movie, so to finally see it come to auction and to have the chance to gain a new understanding of the history of these pieces in a new way is an incredible moment.”
Sotheby’s has estimated this upcoming Monaco to fetch between $500,000 and $1 million, with expectations that bidding could begin in the seven-figure range.
**Recent Auction Outcomes for the Heuer Monaco**:
– **2009**: Antiquorum sold a Monaco 1133B gifted by McQueen to Bill Maher for $87,600.
– **2012**: A Monaco used for still photography during filming sold for $799,500.
– **2020**: Phillips auctioned the Alltounian Monaco, gifted to McQueen’s mechanic, for $2,208,000.
– **2024**: Sotheby’s expected to auction another screen-used Monaco, estimating it at $1.4 million.
