The December New York watch auctions certainly produced some sparkling baubles for the Christmas tree for those with deep pockets and an appreciation for fine wristwatches. Examples of watches selling above one million US dollars were recorded across Christie’s, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, and Sotheby’s sales.
The star show in town was Sotheby’s auction, ‘The G.O.A.T Collection: Watches & Treasures from Tom Brady’. A sporting legend, Brady is famed for his career as an NFL quarterback playing for the New England Patriots for 20 seasons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 3 seasons before retiring in 2023. During his professional career Brady achieved multiple records, including surpassing 100,000 total career passing yards, seven Super Bowl wins, Super Bowl MVP trophies and in 2024 he was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.
Away from his career Brady has a passion for collecting fine watches and the auction featured a selection of his own watches including pieces from Patek Philippe, Rolex, IWC, and a special Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon with a custom dial. Additionally the auction had game-worn jerseys, a football, helmets, and related career memorabilia.
Held on 10 December 2024, the auction achieved a total sale value of US $9 million, (£7.1 million), including buyer’s premium with all 41 lots sold with over 800 bidders. 60% of the lots sold for prices in excess of their high estimates. This report covers two of the star’s wristwatches sold in the auction including a Rolex Reference: 6241, Daytona Paul Newman 'John Player Special' that fetched US $1.1 million, (£908,640), including buyer’s premium.
I also cover a stunning Richard Mille RM018 tourbillon wristwatch that was created to celebrate Boucheron’s 150th anniversary. Additionally, during 2024, I reported on an exceptionally rare Heuer Monaco worn by Steve McQueen, along with a set of four IWC Schaffhausen Polaris Dawn space mission worn wristwatches. These watches have now been auctioned, this article covers the results.
My thanks to all the WatchGecko readers for following my auction reports over 2024. I am looking forward to bringing you further highlights and insights into the watch auction world in 2025.
Unique Tom Brady Royal Oak with custom dial
‘This is the only known watch from Audemars Piguet featuring a custom name on the dial’
An eye catching piece, this unique Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak, Reference: 26730BC.ZZ.1320BC.99 flying tourbillon automatic wristwatch was specifically made for Tom Brady. Featuring an 18k white gold and diamond-set bezel. Distinctively the salmon tapisserie pattern dial replaces the standard indices with Brady’s name set in calibré-cut and baguette diamonds. The number seven in Roman numerals crafted on the dial represents Brady’s seven Super Bowl victories. Fitted with a sapphire crystal case back the custom rotor bears Tom Brady’s signature. Sized 41 mm diameter the watch came with its presentation box, and warranty card dated to 2024.
The watch was worn by Brady in Netflix’s ‘Greatest Roast of All Time: The Roast of Tom Brady’.
Sold by Sotheby’s at ‘The G.O.A.T Collection: Watches & Treasures from Tom Brady’ auction in New York on 10 December 2024, the Royal Oak went to an online bidder for US $720,000, (£573,840), including buyer’s premium. The estimate was set at US $400,000 - 800,000.
G.O.A.T vintage gold Rolex Daytona
Any ‘bucket list’ of the greatest G.O.A.T vintage wristwatches would probably include a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Which particular reference would no doubt be open to some debate. A strong candidate however might be the Reference: 6241 Daytona Paul Newman 'John Player Special' in yellow gold.
This particular example, from circa 1969, was owned and worn by Tom Brady and auctioned by Sotheby’s at the ‘G.O.A.T Collection: Watches & Treasures from Tom Brady’ on 10 December 2024 in New York.
As Sotheby’s recorded the ‘John Player Special’ is an exceptionally rare variant of the ‘Paul Newman’ dial Daytona. The moniker dates to 1972 when cigarette maker John Player & Sons, (before the ban on cigarette sponsorship), sponsored the Lotus Formula One team. The resulting livery became legendary in distinctive black and gold.
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Reference: 6241 ‘Paul Newman’ in gold with a black dial and gold sub dials was likened to the Lotus Formula One team colours. The Daytona of course was born as a watch inspired by motorsport so the association between the watch and the Formula One scene was inevitable.
Giving further insight into the rarity of these watches Sotheby’s catalogued.
‘Manufactured between 1966 and 1969, the reference 6241 is one of the rarest Daytona models. It is estimated that around 3,000 reference 6241 Daytona’s were produced, with only 300 of those in yellow gold. Even rarer, only a small fraction of these 300 were equipped with the highly sought-after John Player Special dial’.
Making this watch even rarer it is cased in 14k yellow gold rather than 18k. The Rolex Jubilee bracelet is also formed from 14k yellow gold. The mechanical movement is a Calibre: 722-1 and the case is sized 37 mm in diameter.
Tom Brady wore the watch at the start of the NFL 2023 football season, during a special ceremony at Gillette Stadium where the New England Patriots honoured the quarterback. Team owner Robert Kraft announced that Brady would be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
At the Sotheby’s auction the Daytona sold to a bidder in the room, making US $1,140,000, (£908,490), including buyer’s premium. The estimate was set at US $600,000 - 900,000.
Stunning Richard Mille, 'Hommage a Boucheron’
Christie’s brought to auction a stunning Richard Mille RM018 tourbillon wristwatch made in homage to Boucheron’s 150th anniversary. Sold at the auction house’s New York, Important Watches sale on 9 December the watch fetched US $1,197,000, (£953,919), including buyer’s premium. The estimate was set at US $800,000 – 1,500,000.
Designated the Richard Mille, Reference: RM018 WG, 'Hommage a Boucheron’, Pièce Unique the watch is constructed from 18k white gold. The skeletonized tourbillon has wheels set with white agate gemstones. A design element that celebrates Boucheron’s heritage as a renowned Parisian jewellery Maison. The movement is manual with the case sized 39 mm wide, on a contrasting sports black rubber strap. Christie's added about the watch design.
‘The crown is in the style synonymous with the Maison’s haute joaillerie. The case too is deeply engraved with vertical ridges which is reminiscent of the iconic Reflet watch which was introduced by the jeweller in 1947’.
The movement is manual with the case sized 39 mm wide, and the watch is from 2008.
As Christie's catalogued the RM018 was the first of Richard Mille’s wristwatches to be fitted with a movement made with sapphire crystal plates. The Boucheron commemorative piece was produced in a very limited edition collection of only 30 white gold watches. Each of the 30 wristwatches has the movement wheels set with a different gemstone, making each watch unique. Examples of other gemstones used includes tiger’s eye, jasper, onyx, and diamonds.
What happened next – part one – an iconic Heuer
This year I covered an iconic Heuer Monaco wristwatch, and four space mission worn IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s watches before they went to auction, so this is a chance to give an update on the post-sale results. All did well as might be expected.
First up, in my August 2024 auction report I wrote about Sotheby’s auctioning one of the Heuer Monaco, Reference 1133B wristwatches worn by legendary actor and racer Steve McQueen (1930 - 1980) during filming of the 1971 ‘Le Mans’ movie. The watch is just one of six Heuer Monaco Reference 1133B wristwatches models with blue dials sent to the ‘Le Mans’ film set directly by Heuer.
This watch has now sold for US $1,440,000 (£1,147,570), including buyer’s premium, by Sotheby’s, at their New York 6 December 2024 Important Watches auction.
The estimate set at US $500,000 - 1,000,000 was well exceeded but it is still not a record for a Heuer Monaco, Reference 1133B wristwatch with direct association and provenance to Steve McQueen and the film ‘Le Mans’. In December 2020, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo at their New York auction sold a Heuer Monaco which had been worn by Steve McQueen in the film while driving the Porsche 917 in his role as racing driver Michael Delaney. This Monaco fetched US $2,208,000 million, (£1,759,610), including buyer’s premium. The result was and still is a world record sale for any Heuer Watch.
To give an idea of the incredible value created by the direct Steve McQueen and ‘Le Mans’ provenance, Sotheby’s had another very nice vintage Heuer Monaco, Reference: 1133B with the famed blue dial on a stainless steel bracelet from circa 1971. While enjoying all the renown of an early Heuer Monaco, but with no direct provenance, the watch fetched US $18,000, (£14,340), including buyer’s premium. The estimate was US $15,000 - 30,000.
What happened next – part two – space IWC
Watches worn by astronauts continue to attract strong collector attention. In September’s auction report I covered the upcoming auction of four very special IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Polaris Dawn”, Reference: IW389111, white ceramic wristwatches. The watches were made by IWC for the crew of the recent Polaris Dawn commercial spaceflight mission that included the first ever commercial spacewalk.
Now the IWC wristwatches, as used by the crew, have been sold at auction by Christie's, at their New York, Important Watches sale on 9 December to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.
All four watches sold above estimate, with the watch worn by Mission Commander Jared 'Rook' Isaacman fetching the highest amount making US $126,000, (£100,410), including buyer’s premium. The estimate was set at a lower US $15,000 – 25,000.
Of note the watch still retains surface level metallic scuff marks obtained during its wearing on the space flight. The watch caseback is engraved 'Jared Rook Isaacman' along with '1⁄4'.
Banner ©Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s
