Monaco from Filming of Le Mans to be Sold by Sotheby's in December 2024

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Sotheby's has announced that it will be selling one of the Monaco chronographs worn by Steve McQueen in the filming of Le Mans. This will be part of Sotheby's "Heuer Champions" sale, to be held in New York City, in December.

Here's the announcement by Sotheby's on Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/sothebyswatches/p/C-nHcXVR5OS/

Shown below are photos of McQueen, this particular Monaco and Bev Weston (who worked as a mechanic at Le Mans and previously owned the watch).

Jeff

 
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Apparently TAG have two of these, one was in the museum when I went and I believe they paid $800k for that one. Seems a bit dumb considering there's actually six of them... I mean it's not even 'the one'. 😵‍💫
 
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Apparently TAG have two of these, one was in the museum when I went and I believe they paid $800k for that one. Seems a bit dumb considering there's actually six of them... I mean it's not even 'the one'. 😵‍💫
My gut feeling is that they'll buy this one as well and make it another record price for a vintage Heuer.
 
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The press release by Sotheby's relating to this auction says that the estimate for the watch is $500,000 to $1 million.
 
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Wow, that doesn't sound very ambassadorly... 🤣
You're taking things out of context.

The context was more about the metal bracelet and the author's guess as to why Steve wore it with the bracelet at first but didn't continue with that combo.

We know that Steve liked the Monaco enough to have chosen it as his movie watch. But not enough in real life to have kept one for himself.
 
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Wow, that doesn't sound very ambassadorly... 🤣
In 1970, when he filmed Le Mans, Steve McQueen wasn't an "ambassador". He was selecting a watch to wear, as Michael Delaney, in the filming.

Michael Clerizo can't state definitively why McQueen didn't wear his Monaco on a stainless steel bracelet. McQueen's racing hero, Jo Siffert, wore his Autavia on a Corfam strap . . . and so it makes sense that McQueen might have wanted to wear his Monaco on a Corfam strap. Another reason that the property master (and McQueen) might have preferred the Corfam, and set aside the one on the stainless steel bracelet, is that in the shipment from Heuer, most of the Monacos were on the Corfam straps.

An interesting topic, 54 years later!!

Jeff
 
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In 1970, when he filmed Le Mans, Steve McQueen wasn't an "ambassador". He was selecting a watch to wear, as Michael Delaney, in the filming.

Jeff
Believe it or not I am well aware of that. I already said I was being facetious.
 
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Sorry for my facetiousness. I can't help it.
I know, you're just being you.

But for the hundreds of lurkers who only browse rather than comment on THF, many will not get your sense of humor. Thus, why I felt compelled to set the record straight.