Heuer Champions spearhead Sotheby’s Important Watches, with plenty of other heavy hitters and oddities
Borna BošnjakAny auction that announces a fresh-to-market Daytona John Player Special and two brass movement F.P. Journes is one worth paying attention to in my opinion, but Sotheby’s December 2024 Important Watches Sale brings forth a watch that surpasses icon status. That would be the Heuer Monaco 1133B worn on-screen by Steve McQueen in Le Mans, purchased as a prop at the end of filming, and later sold to a private collector in 2018. While there are certainly more pieces worth mentioning other than the ones I outlined below, these 15 should certainly get you interested enough to check them out for yourself. The auction will be split into two sessions, starting on the 6th of December at 10:00 EST in New York.
The Heuers
Steve McQueen’s Heuer Monaco 1133B
Let’s not beat around the bush here and get right into the meat and potatoes of this auction. This is one of six Heuer Monaco 1133Bs sent to the set of Le Mans by Jack Heuer and co., changed to the now-iconic perforated black strap, but bundled with its original bracelet. If you were browsing T+T in August this year, you may have read Zach’s full piece on this incredible watch. If you haven’t – you should – but here’s a teaser. At the end of filming, McQueen took two of the watches with him, and would later gift them. This one was one of the other four that went to prop master Don Nunley, and bought by mechanic Bevan Weston for just $40. It stayed with him until 2010, when he sold it to a private collector who is now bringing the watch to auction.
Estimate: US$500,000 – US$1,000,000
Heuer Carrera ref. 1158 CHN
Though it may not have been worn by Steve McQueen, the Carrera 1158 CHN is about as good as it gets with 1970s Heuer. This is the watch that put the brand on the radar of Formula 1 drivers, going on to be worn by the likes of Andretti and Peterson, this one is even more special considering it comes fitted on a matching solid gold mesh bracelet by Gay Frères. While TAG Heuer does make a modern tribute to this piece, the 9 o’clock crown and barrel case with those two black sub-dials doesn’t get better than the original. In what is going to be a trend with these listings, I won’t be surprised at all if this one smashes the estimate.
Estimate: US$35,000 – US$70,000
Heuer Monaco ref. 74033N “Dark Lord”
But if you’d rather a Monaco for a similar estimate, the Dark Lord is the bee’s knees. Just like many other great watches deserving of a nickname, the Dark Lord started life as a bit of an oddball, forgoing the micro-rotor automatic of the regular Monaco and swapping it for a Valjoux 7740. More importantly, though, the case is black-coated with chromium oxide, the granddaddy of PVD and DLC we see widely used today. Unlike those finishes, it’s common to see Dark Lord cases in less-than-stellar condition, making this one a rarity among the few that were originally made. The handset does look a bit tattered, but doesn’t take away from the cool factor whatsoever.
Estimate: US$30,000 – US$60,000
Abercrombie & Fitch Heuer Auto-Graph
Dropping down a fair amount in terms of estimate (and overlooking quite a few stunning Heuers in the process), I wanted to highlight this Abercrombie & Fitch-branded Auto-Graph. The A&F and Heuer collaboration during the ’50s and ’60s will be well-known to Heuer collectors, during a time when the former was less about overly scented and teen-focused stores and more about high-end outdoor equipment. The result of the two working together was a number of watches produced by Heuer (most famously the A&F Seafarer/Heuer Mareographe), also including the Auto-Graph. Its unique complication allows the blue-tipped hand to be set to a desired speed, showing the wearer in how many seconds you’d need to cover a mile for your average speed to have been as indicated. So, if you set it to 80 on the outer scale and timed your passing of a mile in 45 seconds, your average speed would’ve been 80mph. In other words, it’s another take on the tachymeter. These Auto-Graphs are rare – as in, only five known first-series examples rare – which would otherwise land it squarely in the underdogs section.
Estimate: US$8,000 – US$16,000
Heuer Chronosplit Ferrari ref. 102.703
Ending the Heuer section on a decidedly quirky note, we have the Ferrari-branded Heuer Chronosplit. As its name suggests, this was Heuer’s go at making a split-seconds chronograph, but in quartz. Executing a mechanically complex function in quartz in the 1970s was no easy feat, meaning that the Chronosplit was uncommon and pricey. Sotheby’s estimates that only 200 Ferrari-stamped examples were made, with this particular model belonging to F1 World Champion and endurance triple crown-winner Phil Hill – undoubtedly a gift to celebrate his achievements. His time with Ferrari saw him compete in the “sharknose” 156 (his F1 championship-winning car), 250 Testarossa, and 250 GTO, while he’d also go on to drive the Lotus 25, Ford GT40, and Shelby Cobra and Daytona. Talk about Holy Grail vintage racers…
Estimate: US$5,000 – US$10,000
The big dogs
Rolex Daytona ref. 6238 “John Player Special”
There aren’t many watches that could surpass a Paul Newman at auction (don’t worry, Sotheby’s has two if you’re keen), but a Daytona “John Player Special” is absolutely one of those. This particular JPS reference, a transitional 6238, is being consigned by the family of the original owner, and is cased in 14k gold – an alloy preferred by the American market. These days, Daytonas are king at auction, and a one-owner JPS is about as good as it gets.
Estimate: US$500,000 – US$1,500,000
F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Black Label (FPJ CaR brass)
I’m on record for praising F.P. Journe’s early Chronomètre à Résonance pieces for their coolness (and just like with the Paul Newmans, Sotheby’s is also offering one of those), but I thought I’d point out a modern example of this unique-to-Journe complication here instead. Sporting the updated 1520 movement, this fourth-series Chronomètre à Résonance is particularly special because it’s a Black Label model. Cased in platinum, the boutique-only Black Label is exclusively offered to existing Journe owners, with only two references per boutique per reference produced. Given that Journe currently operates 12 boutiques worldwide, a maximum of 24 Chronomètre à Résonance Black Labels are produced per year.
Estimate: US$300,000 – US$600,000
F.P. Journe Octa Automatique Lune
Lucky for me, there’s yet another brass movement Journe in the sale – an Octa Automatique Lune. Based on the 2001 Octa (Journe’s first-ever automatic movement), the first Octa Lune (2003 – 2005) won the 2003 Men’s Watch prize before switching to a solid gold movement for its second generation in 2004. Cased in 38mm of platinum and sporting a moonphase, power reserve, and big date complications, it’s perhaps slightly overshadowed by the brass Chronomètre à Résonance, though still a worthy mention in this context.
Estimate: US$120,000 – US$360,000
Patek Philippe ref. 1415 HU “Heures Universelles”
The 1939 “Heures Universelles” is the foundation that Patek Philippe has built all of its stunning world time watches on, the ref. 1415 HU being developed from Louis Cottier’s invention. It’s a teensy thing, measuring in at just 31mm, with curvaceous lugs and the signature hour hand that Patek still uses today. This particular example comes with Patek’s confirmation of a 1946 production date and 1949 sale, which places it in the middle of the model’s production run that would end in 1954. It’s also the most common example of the 1415, as the majority was made in yellow gold, with small numbers made in pink gold, and only one known in platinum (selling for an arguably “inflated” CHF 6.6 million in 2002, and then for ~US$2 million in 2021).
Estimate: US$100,000 – US$200,000
Patek Philippe ref. 1463 “Tasti Tondi”
The “Tasti Tondi” is in my mind the quintessential Patek Philippe chronograph. Sure, there’s the ref. 130 may surpass it in historical importance being Patek’s first serially produced chronograph, but there’s just something about the 1463 that continues to draw me in. It’s got water-resistant pushers and a screw-down caseback, and it’s in 35mm, making it more practical as a daily wear (perhaps not applicable in a modern scenario). It’s also rarer, halving the 130’s production run, and capping out at some 750 examples known. This example from 1968 comes with a sumptuous Gay Frères mesh bracelet and a wonderfully clean index dial.
Estimate: US$80,000 – US$160,000
The underdogs
Urban Jürgensen Reference 3
The revived name of Urban Jürgensen was an innovation powerhouse, spearheaded by Peter Baumberger and Derek Pratt. The duo were the first to bring the detent escapement to a wristwatch, and for me, the Reference 3 is the epitome of this partnership when it comes to wristwatches (the Oval pocket watch is still unassailable, I’m afraid). Using an F. Piguet base calibre with an in-house perpetual calendar module hidden behind a solid caseback, the Reference 3’s immediately recognisable pièce de résistance is that engine-turned dial, a signature of Pratt’s. Produced in less than 100 pieces, it was available in pink gold and platinum, and the one offered by Sotheby’s is dated as a 2009 model.
Estimate: US$50,000 – US$100,000
Joe DiMaggio’s Cartier pointer date
Powered by a manually wound LeCoultre movement, this 1940s Cartier with a case reminiscent of the Uniplans and Duoplans of the time was presented to baseball great player Joe DiMaggio by Bill Robinson, another star performer, but this time of the silver screen. While the watch itself is a beautiful little thing, it’s the inscription on the back that could make this the centrepiece of someone’s collection, reading: “To Joe DiMaggio in recognition of the greatest hitter of all times from No 1. Yankees rooter Bill Robinson”. I’ll finish by saying that I am by no means a baseball fan, and my only knowledge of Mr DiMaggio comes from Simon & Garfunkel’s Mrs. Robinson, so if I’m being too blasé about his potential G.O.A.T. status, I humbly ask for forgiveness.
Estimate: US$30,000 – US$60,000
Lang & Heyne Friedrich III
The Lang & Heyne Friedrich III is the most recent watch in this round-up, and the only one that’s still actively being made. That said, I’d hazard a guess that there aren’t too many around. It’s one of the simpler offerings from the high-end German watchmaker, but compromises nothing when it comes to its signature finishing techniques of the movement, case, and dial. Tim Mosso put it best, saying that: “Very few watches elevate architecture to the level of decoration. The Lang & Heyne Friedrich III stands among that elite.” On the movement side, everything is exposed and delectably hand-decorated with all the brushing, frosting, and polishing you could wish for, while the galvanic black dial and pink gold case serve an understated everyday view.
Estimate: US$20,000 – US$40,000
Nicole, Nielsen & Co. grand complication pocket watch
From the newest, to the oldest, but also the most complicated. With hallmarks dating it to 1912 or 1913, the highlight here is the triple threat of watchmaking’s most revered complications, courtesy of Nicole, Nielsen & Co. I’ve briefly touched on this oft-underappreciated complication in my deep dive into the history of the tourbillon (funnily enough a complication this watch doesn’t feature), here combining a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph, and perpetual calendar with moonphase. Like many of the movements the company made, it was combined with a third-party dial and case, in this instance a T.J. Willis enamel number in a Munsey & Co. hunter-style case.
Estimate: US$20,000 – US$30,000
Chaumet 10A Jump Hour
Looking at Chaumet’s website today, and the watches are a far cry from this elegant, pebble-shaped jumping hour. Other than being a quirky ’90s throwback to the space-age 1970s, what’s so cool about it? Well, the 1990s saw Chaumet approach one Francois-Paul Journe, to lend a helping hand in creating complicated watches. The 10A is one of the only reasons you’ll see “Journe” and “underdog” in one sentence, powered by a humble ETA2892. What exactly was Journe’s involvement here? Well, the Jean-Pierre Grosz book Invenit et Fecit confirms his participation in the project. Seeing as he was part of Techniques Horlogères Appliquées at the time alongside Flageollet and Halter, and that THA was producing complicated movements of Chaumet, it could mean he helped develop the jumping hour module, though most description I’ve seen are limited to “help design”. Good enough for me.