This Heuer Reference 1133B Monaco worn by Steve McQueen and offered with several archives from the set of “Le Mans” is estimated to sell for up to $1 million at Sotheby’s Important Watches auction in New York on June 13.
New York—A Heuer Monaco watch worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie “Le Mans” is going up for auction at Sotheby’s this summer.
Multiple Monaco watches were involved in the film’s production, but according to Sotheby’s, this one represents the most screen-worn example.
It’s estimated to sell for $500,000 to $1 million.
McQueen’s character, driver Michael Delaney, was inspired by Swiss Formula 1 driver Jo Siffert, a ‘60s racing legend who was also the first Heuer brand ambassador.
According to Sotheby’s, McQueen “made horological and cultural history” when he decided Delaney would wear the brand’s Monaco model—a retro watch with a square case that was not immediately popular when it launched in 1969—with his racing suit, which, like Siffert’s, bore a Heuer logo.
Several examples of the Heuer Monaco were known to be present on the set, one of which was sold at Sotheby’s in 2024 for $1.4 million, the second-highest price achieved for a Heuer timepiece at auction.
According to a 2016 article from the Wall Street Journal, the film’s property master Don Nunley said he requested six—knowing that props could be damaged or go missing—and that McQueen, at some point or another, wore each of them.
Steve McQueen on the set of Le Mans, courtesy of The Estate of Steve McQueen
Nunley acquired three watches for himself post-production and sold two in the early 2000s.
The third and last one he sold is the piece set to be offered at Sotheby’s in June.
Nunley previously described the watch as having had “the most time on McQueen’s wrist during filming,” Sotheby’s said, adding that the condition of the piece supports this.
The watch will be offered alongside a lockbox with documentation related to the props used in the movie production, as well as more than 200 archival photographs, all appearing at auction for the first time.
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Sotheby’s said the offering is “a time capsule of the golden age of cinema.”
The documents that accompany the watch establish continuous provenance tracing the watch all the way back to the Heuer manufacture in 1970.
There are letters of correspondence between Heuer CEO Jack Heuer and Nunley regarding the organization of the watches for production.
There are also mentions of the people present on set, from publicist Sidney Ganis to costume designer Ray Summers and even Bevan Weston, the mechanic who once owned the Heuer Monaco that was auctioned in 2024.
Also documented are exchanges with movie executives and the public relations team about the promotion of the film, providing insight into the role of product placement at the time.
A lockbox containing documents, such as correspondence between Jack Heuer and film executives, as well as invoices, notes, and archival photographs will be offered alongside the Heuer Monaco at Sotheby’s this June.
“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,” said Nicholas Biebuyck, TAG Heuer's Heritage Director.
“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 piece in a new way is an incredible moment.”
The Monaco’s association with McQueen and “Le Mans” cemented its status in popular culture, Sotheby’s said.
In 1985, Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG) acquired the company, forming TAG Heuer. The brand would be acquired by LVMH in 1999.
The company relaunched the Monaco in 1997 with advertising campaigns featuring the image of McQueen “saluting” the crowd from the movie.
“It is an honor for Sotheby’s to bring to market one of the most exceptional examples of any timepiece used in cinematic history,” said Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s global head of watches.
“With continuous provenance and incredible documentation now emerging from the collection of one of the greatest watch and car enthusiasts in the U.S., we look forward to offering a fuller perspective on a story that has long fascinated and inspired collectors.”
The Heuer Reference 1133B Monaco will be offered at the Important Watches sale on June 13 at Sotheby’s New York.
For a look at some of the documents included in the lockbox, visit Sotheby’s website.
