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AuctionsMay 14, 2019
Marlon Brando’s ‘Godfather’ Rolex Breaks Record at Auction
A buyer made an offer on the Rolex Datejust that Kruse GWS Auctions couldn’t refuse.
This Rolex Datejust was gifted to Marlon Brando after he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Don Vito Corleone in “The Godfather.”
Los Angeles—Kruse GWS Auctions set a world record this weekend when it sold a Rolex once owned by actor Marlon Brando for nearly $50,000.
The “Archives of Hollywood & Music Auction” featured a 31 mm stainless steel Rolex Datejust given to Brando after he won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1973 for his portrayal of Don Vito Corleone in “The Godfather.”
The “Archives of Hollywood & Music Auction” featured a 31 mm stainless steel Rolex Datejust given to Brando after he won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1973 for his portrayal of Don Vito Corleone in “The Godfather.”
The watch sold for nearly $50,000 at the “Archives of Hollywood & Music Auction” in Los Angeles.
It’s fitted with a black leather strap and the name “Vito” is engraved on the back, a nod to the iconic character.
The watch sold for $49,200, more than four times the original estimate of $10,000 to $12,000. It set the record for the most expensive stainless steel Rolex Datejust watch ever sold at auction, Kruse GWS Auctions said.
Brando held onto the watch for a few years before giving it his friend, Academy Award-nominated costume designer Patricia Norris.
The auction featured other Hollywood highlights, including the signed Elvis Presley Graceland purchase contract, which sold for $27,060, and the Catwoman costume worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in “Batman Returns,” which sold for $11,080.
The Brando-owned Rolex is the latest in a line of watches from the brand to exceed expectations and set records at auction. In fact, the title of most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction currently is held by a Rolex.
The Rolex Daytona that once belonged to Paul Newman (before the “Paul Newman Daytona” was a thing) sold for $17.8 million at Phillips in October 2017.
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