American actor Steve McQueen (1930-1980) sought authenticity in every decision he made, especially when it came to his films.
It can certainly be considered as one of the most important Heuer wristwatches of all time...
During the filming of Le Mans (1971), a story based around a fictional 24 Hours of Le Mans race, McQueen needed a watch for his portrayal of character Michael Delaney. An Omega Speedmaster at first caught his eye, but prop manager Don Nunley made reference to the Heuer badge on his character’s uniform, which was the same as most real-life racing drivers at the time. Striving for authenticity, McQueen immediately decided to wear a Heuer (now Tag Heuer) Monaco in the film. Now the watch is going under the hammer at Phillips on December 12. It is the last of two known Monaco wristwatches kept and gifted by Steve McQueen to be offered publicly.
When filming on Le Mans wrapped, McQueen gifted the watch to chief mechanic of the film, Haig Alltounian, who was also McQueen’s personal mechanic. McQueen so greatly appreciated Alltounian for the critical role he played keeping him and everyone on the set safe.
As told by Alltounian in the 2015 documentary, Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans, when McQueen handed him the watch, the actor said “thank you for keeping me alive all these months.” While Alltounian demurred, suggesting that McQueen give the watch to his wife or son, McQueen told him he couldn’t as it already had Haig’s name on it, referencing the case back inscription: “To Haig Le Mans 1970”.
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Following this exchange, Altounian wore McQueen’s watch for a year or two. When he realized what was at stake with such a priceless artifact, he tucked it into a safety deposit box where it has lived for nearly five decades – until now.
Paul Boutros, Head of Phillips Watches, Americas, said in a statement, “The Heuer Monaco will always be associated with the glamor and thrill of auto racing. We are honored to offer this historic Heuer Monaco, worn by Steve McQueen and gifted to Haig Alltounian in 1970 during the filming of Le Mans, on behalf of Mr. Alltounian. Preserved in superb, original condition with its fascinating caseback engraving remaining perfectly crisp, it can certainly be considered as one of the most important Heuer wristwatches of all time. Worn on McQueen’s wrist while driving the film’s Porsche 917 at speeds above 200 mph, its incredible provenance, wonderful state of preservation, and adrenaline-fueled history make it an ultimate trophy watch for the connoisseur.”
Introduced in 1969, Heuer’s Monaco was a game changer: it was one of the world’s first self-winding chronograph wristwatches, featuring the Calibre 11, housed inside the world’s first waterproof square-shaped case. Today, the Monaco reference 1133 is an icon amongst chronograph aficionados. Designed by Jack Heuer, the watch was named for the famed Formula One racetrack and was chosen by Steve McQueen as the chronograph of choice when filming began on Le Mans in 1970.
Estimate for the watch is available upon request. In 2012, another of McQueen’s Heuer Monaco watches worn during Le Mans sold at Profiles in History for $650,000.
