Legendary McQueen Heuer Monaco from Le Mans to Headline Sotheby’s Auction

One of the most iconic images at the intersection of watches and motorsport is Steve McQueen buttoning his racing suit on the set of Le Mans, with a Heuer Monaco easily spotted on his wrist; this image remains irresistible for anyone with even a passing interest in watches, racecars, or general coolness.

Sotheby’s recently announced that one of the Heuer Monaco watches used as a prop in the 1971 film will be offered in their New York auction this December. Heuer originally provided six Monaco watches for Le Mans—four of which had a leather strap, just as McQueen is seen wearing in the movie.

The whereabouts of almost all four of these McQueen Monacos are well-known: two reside in the TAG Heuer Museum, having sold at auction for $799,500 in 2012 and $87,600 in 2009 (a steal in hindsight); the third, which McQueen gifted to his personal mechanic, Haig Alltounian, after filming concluded, fetched $2.2 million at Phillips in 2020. Now, another McQueen Monaco is coming to auction, estimated at $500,000–$1 million, marking the first time this particular example has appeared publicly—perhaps the last time we might ever see a McQueen Monaco for sale again. Intriguingly, this one also comes with a racing backstory.

The story of the McQueen Monacos has always been somewhat elusive, complicated by the fact that there were six of them, and it's unclear which one McQueen wore at any given time. In 2016, the Wall Street Journal reached out to Don Nunley, the prop master for Le Mans, in an attempt to unravel the mystery. "'I had six Monacos with blue dials on the set," Nunley revealed, further noting that McQueen wore all six. The article even unearthed the original invoice from Heuer, documenting the six ref. 1133B Monacos (alongside 26 watches in total—raising the question: where are the other Le Mans Heuers?).

The last "McQueen Monaco" to hit the auction block, covered by us in 2020, was the watch McQueen gave to his mechanic after filming wrapped. It sold for $2.2 million, setting a record for the highest price ever fetched by a Heuer at auction. After the filming of Le Mans, this particular example ended up in the possession of Bevan Weston, a young mechanic who worked on the film; he later joined McLaren’s Indy 500 team in 1971, where he continued to wear the Monaco on his wrist. Weston eventually sold the watch to a private collector around 2010 (an old On The Dash thread offers an unverified claim regarding its price at the time). Now, this private collector is consigning the watch to Sotheby’s, marking its first public appearance.

When the last McQueen Monaco came to auction in 2020, it not only became the most expensive Heuer ever sold, but it was also one of only two known examples retained by McQueen after filming. The watch market in 2024 is quite different, making it difficult to predict where this example might land; nonetheless, fresh-to-market finds tend to stir excitement, and this is the last of the four Monacos on a strap from Le Mans to surface. Sotheby’s estimate appears reasonable, and it wouldn't be surprising if they achieved a seven-figure result.

One significant factor that could influence the outcome is whether the TAG Heuer Museum will enter the bidding; they already possess two McQueen Monacos, so a third might be unnecessary. Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s Global Head of Watches, emphasized the watch's significance: "For enthusiasts of McQueen, racing, or vintage chronographs, this watch represents the ultimate addition to any collection—a true 'end game.'"

Heuer introduced the Monaco in 1969, and it was among the first models to utilize their inaugural automatic chronograph caliber 11. The blocky Monaco was a bold, avant-garde departure from the more traditional Carrera, which used the same caliber; it found favor with notable figures like Stanley Kubrick and Sammy Davis Jr., but perhaps not many others. Thanks to McQueen and Le Mans, however, it remains one of the watches most closely associated with a celebrity.

The McQueen Heuer Monaco from Le Mans will feature in Sotheby’s "Heuer Champions," a curated selection of vintage chronographs from the brand, set to be part of their December sale. Heuer hasn’t received much attention in the auction world since the 2017 Heuer Parade sale, so it will be fascinating to see what other treasures Sotheby’s has in store for their December catalog.