Steve McQueen’s final screen-worn Heuer Monaco is heading to auction, and it could become one of the most valuable examples of the iconic square chronograph ever sold.
Set to cross the block at Sotheby’s New York as part of its Important Watches sale, the watch carries an estimate of $500,000 to $1 million. While several Heuer Monaco watches were used during the filming of the 1971 motorsport classic Le Mans, this particular example is believed to have spent more time on McQueen’s wrist than any other.
The reference 1133B was one of seven Monaco watches supplied for production and one of three retained by property master Don Nunley after filming wrapped. According to a sworn affidavit provided by Nunley, this was the watch most frequently worn by McQueen throughout the shoot, giving it a level of provenance that few pieces of Hollywood memorabilia can match.
What makes this lot particularly remarkable is the documentation accompanying it. Alongside the watch itself comes a lockbox marked "1970 LE MANS" containing more than 400 production documents and around 200 photographic reproductions from the set, offering an unusually detailed paper trail for a screen-used timepiece.
A piece of history
Beyond its connection to McQueen, the watch is significant in its own right. Introduced in 1969, the Monaco was among the first automatic chronographs to reach the market and helped establish Heuer as one of motorsport’s defining watchmakers. Its square case, blue dial, left-hand crown and Calibre 11 movement made it unlike anything else available at the time.
Of course, it was McQueen’s decision to wear the Monaco in Le Mans that transformed it from an innovative racing watch into a cultural icon. More than five decades later, it remains one of the most recognisable chronographs ever made. If bidding reaches the upper estimate, this well-worn piece of cinema and motorsport history could become one of the most valuable Monaco watches ever sold.
