Vintage TAG Heuer Worn by Steve McQueen in ‘Le Mans’ Set For Auction

It’s time for a piece of film history to hit the auction block.

The TAG Heuer Monaco worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 racing epic Le Mans is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s New York as part of the house’s “important watches” auction on June 15. The iconic timepiece will be presented with a trove of documentation and archival photography which was preserved by the film’s prop master Don Nunley.

Ahead of the sale, the Heuer Monaco is on view as part of an exhibition at Grimaldi Forum Monaco that continues through April 25, marking the first time the watch has appeared in public view in more than 50 years since McQueen wore it on the film. The showing coincides with RM Sotheby’s Monaco auction and the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique.

It also marks the first time the Heuer Monaco will be up for sale, and early estimates are pegging the potential sale at between $500,000 – $1,000,000. Included in the auction is that trove which includes correspondence between the movie set and Heuer, some 400 other documents, and more than 200 archival photographs.

The film, directed by Lee H. Katzin (who replaced John Sturges during filming), tells the story of two car racing champions — McQueen’s Michael Delaney and Siegfried Rauch’s Erich Stahler — as they face off on the world’s hardest endurance course, Le Mans in France. The collaboration of Heuer and the film was a notable one as seven examples of the Monaco watch with a blue dial were known to be presented to the set for use in the production.

One of those seven watches, likely used in pre-production, was sold by Sotheby’s New York for $1.4 million in December 2024. The new auction features the piece that was actually worn by McQueen on screen. Per Sotheby’s, Nunley “always described it as having had the most time on McQueen’s wrist during filming.” The usage is evident from the watch’s condition, seen below.

“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 Sotheby’s global head of watches Geoff Hess. “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.”

Added TAG Heuer’s heritage director Nicholas Biebuyck: “The cultural moment of Steve McQueen wearing the Heuer Monaco in Le Mans has reverberated across decades and would play an huge role in giving birth to the icon that the collection has become today. 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.”