Courtesy of Christie’s
A timepiece with legendary celebrity provenance is headed back to auction.
Marlon Brando’s Rolex GMT-Master that he wore on the set of 1979’s Apocalypse Now sold to its current owner for nearly $2 million back in 2019. Now, the signed stainless-steel watch is returning to the auction block and could fetch more.
Colonel Kurtz’s 39 mm wrist piece (ref. 1675) will be offered at Christie’s as part of its “Passion for Time” watch sale, a 113 lot live auction that will take place on November 6 in Geneva. This particular time piece has unique details, including “M. Brando” etched into the caseback that was hand-engraved by the star himself.
Marlon Brandon on the set of Apocalypse Now wearing his Rolex GMT-Master, ref. 1675
Mary Ellen Mark/Phillips
The automatic dual-time watch also comes with two custom “M B” straps designed by Attila Aszodi and two signed letters of provenance. Before it was first taken to auction, the piece was gifted by Brando to his adopted daughter Petra Brando Fischer in 1995. One of the letters you’ll receive with the piece is from her and the other is from Caroline Barrett, his assistant of 25 years and Fischer’s mother. Brando gave the watch to his daughter with a hand-written letter telling her proud of he was of her accomplishments.
She recalls Brando wearing the watch on the Apocalypse Now set in the Philippines, where he was asked to remove it for filming. His response: “If they’re looking at my watch, then I’m not doing my job as an actor,” she tells Christie’s. He was then allowed to wear it, but he removed to bezel. The auction house claims the watch is well-preserved, in the same condition and with the same rubber strap as when Fischer received it. Additionally, the case has never been polished and its Mark IV dial seems to have aged beautifully.
Experts estimate the watch could sell for between $1.1 million and $2.2 million at auction at Christies, which is taking bids now.
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