The Sotheby’s auction of a Heuer Monaco cataloged as worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans closed on June 15, 2026. The lot was estimated at $500,000 to $1 million, but the public lot page reviewed does not show its realized price. It is a different watch from the McQueen-linked Monaco that sold for $2,208,000 at Phillips in 2020.
Which Heuer Monaco was offered at Sotheby’s?
Sotheby’s Important Watches Lot 71 was a blue-dial, stainless-steel Heuer Monaco Reference 1133B, case number 159’381, dating to circa 1969. The catalog specifies an automatic Calibre 11 movement with 20 jewels, a 46 x 40 mm case, and a stainless-steel Heuer “sun” buckle. The lot also included a lockbox marked “1970 LE MANS.” Sotheby’s lot listing
The catalog estimated the watch at $500,000–$1,000,000. The sale is closed, but the public page reviewed does not display a result, so a final sale price is not established by that page.
What evidence links this watch to McQueen and Le Mans?
Sotheby’s traces the watch’s provenance from Steve McQueen to Don Nunley, the property master for the 1971 film Le Mans. The catalog says the present owner acquired it from Nunley on April 24, 2008. Its supporting material includes more than 400 documents from Nunley’s archive, over 200 photographic reproductions, a sworn and signed affidavit dated September 9, 2016, and a signed letter dated May 21, 2009. Sotheby’s provenance details
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In the catalog, Sotheby’s reports that Nunley’s affidavit says the watch was “worn by Steve McQueen most often throughout the film and on set.” That is Nunley’s attributed statement, not a separate authentication conclusion stated here.
How does it differ from the Monaco that sold for $2.2 million?
The $2,208,000 result often associated with a McQueen Heuer Monaco belongs to a separate watch. Phillips sold a Reference 1133 at its Racing Pulse auction on December 12, 2020. Phillips described that watch as a gift from McQueen to his personal mechanic, Haig Alltounian, and called the result a world auction record for any Heuer at the time. Phillips’ 2020 announcement
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| Sale | Watch and provenance described | Price information |
|---|---|---|
| Sotheby’s, Lot 71, closed June 15, 2026 | Circa-1969 Reference 1133B, case 159’381; cataloged as screen-worn and linked to Don Nunley | Estimate: $500,000–$1,000,000. Realized price: not stated on the public lot page reviewed. Sotheby’s lot listing |
| Phillips, Racing Pulse, December 12, 2020 | Reference 1133 described as gifted by McQueen to mechanic Haig Alltounian | Sold for $2,208,000. Phillips’ 2020 announcement |
The different reference details and chains of custody matter: the 2020 result is not the Sotheby’s 2026 lot’s sale price.
Why is the Monaco associated with McQueen?
The Monaco launched in 1969. TAG Heuer Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck describes it as “the first square, water resistant chronograph” and says it housed “the first commercially available automatic chronograph calibre.” Those are the manufacturer’s historical characterizations. TAG Heuer’s account of the Monaco and Le Mans
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Biebuyck’s retrospective says six Reference 1133B watches were required for McQueen and the production, including for backup and filming needs. It describes several different post-production histories, with some watches given to McQueen’s business manager Bill Maher and mechanic Haig Alltounian, and others retained or distributed by property master Don Nunley. That broader account explains why multiple McQueen-linked Monacos exist; the Sotheby’s lot’s specific provenance is the chain and supporting material in its catalog.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you buy a modern Monaco with a similar design?
TAG Heuer’s heritage article links to the modern Monaco Calibre 11 CAW211P.FC6356. It is a contemporary design alternative, not the circa-1969 watch cataloged by Sotheby’s as screen-worn in Le Mans. The cited materials do not establish current price or availability. TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 product page
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