Marlon Brando Gmt 1675

[Jaegodylan]

Originally Posted by twnturbo

Sold hammer dropped at $1,952,000. thats some serious scratch for a Gmt

Just sold for a second time for a handsome profit.

Seems to have hammered around $5,200,000






roll 6

[decisive]

Extremely bizarre to see it sell “up” in a down market

[Jaegodylan]

There are only of these I guess.

[Juhuatai]

Maybe Rolex themselves bought it?

[996marty]

Fair bit of money but as mentioned only one like it with the history

[springer]

I didn't see where it sold. What was the price and does the price include buyer's commission?

[Jaegodylan]

Originally Posted by springer

I didn't see where it sold. What was the price and does the price include buyer's commission?

I can’t tell if this price did.. if it didn’t then truly wild!

At that hammer

Estimated Buyer's Premium
CHF 1,007,325.00

CHF 5,589,825.00

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6446731

Pictures











Description

DETAILS

ROLEX. A FAMED AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC DUAL-TIME WRISTWATCH WITH DATE, THE CASEBACK HAND-ENGRAVED ‘M. BRANDO’ BY MARLON BRANDO HIMSELF
SIGNED ROLEX, GMT-MASTER MODEL, REF.1675, CASE NO. 3’245’836, CIRCA 1972
Movement: Automatic
Dial: Black
Case: 39 mm. diam., back hand engraved by Marlon Brando ‘M. Brando’
With: Two signed provenance letters from Petra Brando Fischer and Caroline Barrett and two additional custom 'M B' straps designed by Attila Aszodi
PROVENANCE

Marlon Brando (1924-2004), worn during the filming of the 1979 movie ‘Apocalypse Now’.
1995 – gifted to his daughter, Petra Brando Fischer.
Sold Phillips New York, 10 December 2019, lot 30


Essay

Lot Essay
This world-famous Rolex GMT-Master was worn by one of the great actors of the 20th century and Academy Award® winner, Marlon Brando, during the filming of Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic 1979 movie ‘Apocalypse Now’ in his role as Colonel Walter E. Kurtz. Unique with its highly distinctive aesthetic, this Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675 has been seen by millions of movie goers over the last 44 years. Thought to have been lost until sold by Brando’s daughter, Petra Brando Fischer at auction in 2019 when it was acquired by the present owner, this remarkable movie-worn Rolex is perhaps the ultimate piece of Brando memorabilia and one of the most important historic Rolex wristwatches in private hands.

Most fascinatingly, Marlon Brando customized this reference 1675 GMT-Master so that it became uniquely his own and it is indeed unmistakable for any other watch. The bezel was removed at Brando’s request for the filming of ‘Apocalypse Now’. Petra Brando Fischer told the story of the bezel’s removal as follows: “….he wore the watch to the set of Apocalypse Now in the Philippines, and was told that he had to remove it during filming, as it would stand out. Brando said that he argued, “If they’re looking at my watch, then I’m not doing my job as an actor.” He said that the filmmakers let him wear the watch, but he removed the bezel.”

Moreover, in addition to removing the bezel, Brando himself hand-engraved the caseback “M. Brando”, a wonderful and personal touch that forever leaves his indelible imprint and preserves it for all time in this superb Rolex.

Also an extremely well-preserved example of the reference, this 1972 Rolex GMT-Master is offered here in the same condition and with the same rubber strap that it was received by Petra Brando Fischer in 1995, it has since been equally cared for and preserved by its present owner. The case has evidently never been polished and retains full proportions with the bevels, curves and sharp edges remaining after more than fifty years. The Mark IV dial is equally impressive, the luminous hour markers and hands have aged beautifully to the parchment tone so appreciated by collectors of Vintage Rolex sports watches.

Christie’s is delighted to have the opportunity to present to an international audience, this world-class object and legendary Rolex timepiece, formerly the very personal possession of an undoubted 20th century icon of the big screen.

The Provenance of Marlon Brando’s Rolex Ref. 1675
Owned by Marlon Brando since the early 1970s, the watch was given by Brando to his adopted daughter, Petra Brando Fischer. Her mother, Caroline Barrett, was Brando’s assistant and later partner. The story of the present watch was recounted in 2019 as follows:

“Almost 20 years after the filming of Apocalypse Now, in 1995, Brando gifted the watch to Petra following her graduation from Brown University in 1994. According to Petra, the present watch had a special place in his heart and he treasured it, rather than wearing it continuously. Brando gave Petra a hand-written letter, addressed to “Petra (dream girl)” in which he wrote that he was proud of her accomplishments, then gave her this GMT-Master and said, “This watch is like a tank. You can do anything you want to it and it will keep on going. I want you to have it as a reminder of how proud I am of you.” In 2003, Petra gifted the watch to her husband, Russel, on their wedding night. He appreciated its significance and has cherished it ever since, having chosen to never wear it.”

Apocalypse Now
The 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Millius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, with the setting changed from late 19th century Congo to the Vietnam War. The film follows a river journey from South Vietnam into Cambodia undertaken by Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen, to assassinate Colonel Kurz, played by Marlon Brando, a renegade Special Forces officer who is accused of murder and presumed insane.

Apocalypse Now was honored with the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered unfinished. When it was finally released on August 15, 1979, by United Artists, it performed well at the box office, grossing $40 million domestically and eventually over $100 million worldwide. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Coppola), and Best Supporting Actor, it went on to win Best Cinematography and Best Sound.
Apocalypse Now is today considered one of the greatest films ever made; for instance, it ranked 14th and 19th in Sight & Sound’s greatest films poll in 2012 and 2022. In 2000, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the U.S. Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

[dhknola]

This is the silliest of all the celeb hype watches.

[Jaegodylan]

Originally Posted by dhknola

This is the silliest of all the celeb hype watches.

I don’t know.. Apocalypse Now even made the Willard a legend.

The Colonel Kurtz is worthy.

[zapokee]

A $3 million profit for the hardship of owning Brando's watch for a few years isn't bad.

I do like the smooth bezel with no insert mounting. It has Milgauss 1019 vibes.

I wonder if he removed it on purpose.

[decisive]

Originally Posted by Juhuatai

Maybe Rolex themselves bought it?

They did not buy it

[Dan S]

The buyer better flip it quickly, before everyone forgets who Marlon Brando was. :-)

[cascavel]

Will this start a new trend? If you bought a vintage GMT (or Sub) which had a later insert, why bother searching for the perfect period replacement and spending $2000 when you could simply remove the offending part, bezel too, and wear it dégagé.

[timnik]

Apocolypse Now is not one of my favourite films.

Full Metal Jacket was loads better IMO

And filmed over here

The watch looks terrible without the bezel also

[greekbum]

The watch has a history but wow what a hammer price. The first time it sold I thought to myself that’s a very high price then just now I don’t know what to say…. Congrats to the seller.

[Lesnerelli23]

Originally Posted by JBZ

You don't like movies about surfing?

Hahahaha!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ferrari308]

I think it is an iconic watch. Not quite on PN PN level, but it's up there in my opinion whether you like Apocalypse Now or not. It's an iconic film that consistently is among the highest rated films ever made.

Not saying I am going to drop $5M on it or anything - just saying it's up there.



PDG

[BraveBold]

Absolutely iconic film, legendary actor

Can’t say I’m very surprised

[1675-David]

The coolest part of that watch has to be the engraving, which he did himself

[Ferrari308]

Seriously, this has to be the MOST famous GMT in the world. Or is there another that I am unaware of?



PDG

[Elmer Twiddly]

I dunno, maybe one worn by a P.I. that drives a 308?

[logo]

Impressive price. I wonder if Sir David Attenborough's Explorer would ever go to auction - no idea if he still has it or not. But I'd imagine that would command quite the premium, a legendary explorer owned by a legendary explorer. That's the same story line as a racecar driver wearing a racecar watch, only better.

[Stan Cooper]

Originally Posted by zapokee

A $3 million profit for the hardship of owning Brando's watch for a few years isn't bad.

I do like the smooth bezel with no insert mounting. It has Milgauss 1019 vibes.

I wonder if he removed it on purpose.

Yes, according to Petra's narrative. The producers of Apocalypse Now didn't want him to wear the watch during filming because it would be a distraction. They agreed to let him wear it if he removed the bezel, so he had it removed.

A good article on Brando's 1675 here: https://quillandpad.com/2019/07/25/a...ngers-auction/

[Styles Bitchley]

Originally Posted by Elmer Twiddly

I dunno, maybe one worn by a P.I. that drives a 308?

Indeed. Anyone know if any of the screen-worn Selleck GMTs have gone to auction at any point?

[Stan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Styles Bitchley

Indeed. Anyone know if any of the screen-worn Selleck GMTs have gone to auction at any point?

In a 2018 article, Selleck says the only things he still has from the Magnum P.I. days are his Rolex GMT, a couple of Hawaiian shirts, and his mustache comb.

"Ah, the Rolex 1675! That I did keep. I’ve always loved that watch. It was the perfect match for Magnum. It’s a watch that likes action, and believe me, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve had my fair share of ‘sport’ watches but never one as tough as the Rolex. It’s been underwater, buried in sand, taken I don’t know how many knocks, and never a problem…I thought the red went well with the Ferrari and the blue matched Hawaii’s lagoons and sky."

"All that’s left of my Magnum days are my Rolex, a couple of Hawaiian shirts, and my mustache comb. The rest is history!"

https://www.watchonista.com/articles...or-tom-selleck

[Jaegodylan]

Hardly think you can compare Selleck to Brando or Magnum PI to Apocalypse Now.. but yeah.