From the Omega Speedmaster to the TAG Heuer Carrera, there are some classic driver's watches out there – but few can hold a candle to the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.
The iconic racing watch is rare and highly sought-after by enthusiasts and collectors in just about any configuration, but exceedingly so in what's known as the Paul Newman style – like the one you see here. This isn't simply in the style of Paul Newman's, though. It was Paul Newman's own, and now it's coming up for auction.
Some time around the filming in 1969 of the movie Winning that sparked his lifelong interest in motor racing, Newman's wife Joanne Woodward bought this Rolex at Tiffany & Co., had it engraved “Drive Carefully, Me” and gave it to her husband. He wore it proudly as he embarked upon a legendary racing career that would see him finish second overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the watch became so intertwined with his image that it acquired a legendary status of its own that others would seek to emulate.
Newman gave the watch in 1984 to his daughter Nell's longtime boyfriend James Cox in appreciation for his repairing the beloved tree house at Nook House, their family estate in Westport, Connecticut. Cox kept the watch until now, but with Nell's blessing and a portion of the proceeds going towards the Newman family's charitable endeavors, he's putting it up for auction.
The noted timepiece auctioneers at Phillips, in association with Bacs & Russo, will feature the watch at its upcoming sale on Park Avenue in New York on October 26. They estimate it will sell “in excess of US $1.0 million,” but we won't be surprised if that valuation proves very conservative. Phillips sold an 18-karat gold Daytona with the same iconic dial design, but without the provenance, just last month for over $3.7 million. At any rate, we can think of at least one noted collector who might be tempted to place a bid.
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