Each Vintage Car in RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction Is Paired With a Classic Watch—Here’s the Breakdown

Paige Reddinger

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Get ready to roll. Bob’s Watches, a watch e-tailer known for its selection of high-end, pre-owned Rolexes and other top timepieces, is collaborating with Sotheby’s to offer 18 rare driving watches inspired by the rare cars to be auctioned off at RM Sotheby’s auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey August 14 to 17. The watches will be on view along with the cars in Monterey, but bidding for the timepieces will take place at Sotheby’s (not to be confused with RM Sotheby’s) online between August 14th and August 20th.

“This is the pinnacle of car events, and we’re so honored and humbled to be a part of it,” says Paul Altieri, owner of Bob’s Watches. “Cars and watches really go together and this is a billionaire’s playground.”

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The most coveted car on the block will be the 1965 Aston Martin DB5 ‘Bond Car,’ one of two examples directly purchased by Eon Productions for the James Bond flick Thunderball, marking the beginning of the Bond-Aston Martin relationship that would span five decades. The DB5/2008/R model has undergone a full restoration and has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000, but will likely sell for above its top estimate.

It takes a very special watch to pair with Hollywood’s most famous car. As a result, Altieri is parting with a Rolex Submariner 6538 (estimate $180,000-$280,000)—the original watch worn in the first Bond flick Dr. No and in subsequent 007 films—from his personal collection. “One of the first question RM Sotheby’s asked me was if I had a 6538 and I said, ‘No’,” says Altieri. “They said, ‘Oh, come on!’ I’ve actually got a couple of them in my private collection, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to part with one. But I eventually started warming up to the idea because it’s such a cool car. The watch is supposed to have a black dial, but this one has turned into this tropical caramel color—it’s even more beautiful in person. So I hate to let it go, because it’s such a rare watch, but it’s for a good cause.”

 

Another highlight is a Patek Philippe Nautilus 3710/1A (estimate $40,000-$60,000) selected as the pairing to a 1994 McLaren F1 LM-Specification. The Nautilus, of course, is one of the hottest watches on the market and this is a unique opportunity to get your hands on one that comes with the model’s first upgrade.

“Both the Nautilus and the McLaren are heightened versions of the classic,” says Ripley Sellers, Bob’s Watches senior editor. “They are both beyond desirable and rare—this particular Nautilus has a power reserve, which was one of the first augmentations to be installed in the model.” The McLaren, meanwhile, was sent back to the automotive company’s manufacture to be modified by the original owner. It is one of only two examples modified by the factory to LM specifications, comes equipped with an unrestricted GTR racing engine and Extra-High Downforce Kit, and has less than 13,352 miles. And it comes with a whopping estimate of $21,000,000 to $23,000,000. That’s a price tag that will make a Nautilus seem like pocket change—a 3710/1A sold at Phillips last year for $102,500.

“Assuming the winning bidder spends just the top estimate of $23 million on the McLaren, the sales tax along is going to be almost $2 million and then the buyer’s commission is going to be another 25 percent on top of that,” says Altieri.

The watches, which were selected by Altieri and Jonathan Burford, Sotheby’s watches and clocks specialist in Los Angeles, are so perfectly paired it’s hard to imagine any of the potential car buyers not picking up the wrist candy to go with them. Take a look at the rest of the pairings below.

Porsche Type 64 (estimate available upon request)/Omega Speedmaster 2988-1 (estimate $35,000-$55,000):

 

 

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (estimate $200,000-$250,000)/Omega Speedmaster 145.012 (estimate $8,000-$12,000):

 

 

1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SW B Coupe Aerodinamico (estimate $2,900,000/Rolex ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II (estimate $15,000-$25,000):

 

 

1962 Ferrari 250 SWB California Spider by Scaglietti (estimate $10,500,000)/Rolex Submariner 1680 (estimate $15,000-$25,000):

 

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Fuel-Injected Split-Window Coupe (estimate $120,000-$160,000)/Rolex GMT-Master 16758 (estimate $15,000-$25,000):

 

 

1964 Shelby 289 Cobra (estimate $825,000-$900,000)/Heuer Autavia 1163 (estimate $9,000-$14,000):

 

 

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype (estimate $7,000,000-$9,000,000)/Rolex Explorer II 1655 (estimate $15,000-$25,000):

 

 

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy by Scalietti (estimate $2,900,000-$3,500,000)/ Rolex Explorer 1016 (estiimate ($13,000-$18,000):

 

 

1971 Ferrari 365 GTB4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti (estimate $675,000-$750,0000)/Rolex Daytona 6263 (estimate $70,000-$90,000):

 

1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring (estimate $130,000-$190,000)/Rolex Submariner 11610LV (estimate $12,000-$18,000):

 

 

1985 Ferrari 288 GTO (estimate $2,550,000-$2,800,000)/Rolex Daytona 16523 (estimate $10,000-$15,000):

 

 

1985 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole (estimate $100,000-$150,000 without reserve)/Rolex GMT-Master 1675 (estimate $12,000-$18,000):

 

 

2005 Porsche Carrera GT (estimate $1,200,000-$1,500,000)/Rolex Daytona 116500LN (estimate $20,000-$30,000):

 

 

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 ($500,000-$600,000)/Rolex Submariner 116610LN (estimate $10,000-$15,000):

 

2017 Pagani Huayra Roadster (estimate $2,750,000-$3,250,000)/Rolex Sea-Dweller 126603 ($17,000-$25,000):

 

 

2019 McLaren Senna (estimate $1,350,000)/Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLNR (estimate $15,000-$25,000):

 

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