Eight of the opulent and personalized timepieces owned by Formula One legend Michael Schumacher will be auctioned off, with a potential total value of over $4.8 million.
The auction company Christie’s has announced that the unique watches will be on display in New York from May 3 to May 5, which coincides with the Miami Grand Prix weekend, before going up for auction in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 13.
The family of driver champion Schumacher owns a variety of watches that he accumulated over the years. Christie’s head of watches Remi Guillemin told CNN on Thursday that “more recently, they decided to part ways with specific watches of the collection, where they believed watch collectors would be able to appreciate the true value of the pieces.”
He continued, “We’re really just overjoyed to have these watches and to have been able to work with the family.”
The collection, which includes both contemporary and vintage high-end timepieces from names like Rolex, F.P. Journe, and Audemars Piguet, will be offered at Christie’s annual rare watch sale.
Among the collection’s notable items is Schumacher’s platinum F.P. Journe Vagabondage 1, which is likely to fetch up to $2.2 million at auction and is estimated to be worth nearly half of the total value.
A Paul Newman Daytona watch made of stainless steel by Rolex is predicted to fetch up to $440,000, while Schumacher’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch could get up to $280,000.
According to Guillemin, the watch is named after the Daytona International Speedway in Florida and is considered to be “one of the most iconic watches that Rolex ever made.”
According to the auction house, the seven-time F1 World Championship winner received a personalized gift of a white gold Royal Oak chronograph from his early mentor, former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt.
Its features honor the six championship wins Schumacher had already racked up by Christmas 2003, according to Christie’s. Six stars surround the 30-minute register dial, which features images of Schumacher’s red racing helmet and Ferrari’s iconic prancing horse logo.
It’s a distinctive watch, Guillemin remarked. “You just know that the watch is something special and that it speaks to Michael Schumacher when you see it from a distance.”
Todt had also given me a platinum Vagabondage 1 watch, but it was for Christmas the following year. Hence, despite sharing many elements, its eye-catching red dial incorporates symbols that stand for the seventh Championship that Schumacher and Ferrari won together.
According to the auction house, a watch prototype was sold in 2003 with the proceeds going to the Paris Brain Institute (ICM) Foundation, of which Schumacher and Todt are founder members.
These timepieces are intended for fans of Formula One who, like me, have followed Michael Schumacher throughout his racing career. Not only are these two watches significant for watchmaking, but they’re also a genuine piece of history and memorabilia, Guillemin continued.
After suffering significant head damage during a skiing accident in 2013, Schumacher developed a brain injury.
Although he hasn’t been seen in public since, his wife Corinna stated in a Netflix documentary from 2021 that “We live together at home.” We practice counseling. We take every precaution to ensure Michael’s comfort and well-being.
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