More Paul Newman Rolexes? Two Watches The Actor Gave To A Hollywood Stuntman To Be Auctioned By Sotheby’s

Paul Newman did not simply put on Rolexes, he additionally gave them away. Sotheby’s is promoting a pair of classic Rolex watches – a Daytona and a GMT-Grasp “Pepsi” – that had been gifted by the actor to Hollywood stuntman and race automobile driver Stan Barrett. A 3rd watch from Barrett’s property, a yellow gold Rolex GMT Ref. 1675, can be included within the sale. It was gifted to Barrett by Anheuser-Busch CEO, August Busch, whose firm sponsored the “Mission Velocity of Sound” occasion, the place Barrett broke the land velocity document in his Budweiser Rocket automobile in 1979. He was clocked at 739.66 mph, which made him the primary man to journey sooner than the velocity of sound on land. Barrett was sporting each watches gifted to him by Newman when he broke the document.

Barrett labored with a number of Hollywood main males within the late Sixties and early Nineteen Seventies, together with Burt Reynolds, John Wayne, Dustin Hoffman and Hal Needham. He turned near Paul Newman whereas working because the actor’s stunt double for a lot of of his most well-known movies, sharing a love of vehicles, racing and journey that blossomed right into a 40 12 months friendship.

The GMT-Grasp Pepsi, with its iconic crimson and blue bezel, will likely be provided with an estimate of $50,000-$100,000 on the December 9 Sotheby’s sale in New York. The chrome steel Reference 6262 Daytona is estimated at $300,000-$500,000. Following Barrett’s well-known record-breaking race, Newman had the caseback of the GMT engraved to commemorate his buddy’s accomplishment, with the inscription on the again studying “STAN BARRETT 739 MPH MACH 1.0206 12-17-79.” The yellow gold GMT Reference 1675 gifted to him by Busch is estimated at $50,000-$100,000. It is usually engraved on the caseback with “Stan Barrett – Driver – Budweiser Rocket Automobile 739.66MPH December 17 1979.”

Barrett was one thing of knowledgeable daredevil. Earlier than he was a stuntman, he was a boxer, after which a race automobile driver. Right this moment, he’s a philanthropist. He labored with Newman and his Gap within the Wall youngsters basis, and in recent times, devoted his time to charitable causes aiding kids’s wellbeing. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of those watches will profit charitable causes. The three watches will go on view for the primary time in Monterey, California from August 17-20 as a part of Sotheby’s flagship Monterey public sale, adopted by a world tour with stops in Dubai, Hong Kong, Geneva and Los Angeles.