A Rolex word by Marlon Brando in «Apocalypse Now» is coming up for auction. The watch, long thought lost, is expected to fetch at least one million Swiss francs at an upcoming sale.
The Rolex GMT Master (Ref. 1675) worn by Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, the character played by Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now, is coming up for auction at Christie's in Geneva, according to the auction house's website.
Issued around 1972 and personally engraved by the actor with «M. Brando» on the reverse was thought to have been lost but surfaced in 2019 when Brando's daughter put it up for auction. She received the watch from her father upon her graduation from university.
Christie's estimates the watch will fetch between 1-2 million Swiss francs ($1.1-2.2 million).
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(Marlon Brando as Col. Kurtz with his Rolex. Image: Christie's)
Missing Bezel
The GMT Master series features a bezel, which is noticeably absent from the Brando watch. Brando was told to remove the watch during filming as it would detract from the film's action. Instead, Brando removed the bezel and was allowed to wear it.
«If they're looking at my watch, then I'm not doing my job as an actor,» Brando said.
Another Famous Rolex
It remains to be seen what the final hammer price of the Brando Rolex will be, but the brand does have star power.
In 2017, the Rolex Daytona owned by Paul Newman, given to him by his wife Joanne Woodward, sold for $17.8 million, according to «GQ» and is one of the most iconic wristwatches ever sold.
