Editors note: While you might think these uncertain times would lead to a decline in luxury spending, auction houses are still raking in a great deal of money – with collectors assuaging their boredom under lockdown with incredible timepieces that come up for auction. The market for hot vintage watches is still going strong, with even modern in-demand models commanding unexpected premiums. As my colleague Brendan would put it – high-value vintage watches have proven themselves”pandemic-proof“. This reminded me of an article we published some time ago, which explored the hammer prices of celebrity-owned watches, and whether or not the “X factor” they carried translated into greater bids. Since this list was last published, we have seen some historic watches sold at auction. Let’s check in on just how much their celebrity status impacted their sales. Marlon Brando – Rolex GMT-Master “Apocalypse Now” RRP in 1980 — $950 USD Sold at auction in 2019— $1,952,000 USD Buy similar today — $18,691 USD Celebrity premium — 10,343.53% After her husband heard about the success of Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona at auction, Brando’s daughter Petra Fischer-Brando realized there was a great opportunity to raise money for their charity. The proceeds of the sale, as well as Phillips’s portion of the commission,…
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