Last year, Paul Newman’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch Ref.6239 was under the hammer for a record price at Phillips Auction house. Days ago, Phillips Auction house announced that Steven McQueen’s Rolex Submariner watch Ref.5513 would be auctioned here in October of this year. At present, the watch is evaluated at $300,000 to 600,000. I guess the watch will be sold at a higher price.

Celebrity effect works well at any era, so there is no doubt that those watches celebrities wore are always coveted by collectors. Steven McQueen wore a Heuer Monaco Chronograph watch with his role during shooting the film Le Mans in 1971. The watch was set to be auctioned at Antiquorum Auction house in 2012, and its estimated deal price was approx 300,00 dollars. To people’s surprise, the final deal price reached up to 799,500 dollars. I have to refer to a point that the event happened before Heuer Company was acquired. Why does Steven McQueen have so much influence?

Steven McQueen
Steven McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an American actor. He was called “The King of Cool”, whose “anti-hero” persona developed at the height of the counterculture of the 1960s and made him a top box-office draw of the 1960s and 1970s. He occupied an important position in American film industry.

Steven McQueen bought the Rolex Submariner watch Ref.5513 in the 1960s, then he gave it to his stuntman Loren Jones in the late 1970s. “LOREN, THE BEST DAMN STUNTMAN IN THE WORLD. STEVE” was engraved on the watch’s case back. Loren Jones’s house in Los Angeles was destroyed in a fire in 2016. His wife and daughter found the watch Steven McQueen gave to Loren from the ashes, and they returned it back to Rolex Maintenance Department. The Submariner watch Ref.5513 was changed into the matt dial instead of previous gilt dial. Hollywood collectors and Beverly Hills’ real estate broker Michael Eisenberg phased the watch from the Loren Jones, then they entrusted Phillips Auctioneer to sell it. The Rolex Submariner watch Ref.5513 is attached to some letters between Loren Jones and Steven McQueen so that they can prove that it indeed belonged to Steven McQueen.

Antique Rolex Submariner Watch Ref.5513
Generally speaking, Antique Rolex Submariner Ref.5513 is “Grandfather” of the current Rolex Submariner Lines. The model was launched in 1962 and produced until 1989. Antique Rolex Submariner Ref.5513, 40mm/39mm, was equipped with caliber 1530 or caliber 1520. Its gilt dial bears “200m = 660ft SUBMARINER”. This and its caliber show reference 5513 isn’t COSC certified, just an entry-level diving watch. Reference 5513 was produced from 1962 to 1989, so it’s a high-output model. Even in the secondary market at present, it is seen frequently.