On Tuesday evening, Tom Brady auctioned off 21 watches from his personal collection, which sold for a total of $4.6 million (not bad for a night’s work). The auction attracted 800 participants from 45 countries, which is enough to prove the legendary nature of its collection, revealed piece by piece over the last few years. From solid gold Rolex Daytonas to colorful Richard Milles to complicated IWCs, the former NFL QB is now also known as an avid collector around the world.
Some of these models were worn at key moments in Tom Brady’s life and career, such as the IWC pilot’s watch he had on his wrist during his 2021 Super Bowl victory celebration. Others, like a complicated Patek Philippe pocket watch from 1917, are the type of pieces one might not typically associate with a seven-time Super Bowl champion and demonstrate solid horological knowledge. A few lots sold for more than $200,000, while his Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “John Player Special” reached $1.1 million. If watches like the very rare “JPS” are worth their weight in gold in sales, there is no doubt that anything that belonged to the greatest quarterback of all time is even more coveted.
Discover some of the most popular lots below.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “John Player Special” : 1,1 million de dollars
There are vintage hand-wound Daytonas, vintage solid gold hand-wound Daytonas, vintage solid gold hand-wound Daytonas with “Paul Newman” dials and, at the pinnacle, solid gold hand-wound Daytonas with “Paul Newman” dials belonging to Tom Brady. This 1969 watch, nicknamed the “John Player Special” because of its resemblance to the Lotus F1 cars sponsored by tobacco giant John Player and mounted on a gold Jubilee bracelet, was on Tom Brady’s wrist when Robert Kraft announced the The quarterback’s upcoming induction into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. Note that this model was sold at a lower price than the JPS sold last year, which broke all records and rose to $2,491,655. The 2023 sale was described as the house’s best in ten years and many factors came into play, such as the strength of the market and the condition of the watch.
© Rolex
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “The Roast” : 720.000 dollars
There’s nothing like a unique piece to pique the curiosity of collectors, and this one is no ordinary unique piece. Crafted in white gold and featuring a diamond-set bezel, this singular Royal Oak features a beautiful evolving salmon pattern dial that appears to radiate from the center outwards. The usual hour markers have been replaced with Brady’s name spelled out in calibrated diamonds and baguettes, while the number seven is inscribed in Roman numerals. Even the automatic winding rotor bears the signature of the legend. And while it might seem a little strange that someone other than the person wearing the ultra-personalized watch, that didn’t stop one fan from shelling out $720,000 to acquire it.
