Rolex auction and Paul Newman affiliation aside, Stan Barrett is a man who deserves a standalone article (which you may or may not find here soon enough).
After earning the status of boxing champion, Barrett tried his luck out in Hollywood, where he’d make a name for himself as a stunt man + co-ordinator in iconic flicks such as When Time Ran Out…, Smokey & The Bandit, and Navajo Joe.
Eventually, this led to his historic attempt at breaking the land speed record in collaboration with fellow Hollywood stunt fixture Hal Needham. On December 17th of 1979, Stan Barrett piloted the “Budweiser Rocket” beyond Mach 1 at 739 MPH, becoming the first human to ever break the speed of sound in a land vehicle.
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In addition to bragging rights and a contract with NASCAR, Stan Barrett walked away from that day with two vintage Rolex watches personally gifted by lifelong friend Paul Newman (and actually worn during said land speed record attempt):
- A stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master “Pepsi”, caseback engraved with the inscription “STAN BARRETT 739 MPH MACH 1.0206 12-17-79” to celebrate the accomplishment (estimated value: US$50,000 to US$100,000)
- A stainless steel Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6262 (estimated value: US$300,000 to US$500,000)
Barrett would later be presented with an engraved yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675 (estimated value: US$50,000 to US$100,000) by Anheuser-Busch CEO August Busch to congratulate him on the epic drive. For context, Anheuser-Busch was the lead sponsor of the 1979 Project Speed of Sound event.
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“These three watches – personal gifts between friends and colleagues – carry more historical significance than just their benefactors,” explained Jonathon Burford, Sotheby’s Watches Specialist.
“Inextricably linked to a feat of human exploration, they represent a slice of American history itself and will no doubt appeal to watch connoisseurs and racing enthusiasts alike.”
The trio of Stan Barrett Rolex watches is scheduled to be displayed at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction later this week before touring Dubai, Hong Kong, Geneva, as well as Los Angeles; selling at Sotheby’s New York on December 9th of 2022.
Find out more below.
