- “The GOAT Collection: Watches & Treasures from Tom Brady” auction has just wrapped in New York, netting a total of US$9 million (~AU$14.1 million) for the entire sale.
- Watches accounted for 19 of the 41 lots, realising US$4.6 million (AU$7.25 million) thanks to the highflying bids on Brady’s vintage Rolex Daytona and IWC timepieces.
- Notably, Brady’s unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and two Richard Mille timepieces performed below specialists’ expectations.
Despite raking in over US$330 million (AU$518 million) during his storied NFL career, earlier this year Tom Brady announced he would be selling some of his most prized possessions, including his watch collection. The auction — titled The GOAT Collection: Watches & Treasures from Tom Brady — took place at Sotheby’s New York last week, realising more than US$9 million (AU$14.1 million) with some very surprising results.
Of the 41 lots offered in the sale, 19 were watches that included some of Brady’s most famous personal pieces. These included his rare vintage Rolex Daytona “John Player Special”, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay 58 “Friends of Hodinkee” he was gifted (after investing in the eponymous watch publication); and the unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘The Roast’ that he wore during his Netflix special, The Roast of Tom Brady.
While certain watches performed well beyond expectations, several important lots failed to generate strong interest from the more than 800 registered bidders at the auction. Let’s take a look at a few highlights, as well as the underperformers.
Editor’s Note: All prices quoted below are in US dollars.
The Winners
Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” Ref. 6241
The best-performing lot of the entire sale was this vintage Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” Ref. 6241 from 1969. This specific Daytona reference is one of the rarest in history, with just 300 examples estimated to have ever been produced.
The present example was worn by Brady at the start of 2023: during a New England Patriots ceremony, honouring his career.
Against an estimate of $600,000 — $900,000, it achieved $1,140,000 in a result that underscores the historical importance of the “John Player Special”. Not to mention: the clout that comes with being worn by Tom Brady on the occasion of his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman” Ref. 126710BLNR
Another watch that performed far beyond expectations was this Rolex “Batman”, selling for $60,000 against an estimate of between $15,000 to $25,000.
The fact that the final hammer price for this watch was four times higher than market average not only speaks to Brady’s ownership; but the legendary wearability of the Rolex GMT-II — much more robust that most of the vintage watches collectors buy in this ballpark.
The Losers
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “The Roast” Piece Unique
If you’ve been interested in watches for a spell, you’ll know how difficult it is to get approval for a unique watch piece — and how costly the whole process can be.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “The Roast” is the timepiece that’s most inextricably tied to Tom Brady. That’s not only because he ordered it, but also because his name is literally written onto the dial — via 8 diamond indices. The Roman numeral seven is also included as a nod to his number of Superbowl wins; with the winding rotor on the caseback bearing his signature.
Given how difficult regular-production Royal Oak Tourbillons already are to buy (never mind with a diamond-set bezel and all of the Brady-backed provenance) we were shocked when it failed to achieve its upper estimate.
Pre-sale, experts had valued the piece at $400,000 — $800,000. A handful even asserted the watch would hammer for seven figures.
At a relatively modest $720,000, perhaps this has turned out to be the bargain of the auction?
Various Richard Mille Watches
Richard Mille remains one of the most popular brands among the global celeb brigade, but despite the brand’ name’s cachet and the Brady provenance, the GOAT’s own RM35-03 “Baby Nadal”, RM11-03, and RM65-01 all failed to crack their upper estimates.
In fact, all three Richard Mille models sold at around their current market prices, without a noticeable premium attached for Brady’s historic ownership. The RM35-03 “Baby Nadal” sold for $384,000 (against an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000); the RM11-03 hit $336,000 (against a $250,000 to $450,000 estimate); and the RM65-01 hammered for $288,000 (against the same $250,000 to $450,000 estimate).
The takeaway? Perhaps the market for Richard Mille is finally cooling its heels, or bidders weren’t interested in eating a premium on top of the brand’s already formidable retail pricing.
