Getty Image / Greg Trott
It’s nearly impossible to believe that it’s been over four years since actor/comedian Robin Williams left this world after taking his own life. He was a once-in-a-generation personality who touched so many lives in public with his roles from Hook to Mrs. Doubtfire, and Good Will Hunting to Dead Poet’s Society.
I recently learned that in his private life Robin Williams loved to collect watches. He had an eye for exquisite timepieces that others might overlook.
He amassed an enormous collection of high-end watches throughout the years and 40 of those watches are about to hit the auction block at Sotheby’s in a few days. The pieces will range from $100 at the lowest end on up to $35,000 at the highest.
The crown jewel of the collection is a 1968 Franck Muller Imperial tourbillon minute repeater which is valued at somewhere between $25,000 to $35,000 but I’m assuming it’ll fetch bids on the higher end given its famous owner. Another watch in the collection is a prized Hamilton piece with “Dead Poet Society” engraved on the back.
Sotheby’s has put together this brief preview clip of the watch collection in anticipation of this badass auction hitting the block on October 4th.
There are four Franck Mueller watches in total that’ll be included in this Sotheby’s collection. Other timepieces include a 1990 Cartier, 2000 Bulgari, 2005 Cartier, 2005 and 2010 Oris, as well as multiple IWC and Panerai watches. There are A LOT of high-end watches in this collection.
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Some of the prized items in the collection include (via Forbes):
* An Ikepod Hemipode, circa 2000, automatic, stainless steel chronograph with registers and date. Ikepod, founded by industrial designer, Marc Newson, and Oliver Ike, specialized in conceptual luxury timepieces (neither man owns the company anymore). Its estimate is $500 – $1,500.
* A Panerai Black Seal Compass for the wrist, circa 2004, with black magnetic dial, luminescent Arabic and baton markers scaled from 0-360 with N-E-S-W divisions, plexiglass and satin-finished titanium case filled with petroleum-based liquid and rotating knurled calibrated bezel. Its estimate is $1,500 – $2,000.
* A Corum Night Flyer, circa 2004. The 45mm automatic watch has a dial featuring a winged skull in helmet, red hands, red-tipped sword for center seconds, aperture for date at 6 o’clock and domed crystal. Its estimate is $1,000 – $1,500.
* A Tag Heuer Microtimer, circa 2005. A stainless steel, rectangular digital chronograph with a quartz movement. Its estimate is $400 – $800.
There are definitely some rare finds in there for collectors. Robin had a keen eye for unique pieces based on his reputation.
The cheapest watch in the lot is a 2005 Luminox Series 1880 quartz chronograph which is expected to sell for somewhere below $500. And if we’re being honest here, that’s the one I’d want. Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on a watch that already costs thousands of dollars when you could spend a few hundred on a watch that’ll set you back a few hundred AND has meaning? Seems like a no-brainer to me.
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You can click here to see the full collection, all 45 watches, that will be available for auction later this week at Sotheby’s Auction House.