See Tom Brady’s million-dollar watch collection that’s headed to auction, including a custom Audemars Piguet

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is auctioning five luxury watches from his collection at Sotheby’s in December. Take a look.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is passionate about more than just football. On December 10, the retired 15-time ProBowler will auction five of his watches at Sotheby’s, along with other “treasures” from his football career. “I’ve been so fortunate to have such an amazing journey in my career, and these watches and collectibles really capture those unforgettable moments and all the hard work behind them,” Brady said in a press release. The auction comes amid fluctuations in the luxury watch industry. Following a spike in interest during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry faced a period of decline. The overall market index is down 6.1% from 2023, but it has rebounded by 0.6% in the last month, according to WatchCharts data from September 30. While Sotheby’s has the third-most watch sales among auction houses this year, with more than $72 million in sales so far, EveryWatch reported, that’s a steep decline from the auction house’s $155 million in watch sales last year. Though the fourth quarter of 2024 is just beginning, Brady’s auction may be part of a growing trend to reboot the luxury resale market through celebrity partnerships. In June 2024, for example, Sotheby’s auctioned 11 watches from Sylvester Stallone’s personal collection, including his Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime which sold for $5.4 million. “We are incredibly honored to be working with Tom in the curation of his single owner sale where we are featuring a selection of timepieces along with some of his prized sports treasures from his football career,” Richard Lopez, Sotheby’s senior specialist for watches, said in its press release. Here are the five pieces from Brady’s collection that are heading to auction, with estimated values ranging from $12,000 to $800,000, per Sotheby’s. This Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon by Audemars Piguet features several nods to Brady, including his name set with calibré-cut and baguette diamonds, the number seven in Roman numerals as a nod to his record Super Bowl wins, and his signature on the rotor, according to Sotheby’s. The watch is made of white gold and also includes “a baguette diamond-set bezel,” according to the Sotheby’s press release. Brady wore the watch during his May 2024 Netflix special, “The Greatest Roast of All Time: The Roast of Tom Brady.” This 2023 collaboration between Richard Mille and 22-time Grand Slam singles champion Rafael Nadal is best known for its innovative “butterfly rotor.” For those not well-versed in watches, a rotor is a small weight within the watch that swings as the wearer moves, generating energy that winds and powers the watch. What’s different about the “butterfly rotor,” according to Richard Mille, is that it “offers the wearer the possibility of varying the rotor geometry by themselves,” allowing them to engage in various activities like sports without causing any damage or excessive winding. Other figures who’ve worn pieces from Richard Mille and Nadal’s collaborations include Jay-Z and Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger. According to WatchCharts, the Nautilus is the most expensive Patek Philippe collection, selling on the secondary market for 60.4% above retail price. Brady’s version, Nautilus Reference 5980/1R-001, was discontinued in early 2024, adding to its desirability. Since its introduction in 1956, Rolex’s Day-Date has been a popular choice, worn by world leaders like Lyndon B. Johnson, investors like Warren Buffett, and athletes like Tom Brady and Michael Jordan. Brady’s is the Reference 228396TBR, which includes a “meteorite dial encased in platinum, complemented with a baguette diamond-set bezel and diamond hour markers,” according to Sotheby’s. The least expensive piece in Brady’s collection going to auction is the IWC Top Gun Edition “SFTI,” which is estimated to go for a minimum of $12,000. He famously wore this watch while celebrating at the 2021 Super Bowl boat parade in Tampa Bay after his seventh and final championship win. Sotheby’s will also auction memorable pieces from Brady’s playing career, such as the jersey he wore in his final game with the University of Michigan, his NFL Combine shirt, and a helmet worn during his last season in the NFL. “The collection is truly unparalleled; the stories they tell, the authenticity they embody, and their historical significance elevate them beyond mere collectibles,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, said. “These items are genuine pieces of sports history.” Advertisement POPULAR CATEGORIES

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