The King of Cool, Steve McQueen is considered a hero amongst men. Not many actors can jump from being a cowboy, to a policeman, to a concentration camp hero in such style. I’m sure the sale of baseballs and mitts skyrocketed after the release of The Great Escape, and I’m also sure a few McQueen wannabes had a go at jumping their motorcycles over their neighbour’s fence! Health and safety was probably invented because of Steve McQueen’s antics.
Some of McQueen’s most popular roles have seen him wear some very special watches. His 1971 film Le Mans, saw him wear the Heuer Monaco Chronograph (Tag had not yet been acquired), a square faced, blue dialed, steel sport’s watch that to this day, still features in Tag Heuer’s marketing campaigns with McQueen. The original watch worn by McQueen in the film was sold several years ago for $800,000, which is astonishing because, although McQueen had an association with the brand, he never wore it off screen.
McQueen’s personal love of watches was loyal to only one brand, Rolex. Inspired by his friend Paul Newman, McQueen even had a Rolex named after him. ‘The McQueen Rolex’ was an Explorer II, equipped with a recognisable orange 24-hour hand, and although discontinued in 1985, an iconic watch by its association with the King of Cool. However, most of the office prints, or bedroom wall posters featuring McQueen, will show him wearing another watch, the non date Rolex Submariner (reference 5512). The watch appealed to McQueen through its understated and durable nature. It was a representation of Steve McQueen ‘The Man’, not what you saw on the big screen. The 5512 Submariner was produced exclusively in the UK and discontinued in 1978. In 2009, McQueen’s Submariner was sold for $234,000 at auction, probably to the man doing doughnuts in his Mustang in the carpark afterwards!
McQueen wore his watch on his right wrist and this allowed for a fantastic amount of photographs to capture him and his watch in action. What a way to remember the King of Cool!
By Patrick Styles
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FAQs
McQueen's Rolex Submariner 5512
Steve Mcqueen was often seen with his Submariner 5512. His 5512 featured 4 lines of text on the dial which means he had the chronometer-certified model, which means his watch was extremely accuret for the time.
Why did Steve McQueen wear his watch on his right wrist? ›
In 2009, McQueen's Submariner was sold for $234,000 at auction, probably to the man doing doughnuts in his Mustang in the carpark afterwards! McQueen wore his watch on his right wrist and this allowed for a fantastic amount of photographs to capture him and his watch in action. What a way to remember the King of Cool!
What watch did Steve McQueen wear in Towering Inferno? ›
Much later on in his career, McQueen was famously known for adoring his Rolex Submariner ref. 5512. This watch did make it to the movies like The Towering Inferno and The Hunter, but, it most often was noted for appearing in more private shots of the movie star.
Was Steve McQueen insecure? ›
“He was terribly paranoid about everybody and everything,” Vaughn says of McQueen. “Steve was a frightened man about all sorts of things, from money, stardom, life in general, but he was especially insecure about his stardom. He never realized what a great star he was.
Who was Steve McQueen's true love? ›
Ali MacGraw remained the apple of Steve McQueen's eye even after their relationship's conclusion. They left their significant for one another, consummating a historic union between two of Ho... Read all.
What illness did McQueen have? ›
Steve McQueen's Death
The doctors removed some tumors from his neck. But, McQueen died from cardiac arrest the next day. He was 50 years old. Mesothelioma is a rare, deadly disease.
Did Steve McQueen have a temper? ›
While he was famous for his cool and detached demeanor, McQueen did have a reputation for being hot-tempered at times. There are various reasons why McQueen might have been angry. Some suggest that his difficult childhood, which included a stint in a reform school, may have contributed to his pent-up anger.
Was Steve McQueen Deaf in one ear? ›
Deaf in his left ear from age 6, caused by a mastoid infection. At age 20, while scuba diving, the damage became permanent when his eardrum ruptured from the water pressure while he was scuba diving.
What made Steve McQueen so popular? ›
He was nicknamed “The King of Cool.” His “anti-hero” persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role in 'The Sand Pebbles'.
Did Steve McQueen wear a Rolex? ›
Although he was a fervent racecar driver, Steve McQueen's favorite timepiece may well have been a diving watch. The American actor was photographed wearing the Rolex Submariner ref. 5512 during both 12 Hours of Sebring and the filming of Le Mans. He can also be seen wearing the watch in his final film, The Hunter.
A Paul Newman Daytona can only have the reference number 6239, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, 6265 — Paul's very own watch is a ref 6239 gifted by his wife, Joanne Woodward. Officially the world's most expensive wristwatch. Paul Newman's #Rolex "Paul Newman" Daytona sells for $17,752,500.
Did Paul Newman wear a Submariner? ›
I put together the photo below that shows a Rolex Submariner 6538 Big Crown on the right side, next to a photo of the watch Paul Newman is wearing in the photo above.
Who was Steve McQueen with when he died? ›
The surgeon said two friends of the family were at McQueen's bedside when he died. Santos said McQueen's wife, Barbara, and two children by a previous marriage, son Chad, 21, and daughter Terri, 20, had just left the clinic when he died.
Was Steve McQueen cremated? ›
Steve McQueen passed away on November 7, 1980, at age 50 after the cancer surgery which was said to be successful. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea. He married three times and had a lifelong love of motor racing, once remarking, "Racing is life.
Did Steve McQueen have a child? ›
On November 2, 1956, he married Filipina actress and dancer Neile Adams, with whom he had a daughter, Terry Leslie (June 5, 1959 – March 19, 1998), and a son, Chad (born December 28, 1960). McQueen and Adams divorced in 1972.
Did Steve McQueen wear a Tag Heuer watch? ›
Once in a generation
An eternal icon up for any challenge, actor Steve McQueen was a motor racing aficionado and a big thrill lover, famously sporting a TAG Heuer Monaco in the legendary film Le Mans.
What watch does McQueen wear in Bullitt? ›
For example, in one of his biggest films, the neo-noir Bullitt, McQueen's on-wrist co-star was the civilian variant of the military-issued 1960s Benrus 3061. Now Benrus and Windup Watch Shop have teamed up to remake the “Benrus Bullitt”, and we think it's going to be a blockbuster!
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