Le Mans (1971) Watches: Steve McQueen's Heuer Monaco 1133B
Le Mans (1971) has one famous watch. Steve McQueen's racing driver Michael Delaney wears a steel, blue-dial Heuer Monaco reference 1133B , a square chronograph that sold poorly when it launched in 1969 and became one of the best-known watches in film. This guide covers what is on screen, how the watch was chosen, how many were supplied, what the surviving examples have fetched at auction, and which popular claims need correcting.
The short answer
Only one watch on screen is documented: Delaney's Heuer Monaco 1133B , confirmed by the film's property master Don Nunley, by Heuer and by auction catalogues. We found no identified watch for any other character. Real-world context, including McQueen's personal Rolex Submariner and Jo Siffert's Autavia, is kept in a separate section below because those watches are not the film's screen watches. The number of Monacos supplied is disputed: six on Heuer's invoice, seven in one 2026 lot description.
Who wears what: quick reference
| Character (actor) | Watches |
|---|---|
| Michael Delaney(Steve McQueen) | Heuer Monaco (steel, blue dial, Calibre 11 automatic, about 40 mm) |
| Other characters(Siegfried Rauch (Erich Stahler), Elga Andersen (Lisa Belgetti), Ronald Leigh-Hunt (David Townsend) and others) | No documented watch |
How we label the evidence
Confirmed means a costume designer, prop department, the brand or the show itself said so, or multiple reputable outlets agree and cite a source. Reported means a single reputable outlet or database reports it. We leave out other fan speculation, and where sources disagree we say so. All prices are in US dollars and are indicative; check current listings before buying.
Michael Delaney (Steve McQueen)
Delaney is a racing driver, and the watch is part of the costume rather than a plot device. It is worn with a white racing suit carrying the Heuer patch. Property master Don Nunley says he offered watches from five brands (Tissot, Omega, Bulova, Rolex and Heuer), and that the patch on the suit ruled out the others. TAG Heuer's own account gives a slightly different list, so the exact lineup is uncertain. McQueen reportedly chose the Monaco from four Heuer chronographs over the Autavia. McQueen also wanted Delaney's suit to resemble that of driver Jo Siffert, who was on set.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where you see it | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heuer Monaco (steel, blue dial, Calibre 11 automatic, about 40 mm) | 1133B | Confirmed | Worn throughout by Delaney. No single scene is cited in our sources; it is a costume and identity choice. The Monaco launched in Geneva on March 3, 1969 and retailed at $400 in 1970 | Auction: $2,208,000 (Phillips, December 12, 2020); about $1.4M (Sotheby's, December 2024); $640,000 hammer (Sotheby's, June 15, 2026, single source) |
How many watches were supplied is disputed. Heuer's invoice lists six 1133B Monacos, and Nunley says one went missing at once, one was for McQueen and four were backups including a “hero” watch. A 2026 Sotheby's lot page calls its watch one of seven. We use six, on the invoice, and flag the discrepancy.
Other characters (Siegfried Rauch (Erich Stahler), Elga Andersen (Lisa Belgetti), Ronald Leigh-Hunt (David Townsend) and others)
No watch has been identified for the rest of the cast in any source we could read. We could not open the main film-watch database, so this is an absence of sources, not proof that no other watch appears.
Principal cast per Wikipedia: Rauch as Stahler in the #8 Ferrari 512S, Andersen as Belgetti, Leigh-Hunt as Townsend, Fred Haltiner as Johann Ritter, Luc Merenda as Claude Aurac, Christopher Waite as Larry Wilson and Louise Edlind as Anna Ritter.
Beyond the film: McQueen, Siffert and the gifts
Not on screen: this section covers real-world context around the production. These watches and sales are not the film's screen watches and are not in the tables above.
The gifts. McQueen gave a Monaco to his mechanic Haig Alltounian, engraved “To Haig Le Mans 1970.” It sold at Phillips Racing Pulse in New York on December 12, 2020 for $2,208,000 including premium ($1.8M hammer). Bevan Weston, a mechanic on Derek Bell's Ferrari, bought a Monaco from the props office; Sotheby's describes a nominal fee, and JustCollecting puts it at $40. That watch, case 160'304, was offered at Sotheby's New York in December 2024 (estimate $500,000 to $1M) and made about $1.4M per JustCollecting on December 13, 2024; whether the premium is included is not stated.
The 2026 sale. Sotheby's New York offered Lot 71 on June 15, 2026, case 159'381, which Nunley described as the most screen-worn watch (estimate $500,000 to $1M). One outlet reports $640,000 hammer. We could not confirm that with a second source, so treat it as provisional. An earlier Profiles in History result in 2012 is reported at $650,000 hammer ($799,500 with premium), though which watch it was is unconfirmed.
Siffert and the Autavia. Jo Siffert's known watch was a white-dial Heuer Autavia, and McQueen's wish to match Siffert's look is well attested. The story that the Monaco replaced the Autavia because Heuer had three Monacos on hand rests on a single secondhand source and is uncertain. Nunley's account instead says McQueen picked the Monaco from four Heuers. See our history of the Heuer Autavia.
McQueen’s own Submariner. Nunley says McQueen's personal Rolex Submariner 5512 was on set, and that it sold at Antiquorum in 2009 for $234,000. It is not a screen watch, and its ownership chain is contradicted across outlets, so treat the provenance as uncertain. See the Rolex Submariner history.
Heuer’s own pitch. Nunley says Heuer offered $5,000 for one of the watches and that he sold two on eBay for just over $9,000 each. Heuer later re-issued the model: a Monaco LS “40th anniversary of Le Mans” with Calibre 12 arrived in May 2009, and a US-only Monaco Gulf Special Edition ran in 2017 and 2018. For the wider story see TAG Heuer and vintage Heuer.
Get the look for less
Current watches that carry the film's lineage, with indicative US prices. These are editorial suggestions, not the screen watch, which is a 1970 reference.
| Watch | Why it fits | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|
| TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Calibre 11, 39 mm, blue dial (CAW211P.FC6356) | Closest current match to Delaney's blue-dial steel Monaco, though not the same watch | $8,600 (Watches of Switzerland, October 11, 2026) |
| TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition (CBL2115.FC6494) | Gulf-livery tribute to Le Mans; a Heuer 02 model, not the same movement | $8,500 (Watches of Switzerland, October 11, 2026) |
| TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition (CAW211R.FC6401, US-only 2017-18) | Earlier Le Mans tribute, no longer in the current range | $5,900 at launch (per a search summary, unverified) |
Myths and mix-ups, corrected
- “McQueen wore Siffert's watch.” Siffert's known watch was a white-dial Autavia, not the Monaco. McQueen wanted a similar look, which is a different claim.
- “The reference is 1133.” Auction houses use 1133B for the blue steel Monaco. Some pre-sale coverage said 1133.
- “The left-hand crown means it never needs winding.” TAG Heuer's magazine has suggested this, but it is doubtful for an automatic and we do not repeat it.
- “Exactly six Monacos were used.” Six is the figure on Heuer's invoice, but a 2026 Sotheby's lot page says seven.
- “The film was made in 1971.” It was filmed from June to November 1970 and released in June 1971. Sources differ on exact release dates, so we say June 1971.
- “McQueen's Monaco is his own watch.” It is the prop watch. His personal watch was a Rolex Submariner.
Sources
Quill & Pad interview with property master Don Nunley; Sotheby's lot essays and the Nunley affidavit dated September 9, 2016; TAG Heuer magazine; National Jeweler; La Cote des Montres on the Phillips sale; JustCollecting; Hypebeast and Barrington Watch Winders for the 2026 sale; Wikipedia and the AFI Catalog for film facts; Watches of Switzerland for current prices, retrieved October 11, 2026. We could not open the main film-watch database, a Hodinkee article or the Phillips press release. Prices are in US dollars and carry their sale dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What watch does Steve McQueen wear in Le Mans?
A steel, blue-dial Heuer Monaco reference 1133B with a Calibre 11 automatic movement, worn by his character Michael Delaney.
How much did McQueen's Le Mans Monaco sell for?
A Monaco gifted to mechanic Haig Alltounian made $2,208,000 at Phillips on December 12, 2020. Another made about $1.4M at Sotheby's in December 2024.
How many Heuer Monacos were made for Le Mans?
Heuer's invoice lists six 1133B watches, though a 2026 Sotheby's lot page describes its watch as one of seven.
Did McQueen wear a Rolex in Le Mans?
Not on screen. His personal Rolex Submariner 5512 was reportedly on set, but the screen watch is the Heuer Monaco.
Did Steve McQueen wear Jo Siffert's watch?
No. Siffert's known watch was a Heuer Autavia. McQueen wanted a look similar to Siffert's, and chose the Monaco.
Can you buy the Le Mans watch today?
TAG Heuer sells Monaco models, including a blue-dial Calibre 11 at $8,600 at Watches of Switzerland, but these are not the 1970 watch.
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