On May 13, in the week leading up to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, auction house Christie’s will offer a selection of watches from the personal collection of the seven-time world champion at an auction in Geneva.
The highlight is a unique Platinum Vagabondage 1 that was commissioned for Schumacher as a personal gift from his former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt.
The watch highlights the strong bond between Todt and watch designer François-Paul Journe and features symbols representing the German’s world titles, his helmet design and the Ferrari prancing horse emblem.
It is engraved with a dedication from Todt to Schumacher for Christmas 2004.
Christie’s estimates the watch could fetch between $1.2 million and $2.2 million.
Another item of interest is a personalized Audemars Piguet which was commissioned for Schumacher by Todt for Christmas 2003. It features a dedication to his then six titles and incorporates his red racing helmet from the period. This watch is estimated at between £170,000 and £280,000.
Jean Todt, Team Principal, Ferrari, and Michael Schumacher, 1st position, on the podium
Photo by: Motorsport Images
A third watch that stands out is a Rolex Daytona Paul Newman owned by Schumacher, estimated at $230,000 to $440,000. This is an example of the watchmaker’s most recognizable and famous steel chronograph.
Speaking about the auction, Rémi Guillemin, Head of Watches at Christie’s Europe and USA, said: “Christie’s expresses its sincere thanks to the Schumacher family for their trust in us and their wish to share these watchmaking masterpieces with other passionate collectors around the world.
“We are proud to present these iconic and unique timepieces belonging to one of the most famous legends of Formula 1. An exceptional moment for watch and F1 enthusiasts alike. We look forward to meeting passionate collectors at our international exhibitions and the auction on May 13 in Geneva.
Schumacher remains one of the most successful F1 drivers in history and shares the record of seven world titles with Lewis Hamilton.
He retired from F1 at the end of 2012, after a brief return to Mercedes, but suffered serious head injuries the following winter in a skiing accident which left him in a coma. Since then, his condition has been kept confidential by his family.
