You can now own a piece of Joe DiMaggio history.
Joltin’ Joe’s “legendary” Patek Philippe watch is currently up for sale by Wind Vintage, listed for a cool $1,200,000.
The retailer states, “It is arguably the greatest known Patek Philippe tied to any professional athlete and certainly any baseball player.”
The round-face watch is a Patek Philippe chronograph reference 130 in yellow gold with Breguet numerals.
It was originally produced in 1947 and sold on December 12, 1948 reportedly given to him by the owners of the Yankees in celebration of his third American League MVP award and the New York team’s win in the World Series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
They estimate that there were only 180 of this style ever produced, roughly 55 of which have come to market for resale over the years.
Wind Vintage continues, “This is certainly one of the best Patek Philippe reference 130 examples known and among the most important Patek Philippe wristwatches of all time.”
And fans agree, with one commenting, “wow, truly a historic piece” while another said, “Multiply the watch by the story and you have maybe one of the 25-50 best pieces in the world.”
This is not the first time this watch has come up for sale. The center fielder wore the timepiece throughout his life and high-profile marriage to Marilyn Monroe, keeping it with him until his death in 1999.
In 2006, DiMaggio’s estate auctioned off the watch at Hunt Auctions, selling for $97,750 hammer price — which was more than six times the $15,000 estimate — with proceeds donated to the Joe DiMagggio Children’s Hospital Foundation.
It was later sold at Christies in 2017 for $281,250, less than a quarter of the current offering.
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