Tom Brady’s Watches And Game-Worn Gear To Fetch Millions At Auction
Touchdown Tom’s timepieces include six-figure models like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus.
Tom Brady is in the Fox Sports broadcast booth for the 2024 NFL season, thus beginning a 10-year gig that’s rumored to earn the GOATed quarterback an estimated $375 million on top of the some $333 million he made during his 23-year reign in the league. Evidently, “Touchdown Tom” could still use some more cash, as he’s partnered with Sotheby’s to sell 27 of his elite timepieces and game-worn collectibles.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has had a fascination with fine watches since before he could afford one. According to Sotheby’s, his college computer screensaver featured an IWC GST Automatic Alarm. After he won his first Super Bowl in 2002, his aspiration became reality as he acquired that exact model, an IWC GST Chronograph Rattrapante and a Panerai Luminor Marina.
While those IWCs aren’t for sale, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Edition “SFTI” that Brady sported during his last Super Bowl Champion Parade in 2021 is and expected to fetch between $12,000 and $18,000. A platinum-cased, diamond-encrusted Rolex Day-Date featuring a particularly rare and revered meteorite dial could bring anywhere from $80,000 to $120,000. Then there’s a Rose-Gold Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5980/1R-001, a just-discontinued model that’s now seeing record valuations—Brady’s is expected to go for between $180,000 to $240,000.
The top two horological heavyweights from Sotheby’s The Goat Collection – Watches & Treasures step the price up significantly. The Richard Mille 35-03 “Baby Nadal,” born of a collaboration with tennis legend Rafael Nadal, introduced an innovative “butterfly rotor” winding system to protect the barrel from wear and tear while smashing overheads or chucking Hail Mary passes. That technology and the Brady provenance give it a pre-auction estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.
It might seem curious that the most valuable watch on-offer isn’t tied to one of Brady’s most significant sporting moments, but Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady. That is until you consider the model: a white gold, diamond-set Audemars Piguet Royal Oak featuring a flying tourbillon. The spec alone would warrant a $500,000 price tag, but the upper limit on Brady’s watch is extended to $800,000, likely thanks to the swapping of indices for his name set in calibré-cut and baguette diamonds.
“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 of the lot. “I’m excited to give fans and collectors a chance to own and cherish these special pieces from my journey just like I have. I hope they bring as much joy and inspiration to fans as they did for me!”
If more traditional sports memorabilia from Brady’s closet is your speed, Sotheby’s has that too. The shirt he wore during his 40-yeard-dash at the 2000 NFL Combine—an underwhelming performance that only makes Brady’s achievements more impressive in hindsight—is expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000.
The wristband and original playcard that were on Brady’s wrist when he and the New England Patriots overcame a 25-point deficit to win Super Bowl LI is valued at $120,00 to $180,000, while his 2021-2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers game-used helmet could bring anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000. But the most coveted piece of Brady kit is actually from from his college career, more specifically the final game he played as a Michigan Wolverine at the 2000 Orange Bowl, which concluded with a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. That has an eyewatering pre-auction estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.
Selections from The GOAT Collection: Watches & Treasures from Tom Brady will travel to Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas before they’re sold on December 10. Visit Sotheby’s website for more info.