Golf legend Jack Nicklaus is set to auction off the gold Rolex he's worn since 1967 for charity after seeing a similar model owned by actor Paul Newman sell for a record $17.8million
- Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has decided to auction off the gold Rolex he's worn regularly since 1967 for the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation
- He got the idea after seeing late actor Paul Newman's watch go for $17.8 million
- Although Newman's watch is rarer, the fact that Nicklaus can be seen wearing his in nearly every picture is expected to push the bidding well into seven figures
- The gold Oyster Perpetual Day Date Rolex was a gift Nicklaus received while attending a Rolex cocktail party in Tokyo with fellow golfer Gary Player in 1966
- A new version of the Day Date model now commands a retail price of $31,550
- Currently the most expensive sports collectible sold at auction was Babe Ruth's 1920 New York Yankees jersey, which went for $4.4 million in 2012
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has decided to auction off for charity the gold Rolex he's worn regularly since 1967 after seeing a similar model previously belonging to the late actor Paul Newman go for a record $17.8 million in 2017.
'It was my first watch and the only one I wore,' Nicklaus said, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal. 'It was just part of me.'
Nicklaus, now 79, was seen wearing the watch after 12 of his record 18 of major title wins and for more than half a century, according to the Journal.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has decided to auction off the gold Rolex he's worn regularly since 1967 for charity after seeing a similar model previously belonging to the late actor Paul Newman go for a record $17.8 million in 2017
The gold Oyster Perpetual Day Date Rolex was a gift Nicklaus received while attending a Rolex cocktail party in Tokyo with South African golfer Gary Player in 1966
The gold Oyster Perpetual Day Date Rolex was a gift Nicklaus received while attending a Rolex cocktail party in Tokyo with South African golfer Gary Player in 1966.
Known as the 'Golden Bear,' Nicklaus was given a selection of watches to choose from, but was instinctively attracted to one particular model.
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'I said, "Well, what do I select?"' Nicklaus said. 'I had never owned a watch before in my life. Gary said, "Take that one, it's the best one." I said "OK," so I picked one with a gold face - sort of being the Golden Bear type thing, I suppose.'
Nicklaus actually kept the watch in his golf bag during every round, and he immediately put it back on his wrist when he finished.
Paul Newman's 'Daytona' Rolex was auctioned off for a record $17.8 million in 2017
The watch will be on display during this week's Memorial Tournament before going on a world tour through cities such as Geneva, London, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, before landing in New York, where the Phillips auction house will put it up for bidding in December.
The entire sales price will be given to the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, which been working with pediatric hospitals throughout the country for the last 15 years.
'I decided if I take this watch and give it to one of my kids, it'll end up in a drawer someplace,' Nicklaus said. 'I said, "Why don't we take this watch and do some good with it?"'
Newman's model is a Daytona, according to the Journal, and rarer than Nicklaus's Day Date model, which may not break the $17.8 million record for a wristwatch.
A new version of the Day Date model now commands a retail price of $31,550.
On June 15, one of Ruth's jerseys (pictured) will go up for auction at Yankee Stadium
Currently the most expensive sports collectible sold at auction was Babe Ruth's 1920 New York Yankees jersey, which went for $4.4 million in 2012
However, given the historical significance of Nicklaus's watch, Paul Boutros, Phillips's head of watches, thinks it can still go for well over $1 million.
'It's probably one of the most visible watches ever,' Boutros said. 'Its appeal is global, and the fact that the funds are being donated entirely to charity we feel is going to resonate extremely well.'
Currently the most expensive sports collectible sold at auction was Babe Ruth's 1920 New York Yankees jersey, which went for $4.4 million in 2012.
On June 15, one of Ruth's jerseys from the 1928-1930 era will go up for auction at Yankee Stadium, along with other Ruth and Yankees collectibles.
Jack Nicklaus seen wearing his famous gold Rolex while signing autographs on May 4
