He retired last month after 28 years traveling the world to source the very best gemstones for his family’s jewelry business, Oscar Heyman.
Rolex Connected to Steven McQueen Goes Up for Auction
Phillips said the Submariner Ref. 5513 was a gift to his longtime stuntman and is expected to sell for between $300,000 and $600,000.

New York--Continuing the trend of notable Rolexes going up on the block, one watch auction scheduled for the fall will feature a Rolex connected to actor and “King of Cool,” Steve McQueen.
The Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 is the highlight of Phillips’ next New York Watch Auction, scheduled for Oct. 25, and is expected to sell for between $300,000 and $600,000.
The backstory on the timepiece, as provided by Phillips, is the following.
Owned and worn by McQueen before being given to stuntman Loren Janes as a gift, the wristwatch’s caseback is inscribed with, “To Loren, the best damn stuntman in the world. Steve.”
McQueen became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and highest paid actors during his 26-year career. He also flew airplanes, and raced cars and motorcycles. As such, he needed a watch that could keep up and, Phillips said, found that in the Rolex Submariner.
Janes was brought in to test as his stunt double on the show that propelled McQueen into the public eye, “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” a TV Western McQueen starred in from 1958 until 1961.
McQueen would go on to request Janes as his double any time their schedules would allow, Phillips said, resulting in Janes being in the role for 19 of McQueen’s 27 major motion pictures and the two becoming lifelong friends.
The actor died on Nov. 7, 1980, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, after undergoing surgery to remove several tumors.

Janes performed as a stunt double and served as a stunt coordinator in many other notable films and TV series until he retired in 2002. He died last year due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
McQueen was known to give watches to friends and colleagues as gifts, just like the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll did.
Phillips said this particular watch is the earliest McQueen-owned Submariner known, dating to 1964, and is the only known Steve McQueen watch to include his name engraved on the caseback. It is believed that the watch was given to Janes in the mid- to late ‘70s.
Adding to the watch’s interest is the fact that, according to Phillips, it was recovered after the 2016 Sand Fire outside Los Angeles destroyed the Janes home and was restored by Rolex, which documented the process and preserved the watch’s caseback, which still

While Phillips has made headlines in recent months for record-setting auctions of watches with interesting backstories, like Paul Newman’s own Paul Newman, the story it shared when it announced the sale of Steve McQueen’s Rolex Submariner earlier this month has come under scrutiny.
As reported by watch websites including Hodinkee and Jake’s Rolex World, the Steve McQueen estate is disputing the provenance of the Rolex Submariner as put forth by Phillips, though it is unclear from its statement exactly what part of the story the estate takes issue with.
Phillips did not respond to immediate request for comment on the estate’s claims Monday morning.
The auction house said in its initial release that the wristwatch will be sold with a letter signed by Janes attesting to its provenance; a letter and photos from Rolex USA documenting its restoration; and a book titled “Steve McQueen: A Life in Pictures,” with photos of McQueen wearing the watch.
A portion of the proceeds from the watch auction will benefit The Boys Republic, an all-boys school for troubled adolescents in California that rehabilitated McQueen when he was young.
The Latest

The charm necklace features six nautical charms of shells and coral that founder Christina Puchi collected on Florida’s beaches.

The organization elected its youngest vice president as it looks to draw in fresh talent.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Campbell joins the company as vice president of business development while Liebler is the new vice president of operations.


The medals feature a split-texture design highlighting the Games’ first time being hosted by two cities and the athletes’ journeys.

Sponsored by The INSTORE Jewelry Show 2025

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Globally, travel and transportation brands reigned, while in the U.S., alcoholic beverage companies and a lingerie brand took the top spots.

The Brooklyn-based jewelry designer is remembered as a true artist and a rare talent.

Production at the mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories topped 1 million carats in Q2, the third consecutive quarter of growth.

A new slate of Learning Workshops will take place in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Georgia.

The middle class is changing its approach to buying jewelry and affordable luxury goods, the NRF said.

It marks the third consecutive quarter of growth for Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati, and Vhernier.

The reseller’s market trends report, based on its sales data, also shows exactly how much Rolex prices have jumped since 2010.

Jake Duneier and Danielle Duneier-Goldberg have stepped into the roles of CEO and president, respectively.

The “Impermanence” collection contemplates nature through the Japanese art of Ikebana (flower arranging) and philosophy of wabi-sabi.

The Texas-based jewelry retailer has set up shop in Tennessee and Arizona.

Eric Ford will step into the role, bringing with him decades of experience.

In addition to improved capabilities, the acquisition will allow the jeweler to offer support to other independent jewelers.

The “Celestial Blue” capsule collection campaign features Olympian Kateryna Sadurska.

The seasonal store, located in Mykonos, Greece, offers exclusive events, personal styling, and curated experiences.

The New England jeweler is hosting a bridal event for the month of August.

The trade-only event will host its debut fair in the Emerald City later this month.

Its sessions will focus on inventory strategies, staff performance, retention and acquisition, emerging market trends, and more.

For its 10th anniversary, Miseno designed the “Arco” earrings based on the Arco Felice, an arch conceptualized in A.D. 95 in Miseno, Italy.

The jewelry company is one of several contributing to relief efforts in the region after the recent floods.