Sir Malcolm had famously become the world’s fastest man in 1935, breaking the 300mph barrier at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Later that year, he wrote a letter to Rolex stating “I have now been using my Rolex watch for a while, and it is keeping perfect time under somewhat strenuous conditions.” Rolex returned the compliment by producing 12 ‘Sir Malcolm Campbell’ chronographs in his honour, giving them to racing drivers and other celebrities. The example set to go under the hammer at Artcurial’s forthcoming sale – which comes with an accompanying Alfa P2 CIJ miniature model – is the one given to Sir Malcolm by Rolex in the 1940s, according to its current owner. It’s estimated to fetch between €70,000 and €120,000. However, as you can see below, it’s not the only rare, significant watch to be offered at Artcurial’s ‘Fine Watches’ sale on 22 July 2014 in Monaco.

Photos: Artcurial