Watches from the collection of racing driver Michael Schumacher: the quest for ‘extreme precision and engineering brilliance’

Every sport has its legends and heroes — individuals who are so dominant they become untouchable. In Formula One motor racing between 1994 and 2010, that person was Michael Schumacher.

After claiming his first karting title aged only six, and winning the 1987 European karting championship when he was 18, Schumacher joined the Benetton Formula One team in 1991. He won back-to-back World Drivers’ Championship titles in 1994 and 1995. Then, in a surprise move, he left for Ferrari.

Schumacher’s early years with the Italian racing team were dogged by technical problems, but in 2000 he went on to win another Championship — repeating the feat across the following four seasons. He became the first driver to win five consecutive Championship titles and seven in total, records that remain unbroken today.

A sale marking the 30th anniversary of his first title, Rare Watches Including the Property of Michael Schumacher takes place on 13 May 2024 at Christie’s in Geneva. It offers a selection of watches from Schumacher’s personal collection, each indicative of a special moment in his legendary career.

‘The worlds of motor racing and fine watchmaking often coincide, thanks to their quests for extreme precision and engineering brilliance,’ says Remi Guillemin, Christie’s head of Watches, Europe and Americas. ‘Being entrusted by Michael Schumacher’s family to offer these treasured, worn timepieces is like the pinnacles of these two disciplines coming together.’

Below, we take a closer look at the watches on offer.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chronograph, 2003

At the Japanese Grand Prix on 12 October 2003, having fought his way back from trailing his Finnish rival Kimi Räikkönen by 16 points, Schumacher won the Championship for a record sixth time — breaking Juan Manuel Fangio’s 46-year-old record of five World Drivers’ Championships.

In recognition of the feat, Schumacher’s mentor and Ferrari’s general manager, Jean Todt, commissioned this white-gold chronograph from Audemars Piguet. Todt had the dial customised to include the team’s logo on the seconds dial, Schumacher’s helmet on the 12-hour dial, and the number one surrounded by six stars — representing his six first-place trophies — in the 30-minute dial.

The reverse of the watch is engraved with the year of each of Schumacher’s six World Championship wins enclosed in a laurel wreath, along with the inscription ‘J. Todt pour M. Schumacher — Noel 2003’.

‘This watch, which Schumacher wore to celebrate becoming the most decorated world champion Formula One driver ever, is one of the most fascinating Royal Oaks ever to come to market,’ says Guillemin. ‘For both Formula One fans and Audemars Piguet collectors, there is nothing else like it.’

F.P. Journe Vagabondage 1, circa 2004

In 2004, Schumacher started the season by winning a record 12 of the first 13 races, only failing to finish in Monaco. At race number 14 — the Belgian Grand Prix, held on 29 August — he came second to Kimi Räikkönen; yet the eight points he secured were enough to clinch the Championship for the seventh time, with four races to spare. To mark the occasion, Todt presented Schumacher with an F.P. Journe Vagabondage 1.

‘The previous year, F.P. Journe submitted a unique wristwatch for a charity auction benefitting the ICM foundation for brain research. Mining his archive for inspiration, he created the Vagabondage, which features a wandering jump-hour time display [showing the time as numerals in a window], revolving around a visible balance and escapement,’ explains Guillemin. ‘Two of the ICM’s founding members were Schumacher and Todt.’

Alongside the yellow-, rose- and white-gold editions made for auction, Journe went on to create this fourth, unique Vagabondage watch in platinum. Its dial features Ferrari’s famous prancing horse emblem, Schumacher’s iconic red helmet, and seven globe-shaped symbols to represent the driver’s seven World Championship titles. On the reverse, visible through crystal, is an engraving on the rose-gold movement, which reads: ‘X-MAS 2004 — Jean Todt for my friend Michael Schumacher’.

‘This unique timepiece is one of the earliest Vagabondage watches ever built,’ says Guillemin. ‘The fact that it was created so early demonstrates the lengths Journe was willing to go to in order to supply Michael Schumacher with something truly special.’

Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona, circa 1971

‘It’s only natural that arguably the world’s greatest driver should own one of the most iconic racing watches ever made,’ says Guillemin. The Rolex Daytona, which can be used to calculate average speed, was first manufactured in 1963 and takes its name from Florida’s famous racecourse, the Daytona International Speedway.

Schumacher’s 1971 Rolex Daytona features a rare ‘Paul Newman’ dial, which has a stepped outer seconds register in red, and is named after the Hollywood actor and racing star who famously wore the variant.

‘Daytonas with a Paul Newman dial are among the most sought-after of all Rolex models,’ says Guillemin. ‘With its particular racing pedigree, it’s obvious that Schumacher would own one.’

F.P. Journe Ruthenium Collection, circa 2004

Between about 2001 and 2006, F.P. Journe produced five of its landmark models — the Octa Jour/Nuit, Octa Calendrier, Octa Chronographe, Chronomètre à Résonance and Tourbillon Souverain — with dials and movements coated in a hard white metal called ruthenium.

Each model from the Ruthenium Collection was released in an edition of just 99. All five watches numbered 92 were acquired by Schumacher, possibly in reference to the year of his first Grand Prix race win. They came in a custom F.P. Journe presentation box.

‘The Ruthenium Collection represents the apex of F.P. Journe’s extraordinary designs,’ says Guillemin. ‘To acquire the full set is an extremely special event.’

Highlights from Rare Watches Including the Property of Michael Schumacher will be on view at Christie’s in Dubai until 29 April 2024, then in New York, 3-5 May, ahead of the sale in Geneva on 13 May

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