You know that feeling you get when you find something that you assumed was lost? That feeling of pure bliss, as if you almost cheated the odds and have been granted a gift from on high? Well, if you're someone interested in the history of Rolex watches, cinema, or both, this should get your blood going: Phillips has unearthed the Rolex GMT-Master worn by legendary actor Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz in 1979's Apocalypse Now. This was was long assumed to be lost to time, but here it is, in the metal, ready to hit the auction block this winter in New York City.

The watch itself is extremely distinctive. In many ways, it's a classic matte dial ref. 1675 GMT-Master. But then things get a bit weird. On the set of Apocalypse Now, someone on the crew thought the watch looked too nice, so Brando popped the bezel off, leaving the watch in the state in which you see it here. Adding to the ruggedness is an "M. Brando" engraving on the caseback that Brando did himself with a simple engraving pen. It looks suitably rough and fits the watch nicely. The watch is fitted to a black strap, not an Oyster bracelet, that is not too dissimilar from the strap on which Brando wore the watch in the film (though it is not the original).