The Rolex Submariner was designed for diving, but one particular Submariner owned by Steve McQueen didn't prove its toughness in the ocean—instead, the thing survived a freaking wildfire. And this fall, it's going up for auction. Intrigued? Damn right you are. And you should be. This watch has one hell of a story.

Courtesy of Phillips

The reference 5513 Rolex Submariner that Phillips is bringing to the auction block on October 25, 2018 is from 1964, but was given to legendary Hollywood stuntman Loren Janes back in the mid-to-late '70s, according to Janes' family. On its caseback, an inscription: "To Loren, the best damn stuntman in the world. Steve." It's the only McQueen watch with his name actually on the timepiece itself that's ever made it to auction.

McQueen had a bit of a habit of gifting watches to friends and colleagues, and it makes sense that Janes was a recipient. He was McQueen's preferred stuntman for decades, appearing in 19 of the actor's 27 major movies, including classics like Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair, and The Great Escape. He stayed in touch with McQueen until shortly before the actor's death in 1980. Janes retired in 2002, and passed away from complications from Alzheimer's in 2017.

Courtesy of Phillips

Before his passing, Janes and his family had to contend with another tragedy: In 2016, the California wildfire now known as the Sand Fire (for Sand Canyon) consumed the home of Loren and his wife. All their personal possessions, including the Rolex, were thought to be lost. But at the behest of the current consigner of the watch (who remains anonymous), the family searched for the Submariner in the ashes of their home. And here's the really crazy thing: They found it.

The watch was painstakingly restored by the team at Rolex, with a date of manufacture-specific dial and hand set added to recreate how it would've looked back in 1964. But that inscribed caseback—the truly exceptional piece of this historically significant timepiece—remains. The soot's even still there. If you ask us, that's the kind of wear and tear you don't clean up.

Courtesy of Phillips

The watch and corresponding goodies (including letters attesting to its provenance and restoration) are expected to fetch between $300,000 and $600,000 at auction later this year. But remember: This thing was owned by the King of Cool, passed to his most trusted stuntman, and is damn near indestructible. If the final bid exceeds even those lofty numbers, we wouldn't be surprised—not one bit.

Jonathan Evans Jonathan Evans is the style director of Esquire, covering all things fashion, grooming, accessories, and, of course, sneakers.

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