Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is among the greatest accomplishments in cinematic history and Brando’s performance is amongst his most iconic. Brando played the role of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, a former Green Beret who, during the Vietnam War, went rogue running his own military unit in Cambodia. On Marlon Brando’s wrist, as seen in the film, was this exact Rolex GMT-Master, a reference 1675 manufactured in 1972, fitted on a black strap with its bezel missing. Brando told Petra that he wore the watch to the set of Apocalypse Now in the Philippines, and he was told that he had to remove it during filming, as it would stand out. Brando said that he argued, “If they’re looking at my watch, then I’m not doing my job as an actor.” He said that the filmmakers let him wear the watch, but he removed the bezel, resulting in the unique-looking timepiece that is so closely associated with Colonel Kurtz.

Paul Boutros, Phillips’ Head of Watches, Americas, said, “Widely considered the greatest actor of all time, Marlon Brando’s storied career has come to define the 20th century – his seminal films serving as cornerstones of American culture over the course of six decades. This Rolex GMT-Master is the holy grail of watches owned by Marlon Brando and one of the greatest ‘long lost’ watches to finally surface after years of speculation. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of Apocalypse Now, the film that brought this watch into the spotlight, we are thrilled to work with Marlon Brando’s daughter, Petra Brando Fischer, and her husband, Russel Fischer, in offering collectors an incredible opportunity to acquire this historic watch.”

In 1995, 20 years after the filming of Apocalypse Now, Brando gifted the watch to Petra following her graduation from Brown University in 1994, before she went to Law School at the University of Southern California. Brando handed Petra a hand-written letter in which he wrote that he was proud of her accomplishments, then gave her this GMT-Master and said, “This watch is like a tank. You can do anything you want to it and it will keep on going. I want you to have it as a reminder of how proud I am of you.” In 2003, Petra gifted the watch to her husband, Russel, on their wedding night. He appreciated its significance and has cherished it ever since, having chosen to never wear it.