Watch Icons explores documented links between notable people and the watches they wore. The illustration accompanying this article is AI-generated.
Joe DiMaggio and the Patek Philippe reference 130
Joe DiMaggio’s 18-karat gold Patek Philippe reference 130 chronograph became one of the most celebrated athlete-owned vintage watches. Christie’s records that the baseball legend held the watch from 1948 until his death in 1999—more than half a century.
Patek Philippe’s own 2017 exhibition announcement identified the watch as a reference 130J created in 1948 and reported that it had been given to DiMaggio by the owners of the New York Yankees. The manufacture selected it for the U.S. Historic Room of its Art of Watches Grand Exhibition in New York.
Christie’s documented its silvered dial, gold Breguet numerals and remarkable provenance. Offered in New York on 7 December 2017, the watch sold for USD 281,250.
Its appeal is not merely the rarity of an early Patek Philippe chronograph. It is the continuity of ownership: one celebrated athlete, one distinctive watch, and a personal connection spanning most of a lifetime.
Sources
- Patek Philippe, U.S. Historic Room announcement, 2017
- Christie’s, Joe DiMaggio Patek Philippe reference 130
- Christie’s editorial provenance and auction record
Disclosure: The lead image is an AI-generated editorial illustration. SEKUND.STORE is not affiliated with Joe DiMaggio, his estate, Patek Philippe or the New York Yankees. This article does not state or imply endorsement, and it does not indicate that SEKUND.STORE stocks the featured watch.