In Formula 1, where both the cars on the tracks and the accessories of the F1 community exude extravagance, a prominent F1 photographer captured his fascination. During his visit to McLaren’s hospitality suite, the photographer was left in awe as he witnessed Mark Webber adorning a rare watch valued at $400,000. The top photographer in question is none other than Kym Illman. Interestingly, the journalist shared that he got a tip about Mark Webber’s rare Rolex Le Mans Daytona from a friend working at F1 Experiences.
In his YouTube video, Illman recounted the moment at McLaren’s hospitality suite when he spotted Oscar Piastri approaching with Mark Webber. Without hesitation, he communicated his intention to Webber and successfully captured a picture of the rare Daytona watch.
Moreover, Illman also disclosed the distinctive features of the watch, explaining what makes it special. He said, ” Well, it’s got a 40mm face, white gold case and bracelet, and it has a see-through back.”
Additionally, Illman clarified why this watch is exceptionally rare for ordinary individuals. He explained that the accessory, named after the 24-hour Le Mans race, is not widely available. Even though they retail for about $50,000, it’s almost hard to find. This is because when it comes to the secondhand market, the cost of this rare watch climbs to between $200,000 and $400,000.
However, the photographer also shared an interesting fact about this watch. As per Illman, if someone buys one of these watches from retail and the dealer finds out that it is sold for a significant profit, that person is unlikely to get another watch of this brand. Even though the watch is rare, Kym Illman placed it at number three on his list of the top ten.
Besides Mark Webber’s, which other watches did Kym Illman put in his top 10?
Fans observing Illman ranking Webber’s exclusive watch at number three may be wondering about the rationale. However, to address this, we present the top two watches that Illman deems the best for the 2023 season. In the second position, Illman featured the Patel Philippe Skynoon Celestial. Spotted during the Qatar Grand Prix, Illman described it as a rose gold watch with a sapphire crystal case back.
Moreover, he added that the watch was water-resistant up to 30 meters, had a case diameter of 44mm, and was just under 11mm thick. The watch featured a distinct celestial background and has a price of $330,000. However, unlike Webber’s watch, which accurately displayed both the date and time, this watch did not showcase these aspects correctly.
As the video neared its end, Illman disclosed the number one watch on his list. He noted that fans and viewers might be taken aback, as the watch turned out to be the least expensive among the others. Illman stated that his top pick for the 2023 season is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41.
While explaining the rationale behind it, he said, ” This watch retails for around $8,000, but if you manage to pick one up from an authorized dealer at the retail price, you can walk out having made an instant $10,000 profit.”
