A Vacheron Constantin wristwatch proved that it was a contender when it sold for $18,000 at the Antiquorum sale in New York.
The watch was gifted to Hollywood legend Marlon Brando by actress Zsa Zsa Gabor to commemorate the cinematic release of On the Waterfront.
Brando won an Oscar for his iconic role in the 1954 film.
Competitive bidding saw the watch eventually sell for six times its estimated price.
Overall, the Antiquorum sale was a massive success with 414, or 85%, of the lots selling for around $9m in total.
Notable international bidding came from countries such as Italy, Turkey and Hong Kong.
Big sales included the incredible breaking of two world records by Patek Philippe watches - the Ref. 5016 and Ref. 3939 selling for $178,000 and $684,000, respectively.
Antiquorum's next auction is in Geneva on October 3-4, featuring another extraordinary collection of modern and vintage collectible timepieces.
