- Terminator actor, 76, was on his way to auction the watch for his ecological charity
Arnold Schwarzenegger has broken his silence after he was stopped at Munich airport and charged thousands of euros for failing to declare a luxury timepiece, calling it “the most viewed watch in the world today.”
The Terminator actor, 76, was on his way to auction the watch for his ecological charity when he was detained by customs officers for three hours after landing in Germany yesterday afternoon.
A spokeswoman for the former governor of California said this BIL that Arnie ‘cooperated at all times, even though it was an incompetent investigation, a total comedy full of mistakes, but which would make for a very funny cop movie.’
She added that he “immediately agreed to pay the customs duties” – which according to reports yesterday amounted to €35,000 – and that it was his “own personal watch”.
The expensive timepiece will go on sale tonight at the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative auction in Kitzbühel, Austria, with a starting price of €50,000.
The Terminator actor, 76, was seen with a box in a customs office at Munich airport, in a photo obtained by BILD
The expensive timepiece will go on sale tonight at the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative auction in Kitzbühel, Austria, with a starting price of €50,000.
Made exclusively for Arnie by luxury Swiss manufacturer Audemars Piguet, only 20 of the limited model are said to have ever been made.
It has a black ceramic case and features an image of Schwarzenegger doing his iconic bodybuilder pose on the back and an inscription that reads ‘Arnold Classic’.
Collectors are said to have inquired about the watch after news of Arnie’s run-in with customs officials broke.
After informing him that he had to pay a hefty fine, officers were unable to operate a ticket machine, according to Schwarzenegger’s spokeswoman.
His 49-year-old girlfriend Heather Milligan and a friend – both of whom had accompanied him on a flight from Los Angeles this afternoon – were not allowed to go to the bank with him, it was reported yesterday.
The amount would be too high to withdraw from the ATM, while the bank was also closed, forcing them to return to the customs office before another machine was found.
There were suggestions yesterday that Schwarzenegger may have had to leave the watch at customs, but BILD reports that he has now taken it to Kitzbühel for auction this evening.
The movie star was yesterday pictured with smiling customs officials as he held up a green Audemars Piguet box with a note on it that read: ‘For Austria – Arnold will take it’.
American-Austrian actor, businessman, retired bodybuilder and former governor of California speaking at the opening of the 2023 Austrian World Summit
Schwarzenegger released his own limited edition model with Audemars Piguet in 1999
The file image shows Arnold Schwarzenegger holding an Audemars Piguet watch that was included in an auction in 2003
The ex-politician is known for his love of striking watches and released his own limited edition model with Audemars Piguet in 1999.
Only 1,500 of the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy’ pieces were ever produced and they retail for over £30,000.
His extensive collection of watches is also said to include pieces from Rolex and other luxury brands.
The Austrian-born actor was also on his way to watch the Hahnenkamm Race, a major event on the alpine skiing calendar.
He runs the Vienna-based charity The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, an eco-group that raises money at a party during the prestigious race week.