Robin Williams Watches Fetch $440K for Charities

 
Watch by Franck Muller. Previously in the collection of Robin Williams. Photo courtesy Sotheby's.   Earlier this month, Sotheby's offered The Collection of Marsha and Robin Williams for sale. The actor's family wanted to raise funds for some of his favorite charities.  

Robin Williams Sale Exceeds Expectations

Not surprisingly, the sale exceeded expectations. In total, more than 300 items sold for a grand total of over $6 million. Part of the collection sold included 44 wristwatches which Robin Williams collected and wore. The Franck Muller watch pictured above was the top selling watch in the auction. Estimated to fetch between $25 and $35K, the exquisite designer watch sold for $52,500. Another astonishing return was the Dead Poet's Society watch, worn in the movie by the beloved actor. Estimated to bring in between $1,000 and $2,000 dollar, the watch sold for $32,500, bringing in the second-highest bid for the collection of watches. In total, the 44 watches, all of which sold for far above their estimated prices, sold for just over $440,000. Marsha Williams earmarked a portion of the proceeds from the entire sale to benefit several charities dear to Robin Williams. These include Human Rights Watch, Wounded Warrior Project, and the Robin Williams Scholarship at Juilliard.  

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch looks for violations of human dignity around the globe. Shining light into dark places, they expose brutality at all levels, including torture, violence against women, child exploitation, and more. In the late 1990s, the organization shared in the acceptance of a Nobel Peace Prize for their part in establishing the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. The Mine Ban Treaty internationally bans the use, manufacture, and storing of antipersonnel mines. It also charges individual countries with the responsibility to destroy stockpiles of mines, clear affected areas, and assist victims of mines.  

Wounded Warriors

Wounded Warriors Project works with wounded veterans of the U.S. Military. They provide support for rehabilitation, retraining, and emotional recovery. Their aim is to return our wounded soldiers to their communities as whole, healed, and contributing members. In recent years, Wounded Warriors has focused much of their efforts on preventing suicide among veterans. Because our soldiers who have served face unique mental health issues, Mike Richardson advocates for an innovative approach to wellness for our veterans. As the Independence Services and Mental Health Vice President for Wounded Warriors Project, Richardson is uniquely qualified to promote a new approach. His desire is to see suicide prevention strategies abandon the crisis management model in favor of a comprehensive and integrated approach that focuses on building resilience and preventing suicidal ideation in the first place.  

Robin Williams Scholarship

Juilliard School teaches drama to blossoming young actors. Robin Williams attended the school in 1973, as part of what the school calls Group 6. Though he dropped out of the program before graduation, the actor maintained his ties with the school throughout his lifetime. Upon his tragic death, Juilliard's president, Joseph W. Polisi, wrote, "The Juilliard community is deeply saddened by the death of our distinguished alumnus Robin Williams." Polisi went on to describe how the actor's contribution on stage and screen was matched, in particular, by his commitment to support emerging actors in their craft. Years prior to his death, Williams founded the Robin Williams Scholarship. More than 13 drama students at Juilliard have finished their degree with tuition paid by the fund. In fact, Jessica Chastain, received the scholarship for graduation in 2003. Her gratitude for her benefactor has inspired her to pay it forward. "His generous spirit will forever inspire me to support others as he supported me," the actress wrote on Facebook. The sale of Robin's watches and other collected works of art will benefit these and many other charities. Of course, credit belongs to the foresight of his former wife and her relationship with the auction house Sotheby's.