Dear Jeff,

thanks for that great Article of the Heuer Timepieces in the Film Le Mans......BUT...

....as a lot of the informations and pictures come from my OTD Messages and are results of my long period researches on this subject from 2003 antill now , and you only write about My Monaco ( the Helmut Kelleners Monaco with the unique Steel bracelet , show on steves wrist) so little- sorry very poor- infos.... ......... i would like to share the lastet results and pictures of my researches on this special MY "worn by Steve McQueen-" Movie Set Monaco with our OTD-community.

This Heuer Monaco was worn from Steve McQueen on the day as the officilly lobby Cards ( Scene Cards or Still-photos as you my say ) were taken by Fotographer Pierre Honneger ( we was for the Time Magazin as reporter on the Movie set for weeks ) and then used in different countries to be decorated around the cimema movie-poster in the cinemas- lobbys.

More then 10 stunt-race drivers were gathering on this special day and waiting together for their mission on a special further down-section of the Le Mans "Circuit de la Sarthe" track, wide away/ befor of the Start/ Finish line , as so named " Virage D' Arnage Corner ". The drivers had to shoot a film scene of the Erich Stahlers red Ferrari 512 beeing chased by Gulf Porsche 917 No.20 and other Racecars in a line up. One of these Race-Stunt-driver how were contacted by Solar productions ( Steve McQueens own filmcompany , that was nearly bankrott with this project , because Steve McQueen had no Idea what he was doing and finally the studio bosses toke over and put in a new director Lee Katzin to finish this Motor-race-movie with a very poor story !!!!) was the german Racedriver Helmut Kelleners.

German Lobby Card with Ferrari 512 chased by Gulf Porsche 917 No.20
Racing beside woods-section before Virage D' Arnage Corner
( photo by Pierre Honegger, Solar Productions )

German Lobby Card with Race cars lined up at the Corner coming in to the Sircane before Start Line
( photo by Pierre Honegger, Solar Productions )

( photo by Pierre Honegger, Solar Productions )

German Lobby Card with Ferrari 512 and Porsche on the Start / Finish line
( photo by Pierre Honegger, Solar Productions )

Here comes the story;

...here you see a German Lobby Card with Steve McQueen waering my Monaco with unusual Steel brachelet ( later Calculator bracelet version )
standing behind the Gulf-Porsche 917 No.20 you can see Helmut Kelleners getting ready to make a stunt-drive for the actor "Johann Ritter" -Steves Team-mate-driver in Car No.20- played by Fred Haltinger , wearing the silver coloured BELL Helmet with Name Ritter painted on the side.

Here the Mexican / spanish version of the same lobby card picture

Close up my Monaco with steel braclet on Steves wrist

Here my newest researched picture of Steve on that same day still wearing the steel bracelet Monaco, beside the Gulf Porsche 917 No.20
( photo by Pierre Honegger )

and here comes the next latest picture of Steve wearing my " steel bracelet Monaco, standing together with Derek Bell beside the Gulf Porsche 917, No.20 and other Stunt-race driver sitting in the back waitung for their mission
( photo by Pierre Honegger )

Helmut Kelleners was driving in the officially 1970 ty 24 hours of Le Mans a GELO Ferrari 512 Berlinetta with starting No. 10 , you can also see him in the movie standing next to this car as shoots from the official race were cut into the movie scenes......

......,so Solar productions contracted him for over 3 mounths to be at the movie-set after the official race antill late into autum 1970 ty, he also drove in that year in the new INTERSERIE a Porsche 917 for the Gesipa-Racing-team , he was exclusive contracted by solar-productions to only drive the Steve and Johann Ritter stunts in all Gulf Porsche 917 Cars!

Helmut Kelleners in his Gesipa Porsche 917 / 1970 ty

Steve & Helmut Kelleners ( Middle in typicle waiting pose with both of his hands in his hipps ) getting ready for a Stunt-drive in Gulf Porsche 917 No.20

Brian Redman, Derek Bell and Steve waiting for futher stuntdrives at the same day on the other side of the pit
( photo by Pierre Honegger, Solar Productions )

Italien Lobby Card also from that day , Steve & Brian and Derek waiting
( photo by Pierre Honegger, Solar productions )

Helmut Kelleners playing with his son and today also Racedriver Ralf Kelleners at the Movieset in a break, Ralf is wearing fathers stunt-helmet " RITTER"

Helmut Kelleners handing over the Steel-bracelet Monaco to Jasper Bitter in 2009

AND FINALLY HERE IS THE STAR , the only proofed original HEUER MONACO with a steel -prototyp Heuer Bracelet that has ever been and pictured on Steve Mc Queens wrist at the movieset....all other so named Set-Heuer Monacos were mounted on Corfam-starps and cant be proofed that they were anytime worn or pictured on Steve McQueens wrist in the Movie set...Sorry Jeff.

enjoy all the facts

Jasper Bitter

Today

In 2009