Bullitt (1968)

Bullitt

Peter Yates's San Francisco police thriller, built around the car chase that reset the genre, stars Steve McQueen as unshowy homicide lieutenant Frank Bullitt. Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, 1968. (IMDb)

Watches

Benrus 3061

Worn by Steve McQueen as Frank Bullitt. Bullitt wears a Benrus ref. 3061, an American manual-wind field watch (the civilian, polished-case version of Benrus's military DTU-2A/P) that retailed for roughly $50 when a Rolex Submariner cost around three times that. The restraint is the character: a detective who drives a Mustang, lives plainly, and never appears to think about status. McQueen's other screen watch, the Heuer Monaco of Le Mans (1971), came three years later; the Benrus here is the quieter choice. Its screen use drove the watch's later collector following and Benrus's own reissue. (Worn & Wound; spotting via Watchreel)

© Solar Productions / Warner Bros.-Seven Arts