Schwarzenegger sold the watch that caused his airport detention: it went for 10 times its original price
Actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sold an Audemars Piguet watch for 270,000 euros, which caused him to be detained at customs at Munich airport.
The watch was sold during an auction at a charity dinner organized by the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative in the Austrian city of Kitzbühel. It is reported that the watch case bears an image of Schwarzenegger's torso and the inscription "Arnold Classic". It is also claimed that the actor appeared in several films, and there are 20 such watches in the world, Die Presse reports.
At the auction, the starting price of the lot was 50,000 euros. A total of 1.31 million euros was raised. The money will be directed to the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative Foundation, which supports environmental projects.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was detained at Munich airport on January 17 because he failed to declare an expensive watch. The actor spent several hours in the customs office and paid a fine of 35,000 euros.
This watch is a luxury item and is subject to mandatory declaration. However, Schwarzenegger valued it at 20,000 euros, which is significantly lower than the usual cost of an Audemars Piguet watch.