Arnold Schwarzenegger's Watch Sells Big In Auction After Munich Detention

The unregistered luxury watch that landed Arnold Schwarzenegger in detention for several hours at Munich Airport has earned him some big bucks at a charity auction.

The watch reportedly brought in nearly $300,000 during the auction that the former governor of California hosted on Thursday.

Following the routine check that resulted in Schwarzenegger spending about two and a half hours in detention before being released, he successfully hosted his charity auction at the renowned Stanglwirt Resort in Austria. 

The event, benefiting the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, featured the actor taking the stage and overseeing a bidding war, with the expensive watch — an Audemars Piguet — being one of the items up for grabs.

The watch was sold for a staggering 270,000 euros (approximately $293,000), according to sources with direct knowledge. Despite its initial valuation of around $100,000, the watch's price surged, and the success of the auction raised a total of 1.3 million euros, setting a record for the organization, TMZ shared. 

The outlet added that the "Terminator" star was in full "dad-joke" mode during the event, humorously mentioning that the customs officers were searching for a second watch but could not find it. He even playfully suggested it might be because he hid it in a rather unconventional place.

It is worth noting that sources close to the situation characterized Schwarzenegger's detainment as an "incompetent shakedown," stating that he was not asked to fill out a declaration form before traveling to Germany.

Before his release, Schwarzenegger was reportedly instructed to prepay potential taxes on the watch, amounting to $10,613, and he complied with the instruction.

However, he faced a series of challenges while trying to make a payment, with the initial credit card machine failing. Subsequently, attempts to withdraw from an ATM were hindered by a low limit, and the backup plan at the bank fell through due to its closure. 

Ultimately, he processed the payment using a different credit card machine at the airport. Meanwhile, the actor is not only dealing with tax implications on the watch but also potentially facing criminal proceedings, as suggested by Munich Main Customs Office spokesman Thomas Meister.

"We have initiated criminal proceedings under tax law. The watch should have been registered because it is an import," Meister stated, before another spokesman reiterated his comments, claiming:

"If the goods remain in the EU, you have to declare them through customs. This applies to everyone, whether their name is Schwarzenegger or Müller, Meier, or Huber."

The specific details of the criminal proceeding and whether charges will be brought against Arnold Schwarzenegger remain uncertain at this time. The video can be seen here. 

In November 2023, Schwarzenegger was slammed with a lawsuit stemming from a car accident he is alleged to have caused back in January of the same year.

The legal documents obtained by The Blast revealed that the car accident involving the 76-year-old caused his vehicle to roll over on top of another car, resulting in severe injuries to the driver of the other vehicle.

The disgruntled driver, Cheryl Augustine, alleged in the filing that the car accident, which she maintained was entirely Schwarzenegger's fault, caused her to be "permanently disabled." Thus, she was pursuing a lawsuit against Schwarzenegger, seeking damages. The court document read:

"At said time and place, defendants, and each of them, so negligently, wantonly, unlawfully, wrongfully and recklessly drove, operated, serviced, maintained, entrusted, repaired and managed said vehicle to cause said vehicle to collide with plaintiff's vehicle and to proximately cause the hereinafter described injuries and damages to the plaintiff."

Augustine disclosed that she "was required to, and did, employ physicians and surgeons to examine, treat, and care for her." This reportedly led to "medical and incidental expenses, the amount of which is presently unknown" to her.

The legal filing further stated that she "suffered out-of-pocket property damage, loss of use of her automobile, and incurred other out-of-pocket expenses in an amount not known." Augustine is seeking compensation for "General damages... all medical and incidental expenses... all loss of earnings," and damages to the vehicle.

Augustine specified in her lawsuit that the damages she is seeking are over $25,000.