The customized Rolex GMT-Master II created by Artisans de Genève for Frank Abagnale Jr., whose exploits inspired the Leonardo DiCaprio film Catch Me If You Can, is on the market. A Texas-based dealer recently listed “The Uncatchable” project for $49,995. The resale is the latest sign bespoke Rolex watches, once dismissed by collectors, are increasingly taken seriously in the secondary market, as more celebrities, from Spike Lee to Adam Levine, enlist Artisans de Genève for custom projects.
Abagnale's watch began life as a 2015 Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116710BLNR before being transformed by the Geneva workshop in 2023. "Despite being in a state of severe wear and tear, Frank’s GMT timepiece had been dear to him for years," Artisans de Genève said when it unveiled the watch. "The watch held the most memories and was the best candidate for his personalization project."
The project was unveiled in 2023 as a one-off personalization inspired by Abagnale’s life story, popularized by the Steven Spielberg film in which DiCaprio portrays him posing as a Pan Am pilot. Artisans de Genève reworked the modern GMT-Master II with vintage-inspired details including an aged cream "albino" dial, a bakelite-style two-tone bezel insert, a riveted bracelet and a period-style date wheel, aiming to evoke the look of Rolex GMT models from the 1960s.
Frank Abagnale Jr. (Credit: Artisans de Genève)