By Lynn Adams Smith 

Photograph by Jeffrey E. Tryon

Back in 1968, Joanne Woodward purchased a Rolex Daytona watch for Paul Newman and had it inscribed “Drive Carefully Me.”  For the next 16 years, he wore the watch while acting in movies, fly fishing, and racing cars.

In 1984, Newman’s daughter Nell was dating James Cox.  One summer day Cox was helping to repair a treehouse on their property, when Newman casually gave him the watch.

Cox wore the watch over the years, then decided to sell it and give a portion of the proceeds to The Nell Newman Foundation. Last month, auctioneer and watch specialist Aurel Bacs took the stand at Phillips, an auction house in New York City, and started the bidding at $1 million. After only 12 minutes, the watch sold for a staggering $17,752,500. That sale has excited watch enthusiasts around the world and demonstrates the value of provenance.

You may not be in the market for a Rolex Daytona, but shopping for a vintage gift can be as exciting as receiving one. To aid in your search for unique and timeless gifts, we have compiled a list of coveted resources throughout the tri-state area.

Doyle
doyle.com
New York City

Christie’s
christies.com
New York City

Sotheby’s
sothebys.com
New York City

Rago Arts & Auction
ragoarts.com
Lambertville

Best Of France Antiques
bestoffranceantiques.com
Bucks County

A Touch Of The Past Antiques
atouchofthepastantiques.net  Lambertville

The People’s Store
peoplesstore.net
Lambertville

TOMATO FACTORY ANTIQUES & DESIGN CENTER
tomatofactoryantiques.com
Hopewell

Mid-Century Furniture Warehouse
midcenturyfurniturewarehouse.com
Philadelphia

At Home Modern
athomemodern.com
Philadelphia

Julian Gage Home Collection
juliangage.com
Oldwick

Umbrella Home Decor
umbrelladecor.com
Hopewell

Elephant In The Room Design
elephantintheroomdesign.com
Princeton

Jane Consignment
janeconsignment.com
Princeton

New York Vintage
newyorkvintage.com
Chelsea

Michaels Consignment
Shop For Women
michaelsconsignment.com
Upper East Side

BIS Designer Resale
bisbiz.com
Upper East Side

Collette Consignment
colletteconsignment.com
Southhampton and Bridgehampton

Double Take Luxury
Consignment Boutique
edoubletake.com
Short Hills, Red Bank,
and Ridgewood

One Savvy Design
Consignment Boutique
onesavvydesign.com
Montclair

Addiction Studios
addictionstudios.com
Philadelphia

H1912
h1912.com
Princeton

Princeton Record Exchange
prex.com
Princeton

The Record Collector
the-record-collector.com
Bordentown

Siren Records
sirenrecords.com
Doylestown

Rock & Soul Records
rockandsoul.com
Midtown Manhattan

Second Hand Rose Music
shrosemusic.com
East Village

Jazz Record Center
jazzrecordcenter.com
Chelsea

Labyrinth Books
labyrinthbooks.com
Princeton

Argosy Book Store
argosybooks.com
Midtown Manhattan

Strand Bookstore
strandbooks.com
East Village

Farley’s Bookshop
farleysbookshop.com
New Hope

Gullwing Motor Cars
gullwingmotorcars.com
Astoria

The Stable, Ltd.
stableltd.com
Gladstone

Cooper Classic Cars
cooperclassiccars.com
Greenwich Village

Old Forge Motorcars
oldforgemotorcars.com
Lansdale

Conte’s Corvettes & Classics
contes.com
Vineland