'Arnold Schwarzenegger Luxury Watch Seized by German Customs Sold for About 400 Million KRW'
Detained by Customs for 3 Hours Due to Unreported Watch at Entry
Schwarzenegger's Side Says "'Customs Adventure' Ends with a Happy Ending"
Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (76), famous for the movie series 'Terminator,' had a luxury watch he put up for auction to raise funds for climate crisis response sold for 270,000 euros (about 390 million KRW).
On the 18th (local time), the 'Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative' announced that Schwarzenegger's watch was auctioned off at a 'Special Dinner for Climate Action' held at a hotel in Kitzb?hel, Austria, stating, "Schwarzenegger's 'customs adventure' ended happily." Earlier, on the 17th, Schwarzenegger was detained for three hours at Munich Airport customs for not declaring the watch when entering Germany from the United States.
The watch in question is known to be a special edition made by the Swiss company Audemars Piguet for him. Audemars Piguet is a representative high-end luxury watch brand founded in 1875 by Swiss watchmakers Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet.
German customs authorities announced that after releasing Schwarzenegger, they would proceed with criminal procedures. Thomas Meister, a spokesperson for airport customs, explained, "Since the watch is an imported item, it should have been registered with customs in advance," adding, "Because Schwarzenegger planned to sell the watch within the European Union (EU), taxes had to be paid." Ultimately, Schwarzenegger was only released after paying 35,000 euros (about 51.15 million KRW) in taxes and fines related to the watch. The price of the watch, as assessed by local customs, was reported to be 21,000 dollars (about 28 million KRW).
![Audemars Piguet watch of Schwarzenegger sold at auction for 270,000 euros<br>[Image source=Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative]](http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/img_view.htm?img=2024011919332536141_1705660404.jpg)
Audemars Piguet watch of Schwarzenegger sold at auction for 270,000 euros
[Image source=Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative]
Schwarzenegger attempted to pay the fine by credit card, but under German customs regulations, half of the payment had to be made in cash, which required him to visit a bank to withdraw cash, causing a lengthy process. Regarding this, the 'Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative' told German media, "We hope that as much energy is devoted to restructuring the German economy and improving it environmentally as is spent on taxing citizens' property."
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Born in Austria and now an American, Schwarzenegger gained great popularity through the 'Terminator' movie series before transforming into a politician, serving as the Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. During his tenure as governor, he introduced the United States' first greenhouse gas emissions regulation bill. After retiring, Schwarzenegger established the 'Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative' and is active as a climate activist.
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