Sotheby’s to Auction Sylvester Stallone’s Watches

New York—Sotheby’s is bringing nearly a dozen watches from the personal collection of the legendary Sylvester Stallone to auction as part of its upcoming “Important Watches” sale.

Best known for his roles in the “Rocky” franchise, the Academy Award-winning director, actor, writer, and producer also has “discerning” taste in watches, said Sotheby’s.

The sale, set for June 5 in New York, will feature 11 of Stallone’s watches, including timepieces from Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Panerai, and Piaget.

The collection “represents a fusion of sophistication, craftsmanship, and individuality, mirroring the star’s own persona,” said the auction house.

“I’ve had the privilege of owning some truly remarkable watches over the years, each with its own unique character and history,” said Stallone.

“I enjoy the collecting process like so many others in this passionate community, who don’t just see watches as an accessory, but admire them for their history, craftsmanship, artistry – but most importantly – how they make them feel. Looking at these watches, I feel truly lucky to have owned them; they serve as a reminder that hard work pays off. While parting ways with this collection is bittersweet, I cherish that I’ve owned them with pride, and hope they will be appreciated and admired in their next homes.”

The highlight of Stallone’s collection is the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, which Sotheby’s described as the “holy grail” of the watch world.

Stallone’s reference 6300G-010 Grandmaster Chime is the first example to appear at auction, said Sotheby’s, with a pre-sale estimate of $2.5 million to $5 million.

A Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime sold in a charity auction held by Christie’s in November 2019 for CHF 31 million ($34 million), but it was created specifically for that auction.

The watch was released by Patek Philippe in 2014 to commemorate its 175th anniversary, but the design process began in 2007.

Philippe Stern, the company’s former president, began the project with the goal of creating the most intricate watch in the company’s history. The development, production, and assembly took 100,000 hours.

It has a total of twenty complications, including five chiming mechanisms. The Grande Sonnerie is the pièce de résistance, said Sotheby’s, while a date repeater controlled by the perpetual calendar audibly indicates the date. An alarm feature strikes the time upon activation. 

The watch is designed with two faces, one for timekeeping and sonnerie, and the other for the perpetual calendar.

A patented invisible reversing mechanism rotates the cases for easy transition between the two dials. The watch has a reversible white gold case adorned with Patek Philippe’s signature hobnail pattern.

The lot will be presented in its original single sealed casing and comes with a presentation box engraved with Stallone’s name and a Grandmaster Chime book with his name on the cover and inside cover.

It also includes a Certificate of Origin confirming Stallone as the original purchaser, product literature in a large leather portfolio, a collection book, travel case, cufflinks, a USB drive, a sealed setting pin, a hang tag, an Apple iPad with a Patek Philippe leather case, an adapter, a charger, and Apple AirPods with a Patek Philippe case. 

While this Patek Philippe is the star of the show, a Patek Philippe Nautilus is also up for auction.

The 2021 stainless steel Nautilus reference 5711/1300A-001 features the popular “sunburst olive-green” dial with a bezel set with 32 Top Wesselton baguette diamonds.

“The introduction of this captivating dial color elicited fervent enthusiasm among collectors, ensuring endless fascination the world over and excessively lengthy waiting lists,” said Sotheby’s.

It is “the most exclusive of all modern Nautilus [models], exclusively distributed to VIP and VVIP Patek clients,” said the auction house, noting it was only produced for a short period of time and that this is only the second time this model has been up for sale on the open market.

The timepiece has a pre-sale estimate of $200,000 to $400,000.

Another Patek Philippe Nautilus, reference 5711/1A-001 with a blue dial, seen above, is also up for sale, estimated to sell for $50,000 to $100,000.

Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s head of watches in the Americas, described Stallone as “a noteworthy, influential, and truly passionate collector.”

“Each watch in this collection is imbued with his appreciation for fine craftsmanship and artistry, from the intricate mastery of a Patek complication to the unexpected elegance of a piece-unique Panerai.

“With Sly being a personal friend, the opportunity to work with him and present this part of his collection to market is a privilege that eclipses virtually any watch project I’ve worked on in my career,” said Hess.

Among the highlights heading to auction is an Audemars Piguet reference 26730OR.OO.1320OR.01 Royal Oak Tourbillon 50th Anniversary watch.

This watch was created for the 50th anniversary of the popular Royal Oak model in 2022.

The pink gold case is complemented by a smoked blue dial with a grande tapisserie pattern, and the movement has a special gold rotor with a “50 Years” logo on it.

The watch is expected to sell for $100,000 to $200,000.

A Panerai reference PAM00382 Luminor Submersible 1950 timepiece worn by Stallone in “The Expendables 2” is also up for auction.

The PAM 382 model debuted in 2011 and was limited to 1,000 pieces. It has a 47mm case and a green dial.

It’s also known as “Bronzo,” as it was the first Panerai sports watch crafted in bronze, said Sotheby’s, which gave each watch a unique feel as the metal aged.

The collection sold out quickly, it said, making it one of the most popular Panerai models of the early 2010s.

The watch is also accompanied by a signed movie poster of The Expendables 2.

It has a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 to $60,000.

Stallone is an avid Panerai collector, and his connection to the brand helped make it popular, said Sotheby’s, particularly when he wore a Panerai reference 5218-201/a in the 1996 film, “Daylight.”

Following the movie, Panerai created two new watch models with the moniker “Sly Tech” on the dial, a mash-up of Stallone’s nickname, “Sly,” coupled with “technology.” They featured his signature on the case back.

Panerai’s partnership with Stallone continued, and several limited-edition “Slytech” watches have been created as a result.

Up for auction is a unique Panerai watch made just for Stallone.

The 2006 reference PAM00269 Luminor Submersible “Piece Unique” Chronograph has a 47 mm yellow gold case and a black dial.

Its design is similar to the PAM00225 Luminor Submersible Chronograph Slytech, released in 2005, but this model is encased in titanium.

The case back also features distinct engravings, including “Special Edition for SLY” and “Esemplare Unico,” meaning a unique example.

It has a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 to $60,000.

These two other Panerai watches, seen above, are also up for sale: a Panerai reference PAM00332 Luminor 1950 Regatta Classic Yachts Challenge watch (pre-sale estimate of $20,000 to $40,000) and a Panerai reference PAM00202 Luminor Submersible 1950 Chrono “Slytech” watch (pre-sale estimate of $6,000 to $12,000).

Another auction highlight from Stallone’s collection is the Rolex reference 228235 Day-Date watch.

First introduced in 1956, it was the first model to show the day and date separately on the dial.

In honor of its 60th anniversary in 2016, Rolex released the reference 22823, which features a pink gold case, a dial in Rolex’s classic green, applied Roman numerals, a fluted bezel, and a President-style bracelet.

Stallone’s edition also has “Sly” engraved on the case back. It’s estimated to sell for $25,000 to $50,000.

A Cartier reference W301970M Pasha Seatimer watch belonging to Stallone, seen above, with his name engraved on the case back, is estimated to sell for $15,000 to $30,000.

Another auction highlight is the Piaget reference P10623 Polo Grande watch, seen above, estimated to sell for $6,000 to $12,000.