Sylvester Stallone is one of the most influential watch collectors of the past 30 years. In the mid-'90s, he fell in love with Panerai, collaborated with the brand, and started giving its big-boy timepieces away to friends you may have heard of like Arnold Schwarzenegger. (How Stallone first got introduced to Panerai is a matter of great contention!)
Now, Stallone has auctioned off 11 pieces from his collection through Sotheby’s, raising a staggering $6.7 million. While there were watches included in the sale that we’ve seen the action star wear in movies like The Expendables 2, the crown jewel of the auction has been hidden from view until today.
For the first time, a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300 came up for sale. (Sorta: a version Patek created specially for the charity auction Only Watch sold in 2019. More on that in a bit.) Stallone never actually wore this watch and it's still sealed in its original packaging. Patek’s 6300 is already a holy grail watch, one of the maker’s most complicated pieces. You’ve seen variations of it on the wrist of Jay-Z or setting records for the most expensive watch ever sold at $31 million back in 2019. Stallone’s watch is a 6300G-010 made of white gold. The watch really earns its Grandmaster Chime name with the ability to go Gong Mode in five different ways, including a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, and an alarm.
The specs of the 6300 are impressive, but what’s fun about this auction is it reveals what customers like Stallone get with the watch. The Grandmaster Chime also comes with an equally grand presentation box that’s engraved with Stallone’s name. Stallone’s name also appears on a “Grandmaster Chime book” and a certificate of origin. Also included in the package: “travel case, cufflinks, USB drive, sealed setting pin, hang tag, an Apple iPad with a Patek Philippe leather case, adapter, charger, and Apple earpods with a Patek Philippe case.” I need a PP AirPods case. The estimate for the watch was $2.5 million to $5 million. We bet on the over, and we were right: the 6330 ended up sold at $5.4 million, making it the most valuable modern watch sold in Sotheby's history.
“A perfect auction piece has a great story behind it. And so much of the story is based on its provenance. Who owned it? When did they own it? Why did they own it? The history of an object’s ownership imbues it with an allure far beyond its intrinsic value,” said Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s Head of Watches, Americas. “At Sotheby’s, we’ve seen objects with compelling provenance create auction magic as bidders around the world all vie for a spectacular piece with a story to tell. Take for example, Freddie Mercury’s moustache comb, which soared to an extraordinary level far beyond its estimate and market precedents. At the same time, I think a celebrity’s popularity and relevance today has an enormous impact on the resulting outcome. Stallone remains one of the most recognised and revered actors to grace the silver screen for the last 50 years, and yet, he is still very much working. In fact, he’s currently filming the next season of the hit series Tulsa King.
“The sale of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime was an unrepeatable celebration, not only of a masterpiece by the most revered Swiss-watchmakers of technical excellence, but also of the legendary icon that is Sylvester Stallone, who has been a deeply influential and admired collector for many decades. To feel the pulse of collectors racing with excitement in pursuit of absolute top caliber material was tremendous, and an homage to the art of collecting at the highest level.”
While Stallone might be best known for the beefy and rugged Panerais he helped make famous, the 6300 shows that his tastes are wide-ranging. “I’ve had the privilege of owning some truly remarkable watches over the years, each with its own unique character and history,” Stallone said in a statement. “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.”
A smaller collection of Stallone’s watches previously came up for auction in 2020. That assortment consisted of a single Panerai and four Richard Mille watches and sold for a total of $3.1 million. The highlight then was the Panerai Luminor he wore in his movie Daylight, which sold for $214,200.
“While many recognise Stallone as the legendary actor behind characters like Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, watch enthusiasts have long admired him for his discerning taste in watches. The watch community already had an enormous amount of respect for Sly, but I think it surprised a lot of people to learn that he owns the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime,” adds Hess. “Not only is it widely considered a holy grail in the watch community, it’s also the first example to ever appear at auction. It’s incredibly thrilling.”
While the Grandmaster Chime was the main attraction of this latest Stallone sale, the remaining 10 watches aren’t slouches. Let’s run through them quickly.
Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 PAM00382 (Est. $30,000-60,000, sold for $96,000)
This one is pure Stallone – the very brand and type of watches he helped make famous. The rocket in the bazooka is the fact Stallone wore this exact piece in The Expendables 2.
Patek Philippe Reference 5711/1300A-001 (Est. $200,000-400,000, sold for $492,000)
A gem-set Nautilus with a green dial. Patek started producing the green-dial Nautilus pieces during the beloved model’s last year of production. All of them are highly sought after, but especially this bejewelled one. “The most exclusive of all modern Nautilus, exclusively distributed to VIP and VVIP Patek client,” Sotheby’s writes in a release. Stallone, presumably is VV-status.
Panerai Luminor Submersible ‘Piece Unique’ (Est. $30,000-60,000, sold for $90,000)
When you help a brand gain international renown, it might pay the favour back with some cool one-of-ones. This particular piece takes the tough Luminor and casts it in yellow gold.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon 50th Anniversary (Est. $100,000-200,000, sold for $228,000)
Extra points for the smoky dial looks like the aftermath of a grenade blast Stallone might set off in one of his movies.
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-010 (Est. $50,000-100,000, sold for $144,000)
The hits keep coming. At one point, the 5711 was the hottest watch in the world. Demand was so out of control – with waitlists spanning nearly a decade – that Patek put it out of production.
Rolex Reference 228235 Day-Date (Est. $25,000-50,000, sold for $96,000)
Rolex might be the brand to which Stallone is most personally – if not publicly – attached. In 1976, he bought a gold Submariner to celebrate the making of Rocky. He’s called that piece “the watch I’m most emotionally connected to” in Matt Hranrek’s book A Man & His Watch. So it’s not surprising this Day-Date, with Rolex’s signature green on the dial, ended up in Stallone’s collection.
Cartier Pasha Seatimer W301970M (Est. $15,000-30,000, sold for $66,000)
Even when shopping at Cartier, Stallone looks for the beef. The Pasha is Cartier’s take on a sport watch, done up here in yellow gold with funky oversized numerals on the dial.
Panerai Reference Luminor Submersible 1950 Chrono ‘Slytech’ PAM00202 (Est. $30,000-60,000, sold for $90,000)
As part of his love affair with Panerai, Stallone worked with the brand on a line of watches known as “Slytech.” He gave pieces from the collection to friends like Schwarzenegger in the ‘90s. This is a later edition from the mid-2000s.
Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta ‘Classic Yachts Challenge PAM00332 (Est. $20,000-40,000, sold for $28,800)
How do you make a Panerai look even tougher? A quick black PVD coating does the trick.
Piaget Reference P10623 Polo Grande (Est. $6,000-12,000, sold for $33,600)
The most petite watch on this list, clocking in at a reasonable 38mm.
