Sylvester Stallone’s million-dollar watch collection up for auction

Text by Ana Franco.

How quiet Sylvester Stallone kept it to himself. His anthology of watches, which we already presumed to be extensive and valuable, contained a piece worthy of the most capricious (and wealthy) collector: a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime that the actor had not made public until now. But he is about to part with it at an auction organised by Sotheby’s in New York on 5 June. Rocky Balboa will bid farewell to 11 pieces, some of which he has worn on the big screen.

To his credit, the most prestigious Swiss firms: Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Panerai, Rolex, Cartier, Piaget… And the jewel in the crown, a Grandmaster Chime Reference 6300G-010 by Patek Philippe that its owner has never worn. It is a 2021 white gold wristwatch with a double dial and a total of 20 complications, i.e. all those functions that go beyond telling the hours and minutes. These include: small chime, large chime, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, moon phases and second time zone, among others. It is estimated to fetch between $2.5 million and $5 million.

The case of this 47.7 mm diameter watch, the first Grandmaster Chime 6300G to appear at auction, is reversible. And there is no doubt who bought it, as Sly‘s name is stamped on all the documentation provided, which will be given to the highest bidder along with a number of accessories: a large presentation box engraved with Stallone’s name and adorned in white gold, cufflinks, a travel case, a USB, a sealed pin and hang tag, an Apple iPad with leather case, an adapter, an Apple charger and headphones, and a handwritten note signed by the performer.

But there’s more, like a limited edition Luminor Submersible 1950 (PAM00382), nicknamed Bronzo, because it is made of bronze, and therefore exudes the passage of time with its patina. Stallone wore it in the second instalment of The Expendables (2010), and it goes on sale with an estimated price tag of between $30,000 and $60,000, along with a signed poster from the film. He will also drop a Rolex Day-Date with the signature ‘SLY’ on the case back, a rose gold Royal Oak Tourbillon ’50th Anniversary’, a steel Nautilus (Ref. 5711/1A-010) for between $50,000 and $100,000 and another steel and diamond Nautilus (5711/1300A-001) for between $200,000 and $400,000). That’s nothing.

“The one thing about all these watches is that they appeal to me emotionally. It’s not about keeping time, it’s about keeping up with where you are in life,” says the former John Rambo.