Sylvester Stallone Sells His Knockout Watch Collection, Including the Most Valuable Modern Timepiece Sold in Sotheby’s History

Sylvester Stallone’s legacy as one of the most notable watch collectors of the 21st century was cemented in New York this week, as 11 of the actor’s timepieces sold for US$6.7 million—beating its presale estimate—at Sotheby’s.

The highlight of the sale was the Academy Award winner’s Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, which sold for US$5.4 million (surpassing its pre-sale estimate of US$2.5 million to US$5 million), a result that set a pair of benchmarks for the auctioneer. It’s the third-most valuable wristwatch sold in Sotheby’s history, and marks a record for a modern watch sold by Sotheby’s, topping the US$4.5 million sale of a Richard Mille Reference RM53-02 last October.

“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,” Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s head of watches, Americas, said in a statement.

On Wednesday, more than 100 attendees filled Sotheby’s saleroom, and once the Grandmaster Chime (Reference 6300G-010) hit the block, a four-minute bidding war ensued among five bidders, according to the auction house. In the end, the watch was sold to a private collector from Asia. ( Stallone paid US$2.2 million for the watch in 2021. )

“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,” Hess said.

Considered to be a holy grail among followers of haute horology, the Grandmaster Chime was the result of a project initiated by Philippe Stern in 2007 to create the most intricate wristwatch in the brand’s history. The development, production, and assembly spanned 100,000 hours, according to Sotheby’s.

Stallone’s Grandmaster Chime was the first example of the model to appear at auction, aside from one specifically created for, and sold at, a Christie’s charity auction in November 2019 for CHF 31 million (US$35 million) . It remains the highest price for a watch ever sold at auction.

Hess himself went home with one of Stallone’s watches, as the winner of a five-minute bidding battle for the actor’s olive green Patek Philippe Nautilus. The 2021 stainless steel watch featuring an olive-green dial and diamond-set bezel sold for US$492,000, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of US$400,000.

Stallone’s collection, assembled over the course of more than 20 years, also included timepieces from Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Piaget, as well as unique and screen-worn watches from Panerai.

Other highlights included the actor’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon (Reference 26730OR.OO.1320OR.01)—a gorgeous piece created for the 50th anniversary of the Swiss watchmaker’s Royal Oak collection in 2022. It sold for US$228,000, exceeding its pre-sale high estimate of US$200,000; and a Panerai Luminor Submersible (Reference PAM00382) worn by Stallone in the 2012 film The Expendables 2 that sold to an online buyer for US$96,000, blowing past its pre-sale estimate of US$30,000 to US$60,000.

“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,” Stallone said in a statement when the sale was announced. “Looking at these watches, I feel truly lucky to have owned them; they serve as a reminder that hard work pays off.”