Sylvester Stallone, the Hollywood legend, is auctioning off 11 watches

 

Sylvester Stallone, the Hollywood legend, is auctioning off 11 watches from his personal collection at Sotheby's in New York on June 5. The collection includes some of the most rare and coveted timepieces in the world, including the "holy grail" of watch collecting, the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime.

The Grandmaster Chime is a masterpiece of horology, with only seven models ever made. It features 20 complications, including five chiming mechanisms and a date repeater, and took 100,000 hours to develop, produce, and assemble. The watch is expected to fetch up to $5 million, making it one of the most valuable watches ever sold at auction.

Stallone's love affair with watches began after filming "Rocky," when he saw Gregg Allman wearing a distinctive gold watch. He has since become a renowned watch collector, and his collection includes some of the most iconic and sought-after watches in the world.

Other highlights of the auction include a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch with an olive-green dial and 32 Wesselton baguette diamonds, estimated to sell for up to $400,000, and a Rolex watch released in 2016 to mark the 60th anniversary of the first watch to display both day and date separately, estimated to sell for up to $50,000.

Stallone has also worn several of the watches in his collection on camera, including a Panerai watch he wore in the 1996 movie "Daylight." A model exclusively made for him, with an engraving commemorating that on the back, is expected to sell for up to $60,000.

The auction also includes several Cartier and Audemars Piguet watches, including a watch made by Audemars Piguet featuring a blue face inside a pink gold case, estimated to fetch up to $200,000.

Stallone's collection is a testament to his passion for watches and his commitment to collecting only the rarest and most exceptional timepieces. The auction is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for watch collectors and enthusiasts to own a piece of horological history.

In a video released by Sotheby's, Stallone said, "This is not easy to come by. I had to appeal to certain powers that be, write many letters to the board, and eventually, it was determined that I was going to be the owner of one of these magnificent pieces of art."

The auction is a chance to own a piece of Stallone's personal collection and a piece of horological history. With estimates ranging from $50,000 to $5 million, there's something for every watch collector and enthusiast.