Hollywood legend says he was never going to covet the watch and keep it forever.

A Corder’s Column at the beginning of May asked the question Is it OK for Sylvester Stallone to flip his $5 million Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime?The watch will be sold at the Sotheby’s New York Important Watches Auction on June 5 with a pre-sale estimate of  $2,500,000 to $5,000,000.

WatchPro thought it interesting, but not particularly important, to raise the issue of Sly selling a watch so soon after buying such a rare piece which, in the main, is beyond the reach even of the world’s greatest collectors.

But my tour of the United States over the past two weeks found a number of Patek Philippe authorised dealers arching an eyebrow at news of the sale.

They all knew which AD had sold the watch to Mr Stallone, and suggested that retailer might be getting hot under the collar in anticipation of a call from Patek Philippe.

All ADs know that flipping any rare Patek Philippe, let alone a Grandmaster Chime, would be more than frowned upon by the top brass.

In an interview with Ralph Deluca, an influential art advisor to the rich and famous, Mr Stallone appears to address criticism that he flips watches head on.

Mr Deluca says that he and Mr Stallone spent time looking through his watches and deciding which pieces were right to be let go at this time in order to thin it out the collection.

Mr Stallone turns and touches the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime presentation box and replies: “I have always thought of this as something to just be admired. I wasn’t going to covet it and keep it forever. That’s just not my personality. I tend to enjoy things, and then I like to share them.”

Mr Stallone has owned the Grandmaster Chime for around two years, WatchPro has been told, and it is being sold with a full set of box and papers. It is even still in its factory wrapping, which often adds value in the eyes of other collectors.

Mr Stallone then turns to the camera to tell an anecdote about an American comedian named Flip Wilson. A hidden message to people critical of him flipping such a rare watch?

In a separate Instagram reel, Mr Stallone describes how difficult it was to acquire the watch, saying he had to write many letters to the board before getting the green light to buy it.

Here is to hoping Mr Stallone “enjoyed” the watch as much as he describes, even though he never removed it from its factory packaging.

In fairness, the pleasure of the chase and capture should not be understated for a man who turned Rambo into a global blockbuster franchise.

Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime

Patek Philippe first unveiled its Grandmaster Chime in 2014 as a commemorative piece for the brand’s 175th anniversary, the watch entered the core collection in 2016 as the reference 6300.

Core collection does not mean commonplace because each watch requires around 100,000 hours to produce.

It has a total of twenty complications including five chiming modes and a reversible case with two independent dials.

In 2019, Patek Philippe made its first and only Grandmaster Chime in steel for the Only Watch charity auction, and it set a new world record price of CHF 31 million.

Sotheby’s is selling My Stallone’s white gold piece in its original single sealed casing in a grand presentation box engraved with the actor’s name and a Grandmaster Chime book bearing his name on the cover and inside cover.The lot also includes a Certificate of Origin confirming Mr Stallone as the original purchaser.

Sylvester Stallone’s other watches for sale

(descriptions and estimates from Sotheby’s)

Audemars Piguet Reference 26730OR.OO.1320OR.01 Royal Oak Tourbillon 50th Anniversary

Estimate $100,000 to $200,000

Since its debut in 1972, the Royal Oak revolutionized the world of horology as the premier stainless steel luxury sports watch, and is rightfully hailed as a design icon.

Mr Stallone has is selling the 50th Anniversary Tourbillon edition created in 2022, which comes in a pink gold case with a smoked blue grande tapisserie dial.

Cartier Pasha Seatimer

Estimate $15,000 to $30,000

Reference W301970M Pasha Seatimer engraved on the back, a yellow gold and ceramic chronograph wristwatch with date, owned and worn by Sylvester Stallone, Circa 2010.

Panerai reference PAM00202 Luminor Submersible

Estimate $6,000 to $12,000

1950 Chrono ‘Slytech’ limited edition titanium chronograph wristwatch.

Panerai Luminor Submersible Slytech

Estimate $30,000 to $60,000

Sylvester Stallone is widely credited with Panerai’s popularity today. The journey began in 1995 when Monty Shadow, a prominent figure in both entertainment and fashion circles, proposed a marketing strategy aimed at leveraging celebrity endorsements to boost Panerai’s visibility.

His close connection with Mr Stallone made him the ideal candidate for this plan. Although initially hesitant about the idea of celebrity endorsements, Panerai, facing financial difficulties, saw this as a potential lifeline.

Stallone, already a fan of Panerai, embraced the partnership and collaborated on two new watch models with Slytech on the dial.

The reference PAM00269 in the Sotheby’s sale a unique piece made exclusively for him in 2006.

The Luminor Submersible Chronograph has a 47mm yellow gold case and black dial.

Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta

Estimate $20,000 to $40,000

Reference PAM00332 Luminor 1950 Regatta ‘Classic Yachts Challenge’. A limited edition PVD-coated stainless steel automatic split-seconds chronograph wristwatch from around 2009.

Panerai Reference PAM00382 Luminor Submersible

Estimate $30,000 to $60,000

Launched in 2011, the PAM 382 model, affectionately dubbed “Bronzo” by Panerai, swiftly ascended to legendary status among collectors.

Limited to 1000 pieces, it featured a commanding 47mm case and a distinctive green dial. Its unveiling caused a stir, marking the first instance of a Panerai sports watch crafted entirely from bronze and a bronze case purposely built with a time-weathered effect, ensuring each timepiece possessed a unique hue and character over time.

The entire edition sold out rapidly, cementing its status as one of the most coveted PAMs of the early 2010s.

This example, numbered N0000/1000, suggests it could be the first piece made in this limited edition series.

It was worn by Mr Stallone throughout “The Expendables 2”, filmed in 2011, the year this model was released. The same model was worn by several actors in the film, including Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Terry Crews and Randy Couture.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711

Estimate $50,000 to $100,000

We will see whether there is a strong Stallone effect on prices at the Sotheby’s New York auction with this Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-010.

Discontinued in 2021, the steel Nautilus became totemic of the insanity that gripped the secondary market in the post-pandemic boom, but saw prices fall as quickly as they had risen.

Today, examples are changing hands for around $60,000, but the Stallone connection is certain to make this piece more desirable.

Patek Philippe Reference 5711/1300A-001 Nautilus

Estimate $200,000 to $400,000

Proving that real men wear diamonds, Sly’s Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1300A-001, bought in 2021, is a 40mm stainless steel watch set with 32 flawless top Wesselton baguette diamonds.

Rolex Day Date

Estimate $25,000 to $50,000

In 2016, Rolex marked the 60th anniversary of the Day-Date with the launch of the reference 22823, exemplified by this pink gold piece with a dark green dial, applied Roman numerals, a fluted bezel, and a President bracelet.

Bearing the nickname ‘Sly’ engraved on the case back, this watch not only embodies luxury but also represents the dedication and hard work that have characterized Stallone’s career.

Piaget Polo Grande

Estimate $6,000 to $12,000

Reference P10623 Polo Grande yellow gold automatic wristwatch with date and bracelet, Owned and Worn by Sylvester Stallone, Circa 2000.