On December 12, Panerai and Richard Mille timepieces worn by the Academy Award-nominated actor—including “the Rambo of watches”—will go on sale at a Phillips live online auction.
Sylvester Stallone with the Richard Mille RM 032, the timepiece he wore as Barney Ross in The Expendables 3, 2014 Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for Lionsgate
Sylvester Stallone is something of a modern renaissance man: an actor, writer, director and producer, whose films have earned Oscar nominations, as well as a painter whose abstract works have been the subject of a museum retrospective. He’s also a watch collector and sometimes designer who is renowned in horological circles for his major-league acquisitions—dating back to a Rolex that he purchased with his first big Hollywood paycheck, from writing and starring in 1976’s Rocky.
“Watch collecting is another extension of collecting fine—and often priceless—art,” writes Stallone, 74, via email. “Watches, like great paintings or sculpture, appeal to your deep emotions.” He has said he chooses watches as much for aesthetic considerations as pragmatic ones—say, the ability to survive film stunts and battle scenes.