A $5.4 million Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime was the highlight as Sylvester Stallone successfully sold his watch collection.
The star item was unworn and sold in its original packaging including plastic bags. It is among the most complex watches ever made.
Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s Head of Watches Americas said in a statement: “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 deeply influential and admired collector for many decades. To feel the pulse of collectors racing with excitement in the pursuit of absolute top caliber material was tremendous, and an homage to the art of collecting at the highest level.”
The watch is dual faced with 108 jewels in an 18k white-gold case. It was made in December 2021, and as befits a modern time piece comes with its own iPad.
The Grandmaster Chime joined a line of Pateks that aimed to be the world’s most complicated watch, starting with the 1927 Graves Supercomplication.
The Patek Philippe is one of the most complicated watches ever made. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
On Patek’s 150th anniversary they launched the Caliber 89 with 33 complications.
The 2014 175th anniversary was celebrated with the Grandmaster Chime Reference 5175 with 20 complications and six patents. There are five different chiming complications, including an audible date indicator. The watch just sold in New York, with a personal signed note from Mr Stallone, is a descendent of this piece.
The Stallone watch is a 6300G, also with 20 complications, and is the first ever to be sold at auction.
It was listed for sale with a $5 million top estimate and went well past that to sell for $5.4 million.
It is now believed to be the third most valuable Patek Philippe watch ever sold at auction.
A Patek Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010 sold for $31.2 million in 2019 in a one-off charity sale. Its rare steel finish added to its distinction.
A Henry Graves Supercomplication made $24 million in 2014.
In 2010 a Patek Philippe 1527 Perpetual Calendar realised $5 million. But that watch has just lost its place to Stallone’s watch.
Also sold in a sale of 11 watches the actor described as “bittersweet” were Stallone’s Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 from the Expendables movie for $96,000.
In total the collection realised $6.7M.
