Five Noteworthy Panerai Timepieces From Sylvester Stallone’s Personal Collection Will Grace The New York Watches Auction in December

The world’s most dynamic and forward-thinking auction house, where international collectors buy and sell the most important contemporary works of art has announced the most anticipated sale of 2020 yet. Offering a series of Sylvester Stallone’s personal collection during the New York Watches auction, “Racing Pulse” on Saturday, December 12, Phillips auction honours the American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer’s most infamous timepieces.

Showcasing five noteworthy pieces from Stallone’s personal collection, the auction will feature the most important modern Panerai timepiece ever offered publicly. As a long time watch collector, Sylvester Stallone is not just renowned for his impressive Hollywood career, but also his keen eye for watchmaking excellence. Acquiring a multitude of priceless pieces throughout the years, Sylvester Stallone is widely recognized for having singlehandedly launched the popularity of Panerai around the world. Worn on Sylvester Stallone’s wrist during the 1996 action movie Daylight, this sharkskin-strapped PAM 5218-201/A Panerai Luminor is worth an estimated US$40,000 to US$80,000.

First discovered through his many travels for movie productions across the globe, Sylvester Stallone stumbled upon a Panerai store when strolling through Florence and Rome, in an incredible twist of fact. Characterised by its strong military history, as well as, its large and rugged appearance, which fit the actor’s image perfectly, Sylvester Stallone’s encounter with the brand could not have come at a better moment. On one hand, Officine Panerai was working to revive, re-diversify, and “civilianise” its predominantly militaria product line, and on the other, Sylvester Stallone had found himself emotionally drawn to the watches which reminded him of his Italian father.

Through forging a deeper relationship which proved beneficial to both parties, Sylvester Stallone eventually went on to commission a limited series of four watches, showcasing cases engraved with his signature. The collection featured an additional model based on the Luminor but with a white dial, signed “Luminor Daylight”, a pair of personalised Mare Nostrum chronographs, and 95 Submersibles.

As his love for the brand grew, his generosity towards promoting it in Hollywood-circles matched. During the opening party of the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Berlin, September 1996, Stallone gifted his friend Arnold Schwarzenegger a unique gold-plated Luminor Logo specifically made for Stallone by Panerai distributor Giancarlo Dallerba. The interaction captured on camera, eventually caught the attention of the Vendome Group (now Richemont, S.A.) who has since invested in the Panerai brand.

Slated for auction alongside four Richard Mille wristwatches: a RM025-01 Tourbillon Chronograph Adventure inspired by John Rambo, RM052-01 Tourbillon Skull TZP Nano-Ceramic, RM059-01 Yohan Blake “Beast” Tourbillon, and a RM032-TI that was worn in the movie The Expendables 3; each expected fetch anywhere between US$60,000 to US$700,000.

Read More
Source