Featured image: Daniel Zimmermann, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sylvester Stallone is best known for wearing Panerai, most famously the Luminor Submersible 1950 Bronzo PAM382 in The Expendables 2 and the titanium Luminor Submersible PAM389 in The Expendables 3. His broader collection also includes gold Rolex pieces, a Richard Mille RM 032, and a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime that sold at Sotheby’s in 2024 for $5.4 million.
Quick answerPanerai is Stallone’s signature brand. Beyond the Panerais from his films, he is linked to Rolex Submariner, Day-Date, GMT-Master II and Deepsea models, a Richard Mille RM 032, and a long list of Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet watches.
Where to buy
Compare the same watch on both sites: eBay for pre-owned and vintage pieces, Amazon for new stock.
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM382
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM389
Prices and availability change; check the listing before you buy.
The Panerai connection: how Sly helped make the brand famous
Panerai spent most of the twentieth century as a supplier of instruments to the Italian navy, and it only began selling wristwatches to civilians in the early 1990s. Stallone was one of the first Hollywood names to notice. Reporting from the auction world says he got to know the brand through photographer Monty Shadow, a well-connected figure who helped put Panerai on celebrity wrists around the time Richemont bought the company in 1997.
Stallone wore a Luminor in the 1996 disaster film Daylight, and in the mid-1990s he reportedly had an informal partnership with the brand. That relationship is said to have produced the limited “Slytech” Panerais, nicknamed for him, and he later collected special pieces made with the company. It is difficult to measure exactly how much one actor moved a brand’s sales, but collectors regularly credit Stallone, along with a few other early adopters, for making big, tool-like Italian divers cool well before the Panerai boom of the 2000s.
Stallone’s movie watches
The Expendables (2010): Panerai Luminor Regatta Rattrapante PAM332
In the first film, enthusiasts spotted Stallone in a Panerai Luminor Regatta Rattrapante, ref. PAM332. It is a 44mm split-second chronograph with a dark DLC-coated case, limited to 500 pieces according to enthusiast coverage of the movie’s watches.
The Expendables 2 (2012): Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Bronzo PAM382
This is the one most fans mean. The PAM382 “Bronzo” is a 47mm dive watch in brushed bronze, which develops a patina with wear, and it was limited to 1,000 pieces. It also turned up on several of Stallone’s co-stars. Stallone’s own example went to Sotheby’s in June 2024 and sold for $96,000 against a $30,000 to $60,000 estimate. Sotheby’s noted that the serial number suggested it could be a prototype or one of the first made.
The Expendables 3 (2014): Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic PAM389 and Richard Mille RM 032
For the third film, Stallone’s character wore the PAM389, a 47mm Luminor Submersible with a titanium case, ceramic bezel and P.9000 automatic movement. There is also a brief appearance by a Richard Mille RM 032, a titanium diver with a skeletonized dial and a flyback chronograph, on a red strap. Stallone’s RM 032 was one of five watches Phillips offered from his collection in a December 2020 New York sale.
Rambo (2008): black PVD Panerai Luminor Marina
In Rambo (also called John Rambo), Stallone wore a black PVD-coated Panerai Luminor Marina Militare with a 44mm case. aBlogtoWatch noted at the time that the exact reference was hard to pin down and could be a custom or very rare piece, so treat any specific reference number you see online with caution.
Daylight (1996): Panerai 5218-201/A
The watch he wore as a firefighter-turned-rescuer in Daylight was a pre-Vendome Luminor, ref. 5218-201/A, with a commemorative engraving on the caseback. Stallone consigned it to Phillips in 2020.
Key specs at a glance
| Watch | Case | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panerai Luminor Regatta Rattrapante PAM332 | 44mm, DLC steel | The Expendables (2010) | Limited to 500 |
| Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Bronzo PAM382 | 47mm, bronze | The Expendables 2 (2012) | Limited to 1,000; sold for $96,000 in 2024 |
| Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic PAM389 | 47mm, titanium | The Expendables 3 (2014) | 300m water resistance, P.9000 movement |
| Richard Mille RM 032 | About 50mm, titanium | The Expendables 3 (2014) | Flyback chronograph, diver |
| Panerai Luminor Marina (PVD) | 44mm | Rambo (2008) | Reference not confirmed |
Stallone’s Rolex watches
Stallone’s Rolex history goes back to the Rocky years. One account says he bought a gold Submariner in 1976 after admiring one on a musician during a flight. Enthusiast roundups also list a yellow-gold Submariner with a black dial (listed as ref. 16618 in one source; older gold Submariners such as the 1680/8 are the vintage cousins), a yellow-gold Day-Date, and a jewel-set GMT-Master II “Pepsi.”
More recently he has been linked to Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea models, including the blue-to-black “D-Blue” dial known as the James Cameron edition. Online sources disagree on exact references for that piece (116660 versus its successor, 126660), so we have not tied it to one number. His Rolex Day-Date 228235, a pink gold 60th-anniversary model with a green dial and “Sly” engraved on the back, sold at Sotheby’s for $96,000.
The big news: the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime sale
In June 2024, Stallone sold 11 watches through Sotheby’s New York. The star lot was his Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300G-010, one of the rarest and most complicated wristwatches Patek makes, with a reported sealed-case provenance. It sold for $5.4 million after an estimate of $2.5 to $5 million. The sale totaled roughly $6.7 million, every watch found a buyer, and all but one lot beat its estimate, per National Jeweler.
Other results included a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A at $492,000, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon at $228,000, a Panerai Luminor Slytech PAM00269 at $90,000 and a Cartier Pasha Seatimer at $66,000. Stallone reportedly never wore the Grandmaster Chime and treated it as a work of art.
The rest of the collection
Stallone’s taste runs well beyond Panerai and Rolex. The 2024 Sotheby’s consignment alone spanned Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Rolex and Panerai, and coverage of the sale mentions Piaget among the brands in the group. Other pieces reported over the years include an IWC Big Pilot and a customized black Rolex Daytona, though we could not confirm exact references or whether he still owns them. Collectors should read that as a reminder that celebrity collections shift constantly: a watch seen on a wrist in 2017 may have changed hands by now.
Why Stallone’s watches matter to collectors
Stallone’s auctions show how much film provenance and personal connection can add. The Expendables 2 Bronzo sold for well above its estimate, and the Grandmaster Chime, a watch he reportedly never wore, still attracted a four-minute bidding battle among five bidders. If you are shopping for a similar look rather than the actual pieces, focus on three traits: oversized, legible, military-inspired dials; robust cases in bronze, titanium or coated steel; and straps that look at home with a T-shirt as well as a jacket.
Affordable alternatives to Stallone’s style
You do not need a bronze Panerai to get the look. For the chunky, cushion-case military diver feel, see our guide to Panerai Luminor and Radiomir homages. For gold-toned sport watches inspired by the Submariner, browse Rolex Submariner homages, and see the best dive watches for tool watches at every price.
Other action stars and their watches
If you enjoy this, our pages on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s watches and Jason Statham in The Transporter cover fellow Expendables cast members.
Another big name who wears a Panerai Luminor Submersible is Joe Rogan.
FAQ
What watch did Stallone wear in The Expendables 2?
He wore the Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Bronzo, ref. PAM382, a 47mm bronze diver limited to 1,000 pieces.
Is Stallone a Panerai ambassador?
He is the person most associated with the brand in Hollywood and was reportedly in an informal partnership with it in the 1990s, which led to “Slytech” editions. Panerai’s current official ambassador roster is a separate question, and we have not verified it.
How much did Stallone’s Patek Philippe sell for?
His Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300G-010 sold for $5.4 million at Sotheby’s New York in June 2024.
What Rolex does Stallone wear?
Reported pieces include a gold Submariner, a Day-Date, a GMT-Master II and a Sea-Dweller Deepsea.
Sources
- National Jeweler: Sotheby’s auction of Sylvester Stallone’s watches
- Spear’s: Stallone’s watch collection up for sale
- SJX: Stallone’s Panerai Luminor 5218-201/A
- aBlogtoWatch: Stallone’s PVD Panerai in Rambo
- SwissWatchExpo: Sly Stallone’s watch collection