7 action-packed watches in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s collection, from a Rolex GMT-Master 1675, his collabs with Audemars Piguet and Panerai gift from Sylvester Stallone, to retro gems
- Throughout his acting and political career, Schwarzenegger has built a fine luxury watches collection that began with rugged timepieces sported in many of his best-known films
- Dubbed ‘The Arnie’, a 1982-launched Seiko part-analogue, part-digital diving watch, is known for appearances in the actor’s 1980s blockbusters Commando and Predator
His journey began as one of the most celebrated bodybuilders in history, claiming prestigious titles such as Mr Universe (six times across amateur and professional levels, from 1966) and Mr Olympia (seven times in this professional-only contest, from 1970).
Leveraging his fame, he transitioned to become one of the original silver-screen action heroes, starring in blockbuster hits such as The Terminator, Total Recall and True Lies during the golden era of 1980s and 1990s action flicks. His later tenure as the governor of California from 2003, for seven-plus years, solidified his status as a cultural icon.
Alongside this illustrious career, Schwarzenegger also has a penchant for fine luxury watches, typical of a man of his stature. His collection has evolved over the years, starting with the rugged watches he sported in many of his best-known films (perhaps pioneering one of the first celebrity watch collaborations with Audemars Piguet) and expanding to include eclectic choices that showcase his more profound, contemplative side and his fascination with a watch brand or model’s historical significance and narrative.
His watch-collecting pastime has not slowed in recent years either. In January, he was stopped by customs at Munich Airport over entering Germany with undeclared luxury watch made by Swiss manufacturer Audemars Piguet, allegedly valued at about US$21,750, which was reported by Associated Press to be potentially auctioned for charity.
Here are some of the notable pieces from Schwarzenegger’s personal luxury watch collection, that spans five decades.
1. Seiko H558-5009 “The Arnie”
A list of this towering action star’s watches just wouldn’t be complete without mentioning what, in its day, was dubbed “The Arnie”. The 1982-launched Seiko diving watch, known for its appearances in the actor’s 1980s blockbusters such as Commando and Predator, marries a digital alarm chronograph (the latter allows precision timekeeping) with analogue functionality, making it a pioneering hybrid diving watch.
Designed for extremes, with Japanese Seiko engineers testing that it could endure temperatures from as frigid as -40°C to as scorching as 60°C – this, in short, was the perfect accessory for an action-packed Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.