You can never imagine how expensive a time telling device can be. Here is the list of the top 10 most expensive watches in the world, from the highest to lowest value.
If there is a new record from high end auction houses or jewelry shows, we will update the list as soon as possible.
I bet most of us would think that men’s watches will dominate the list. But the fact is when it comes to the numbers game, it’s going to be the opposite.
If you are interested in a particular watch, use the quick navigation below.
- Graff Diamonds Hallucination, $55 million
- Graff Diamonds The Fascination, $40 million
- Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, $31.194 million
- Breguet Marie-Antoinette Grande Complication, $30 million
- Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette, $26 million
- Chopard 201-Carat, $25 million
- Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication, $24 million
- Jacob & Co. Billionaire, $18 million
- Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona Ref. 6239, $17.753 million
- Patek Philippe Stainless Steel Ref. 1518, $11.1137 million
Most of the watches are unique and let us find out the story behind each piece.
1. Graff Diamonds Hallucination, $55 million
Graff Diamonds takes the top spot with their masterpiece, Hallucination.
The British Jewelry brand reveals this $55 million timepiece at Baselworld 2014. When you look at the watch, it’s like you are standing in front of a diamond museum.
You can never imagine the time and efforts they took to fit all 110 carats of diamond together. Laurence Graff (founder of the brand) and his team had to find the right spot for every unique piece. It’s like making a watch with random seashells.
They even manage to build a fancy way to unfasten the watch, by pushing a piece of diamond.
Check out the showcase video below.
2. Graff Diamonds The Fascination, $40 million
The second place on the list goes to The Fascination, sounds similar? Yes, it’s from Graff again, released one year after the most expensive watch (Hallucination).
If you come out with a whopping $40 million, not only will you get a dazzling white diamond watch, but also a 38.13 carat pear shaped diamond ring.
One more thing is that, if you place the diamond ring in the middle of the watch, you will get to showcase a bracelet which no one will ever forget.
Discover this incredible timepiece from the video below.
3. Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, 31.194 million
Finally we have a gentleman’s watch showing up in third place. A Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 from Patek Philippe, one of the most established and luxury brands in the world.
The first model retail for $2.5 million in 2014, to mark the brand’s 175th anniversary. There are only seven pieces, all in a rose gold case and one of them sits in the Patek Philippe Museum at Geneva.
Being the most complicated wristwatch Patek Philipe has ever produced. It features a reversible dial and 20 complications. Manual winding movement powered by caliber 300 GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM.
In 2019, Christie’s Only Watch Event received a timepiece from Patek Philippe, Ref. 6300A-010. The watch is in a stainless steel case. Special words “The Only One” engraved on the 24h sub-dial, to highlight the uniqueness of the watch. [1]
Let’s take a closer look at the video below.
4. Breguet Marie-Antoinette Grande Complication, $30 million
We have a pocket watch in fourth place, the Breguet Marie-Antoinette Grande Complication.
The watch got its name from the owner, Marie Antoinette. A passionate Breguet watch lover, also the last queen of France before the Revolution in 1789.
Abraham-Louis Breguet received the order from one of the queen’s secret admirers. The buyer suggested Breguet use gold on the watch wherever possible. It should come with as many complications as possible and has no budget limits. [2]
Receiving such an order is a dream to any craftsman and Breguet took his time on the watch.
Such a long time that the watch took 44 years to complete. Which is 34 years after the death of queen Marie and 4 years after Breguet passed away.
The watch was stolen in 1983 and recovered in 2007. It’s now back in L.A. Mayer Museum and valued at $30 million.
Check out the showcase video below.
5. Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette, $26 million
We have the top tier Richemont brand, Jaeger-LeCoultre, sitting in fifth position.
The Joaillerie 101 Manchette, valued at $26 million. It uses 18k white gold, designed in rows of squares embedded with 576 diamonds.
The dial lies within a single tile, making it one of the smallest mechanical movements in the world.
There is a similar model presented to Queen Elizabeth II, which she wore on the day of her coronation back in 1953.
Discover this incredible timepiece from the video below.
6. Chopard 201-Carat, $25 million
Chopard 201-Carat is the least expensive ladies watch on the list, but you still need $25 million to own it.
Chopard delivered the watch in 2000, using 874 pieces of diamond, weighted 201 carats in total. So now you know how this timepiece got its name.
The dial is partially covered by three super rare diamonds. A Flawless Fancy Pink at two o’clock, VS2 Fancy Blue at six and Flawless D-Color at nine. These precious stones are not decoration only. They can open like flower petals when you push a diamond mechanism nearby. It will then reveal the central watch face to tell time.
Let’s take a closer look at the video below.
7. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication, $24 million
In 2014, hammer strike in Sothey nailed down the number seven most expensive watch in the world.
The $24 million Henry Graves Supercomplication is a pocket watch from Patek Philippe. It has dual dials, 24 complications and an interesting story between two American businessmen. [3]
Back in America’s 20s, Mr. Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard were in a race of who has the most complicated watch in the world.
They were both enthusiastic watch collectors, and they put their bet on Patek Philippe to outdo each other.
Graves paid Patek Philippe $15,000 in 1925 for another Supercomplication, but it was only delivered in 1933. He never got the chance to show off the winning timepiece to his rival, where Packard died in 1928.
Check out the showcase video below.
8. Jacob & Co. Billionaire, $18 million
Let us welcome the first and only US watch brand on the list, Jacob & Co. Billionaire watch. The name and it’s retail price ($18 million) are for super billionaires only.
The watch is a unique piece. It comes with a skeleton dial surrounded by baguette-cut diamonds, and rows of precious stone extend to form a glittering watch band.
The crown for manual winding is a 1.21 carat rose-cut ruby, and 12 baguette-cut white diamonds for the hour markers. The entire watch uses 260 carats of diamonds, making it the heaviest carat diamond watch on the list.
Discover this incredible timepiece from the video below.
9. Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona Ref. 6239, $17.753 million
Rolex is definitely not going to miss out from the most expensive watch list.
Although the Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 is not a unique piece, it had a famous owner, Paul Newman, one of the most popular movie stars.
Newman’s name got associated with Ref. 6239 after his wife Joanne Woodward gave him the Daytona when he picked up auto racing in 1972.
He then gave the watch to James Cox, his daughter’s college boyfriend. Cox then commissioned the watch to Phillips auction in 2017 and sold it for $17.753 million.
The watch has a classic panda dial, three big pushers that are easy to use. It requires manual winding and runs on a Calibre Valjoux 72 movement. At the back of the case, Joanne Woodward engraved her blessing to Newman, “DRIVE CAREFULLY ME”.
If you have one of the Ref. 6239, even though it is not worn by Newman, take good care of it and you can sell it for $250k.
Let’s take a closer look at the video below.
10. Patek Philippe Stainless Steel Ref. 1518, $11.1137 million
The last watch on the list cost $11.1137 million, from Patek Philippe, a stainless steel version of Ref. 1518. [4]
This timepiece isn’t embedded with precious diamonds, in fact, not even precious metals. It also doesn’t have any well known owners, nor does it have 20 over complications like the Supercomplication model.
So you might be asking why it is so expensive? Well let’s dive in.
Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 is the only perpetual calendars watch with chronograph in mid-century. It’s a 35mm watch, manual winding and powered by a modified Valjoux movement. There were only 281 pieces in all metals, most of them were in yellow gold and about 20% in rose gold.
Guess what? There are only four pieces in stainless steel! So in the end rarity is the key for such high value.
It reminds me of the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711, no wonder everyone is trying to get one.
Check out the showcase video below.
Now it’s your turn
That is everything about the top 10 most expensive watches in the world. Let me know in the comment below on your favourite piece.
