The Most Expensive Watches in the World
When you think of luxury watches, what comes to mind? That Rolex you’ve been eyeing at your mall’s jewelry store? Maybe you think of brands like Patek Philippe. Or perhaps you’re a vintage jewelry aficionado, and you imagine a historic, antique pocket watch.
Whatever you imagine, unless you’re an extreme watch enthusiast or collector, you’re probably not imagining some of these timepieces listed below. These are the most expensive watches in the world — available only to billionaires, royalty, and elites (and sometimes, maybe not even them).
What You Will Learn
The Most Expensive Watches
The Graff Diamonds Hallucination Watch
Considered by many to be the most expensive watch in the world, the Graff Diamonds Hallucination is the very definition of bling. Not available for sale and estimated to be worth more than $50 million, this watch is dripping in colored diamonds and various diamond cuts. Suppose you love pear shaped yellow diamonds and marquise cut blue diamonds. In that case, you must see this watch featuring eight different colors and cuts. It is truly a billionaire watch and could only be worn by those looking to make a statement.
Patek Philippe Ref 6300A-010 Grandmaster Chime
While this watch isn’t diamond-encrusted, like the world’s most expensive wrist watch above, the Grandmaster Chime is a complicated watch — though it hardly sacrifices style. It was purchased for over $30 million in 2019 and is ultra-rare, as it is the only Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime to consist of steel and have a total of 20 complications.
The Marie-Antoinette Grande Complication Pocket Watch
While pocket watches aren’t exactly in vogue anymore, this complicated pocket watch would be a treasure to own by any eager watch collector. The Marie-Antoinette gold pocket watch, valued at $30 million, has a fascinating historical connection, made possible due to Breguet’s long history in the French court, dating back to its founding by Abraham Louis Breguet in the 1700s.
The story goes that an admirer commissioned a pocket watch for the queen, Marie Antoinette. However, the watch was completed in 1827, years after Antoinette’s death. It’s wildly impressive, considered one of the world’s most complicated watches, featuring a full perpetual calendar, nearly two dozen complications, a jumping hour hand, and more than 800 total parts. The watch passed hands many times until someone stole the watch from an art museum in the 1980s. Years later, the thief made a deathbed confession to return the watch. You can now see it at the L.A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art.
The Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercompilation
Another pocket watch that can rival the Marie-Antoinette Grande Complication Pocket Watch in complication and historic appeal, if not exactly cost, is the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercompilation. Commissioned by banker Henry Graves Jr. in the 1920s (rumor states that Graves and James Ward Packard, founder of the Packard Motor Car Company, had a rivalry going, to see who could commission the most innovative watch), the watch took five years to produce and remained the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years.
Just how complicated was it? Well, one of the features was a celestial map of the New York sky, as viewed from Grave’s house, if that tells you anything.
However, Graves didn’t want it getting out just how much he spent on the watch. Graves feared being targeted by thieves and kidnappers for his money because it was around the time of the notorious Lindbergh kidnapping. While that didn’t happen, the watch was the most expensive one sold at auction in 2014 for $24 million.
Jacob & Co. Yellow Diamond-Encrusted Watch
But back to the diamonds. The Jacob & Co. Yellow Diamond-Encrusted Watch, which cost $20 million, features more than 200 carats of yellow diamonds. So, yes, this is another watch that’s absolutely covered in 482 gemstones, sparkling from every angle.
Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona
While the Rolex Daytona is quite a popular high-end and luxury watch all on its own, a particular Rolex Daytona is worth more than all the rest: actor Paul Newman’s personal Rolex Daytona. Fetching more than $17 million at auction, Newman was known to wear the watch daily. This timepiece is an example of one of the world’s most expensive watches, not necessarily due to its manufacture or materials but due to its connections to a famous figure.
Suggested Reads:
Do Rolex Watches Hold Their Value?
Is Buying a Rolex a Good Investment?
Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel
This Patek Philippe stainless steel watch sold for approximately $12 million in 2016, making it the second-most expensive Patek Philippe watch in existence. It dates back to 1944 and uniquely features stainless steel instead of yellow gold or rose gold. Only four stainless steel versions of this model were ever made, and the last king of Romania once owned this watch.
The Vacheron Constantin Kalista
The Kallista is yet another watch that retains its value thanks partly to its materials. Valued at $11 million, it features nearly 120 white diamonds and requires multiple years to craft. When it debuted in the 1970s, it was the most expensive watch ever made—and it still finds a place on our list of the most expensive watches in the world today.
Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Pink Gold Watch
In 2021, Sotheby’s auctioned off a Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Pink Gold Watch for nearly $10 million. While an Egyptian prince originally owned the watch, that’s only one part of its allure. It’s also very rare, as Patek Philippe heavily favored yellow gold when choosing precious metals for this model. The pink gold on this timepiece is 1 of less than 100 watches in this metal.
Patek Philippe Titanium Ref. 5208T-010
For about $6 million, this watch made waves with one of the highest winning bids in the history of Geneva’s “Only Watch” auction in 2017. The Patek Philippe Titanium Ref. 5208T-010 watch is unique as this model’s first and only titanium version.
Most Expensive Watches FAQs
Have more questions? We’ve got answers.
Do all luxury watches cost millions of dollars?
Not at all! You can find watches from many of the brands mentioned above and ones not mentioned, like Audemars Piguet, that start at thousands or tens of thousands of dollars instead.
What makes a luxury watch cost so much?
Myriad factors affect a luxury watch’s cost. Sometimes, the price is all about the materials (such as whether the watch has a gold, stainless steel, platinum bracelet, etc.). Other times, the cost is due to rarity or connection to a famous figure.
Whatever Your Watch’s Price Tag, Protect It
You don’t have to drop millions on a watch at auction for that watch to be worth protecting. With BriteCo’s comprehensive luxury watch insurance, you can ensure that your favorite timepieces are safe from damage, loss, theft, and more.
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