A watch is more than just an accessory that tells the exact time. It demonstrates the owner's status no worse than the most expensive yacht or car. Many of the most expensive watches are so intricate and complex that they are more like works of art. And watchmakers work on them no less, and sometimes longer, than a sculptor on a majestic sculpture or a jeweler on a diamond necklace.
These incredible creations can cost millions of dollars. Of course, price is not the only reason to admire luxury watches. Below, we will tell you about the most expensive watches in the world that have stood the test of time.
1. Graff Diamonds Hallucination
Price - $55 000 000
Wearing a watch of this value on your wrist, packaged in a lightweight and luxurious shell, is just a hallucination for most people on Earth. But for Graff Diamonds, it is a reality, embodied in the most expensive watch in the history of the watch industry.
The platinum bracelet and watch case are decorated with diamonds of different colors. The total weight of precious stones is 110 carats. All this stunning beauty took over a thousand hours of work by watchmakers, gemologists and designers.
2. Graff Diamonds The Fascination
Price - $40 000 000
If you're going to spend around $40 million on a watch, it needs to do more than just tell time. That's what Graff Diamonds has. It has a removable part that becomes a ring.
The Fascination watch is made up of many white diamonds. But the main pride of the accessory is an exquisite rare D-shaped diamond weighing 38.13 carats. It is this pear-shaped masterpiece that is the dial of the watch, or it can be taken out and worn as a ring.
According to Laurence Graff, founder and chairman of Graff Diamonds, their watch is intended to demonstrate the close links between the London diamond house and Swiss watchmaking.
3. Marie-Antoinette N°1160
Price - $30 000 000
The third most expensive watch in the world was made by the masters of the House of Breguet on the order of a mysterious admirer of the former French queen Marie Antoinette (the same one who is falsely credited with the expression “if they have no bread, let them eat cake”).
The legendary watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet began creating watches in 1783, and his son completed the work in 1827.
Beneath the gold dial is a complex mechanism based on the most revolutionary technology of the time. After all, the queen had to have the best of everything. The problem is that Breguet’s watchmakers probably took too long to consider this order. Marie Antoinette was guillotined 34 years before her failed gift saw the light of day (or the darkness inside a pocket).
The precious historical piece was stolen in the late 1900s from a museum in Jerusalem and was only found again in 2007. Now the watch is safely locked away in the L.A. Mayer Museum, waiting for you to arrive there with a suitcase full of cash.
4. Chopard 201-Carat
Price - $25 000 000
This elegant bracelet watch, created by the masters of the Swiss house Chopard, is decorated with 874 diamonds weighing a total of 201 carats. Can you imagine how all this splendor shines in the bright sun or under the light of a huge crystal chandelier?
Three large heart-shaped diamonds are connected to a spring mechanism. When you need to see the time, the mechanism “opens” the diamonds like petals of a flower.
5. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication
Price - $24 000 000
The most expensive men's watch was sold to an anonymous buyer at Sotheby's for a sum that surprised even seasoned collectors.
Inside the very heavy (over 500 grams) watch is a complex mechanism, which Swiss craftsmen worked on for eight years. They were created as a result of the rivalry between banker Henry Graves and the owner of "factories, newspapers, steamships" James Packard. Each of them dreamed of becoming the owner of the most complicated watch on Earth. And the victory went to Graves, who got the Henry Graves Supercomplication with 24 "complications". True, with the release of Calibre 89, the Supercomplication watch lost its "unrivaled complex" status, but still remains the envy of all watch collectors in the world.
6. Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch
Price - $18 000 000
The very name of this watch suggests that it is affordable only for those with billions, that is, billionaires.
So far, this superb accessory with emerald-cut diamonds weighing 260 carats exists in a single copy and belongs to businessman Flavio Briatore.
7. Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Paul Newman” ref. 6239
Price - $17 700 000
In 2017, this watch was auctioned off for a previously unattainable amount for Rolex. This is explained by the fact that it belonged to the famous Hollywood actor, producer and director Paul Newman.
8. Patek Philippe Ref. 1518
Price - $11 000 000
This is the first of four Ref. 1518 models with a stainless steel case and bracelet. Made in 1941, the watch was the world's first perpetual calendar chronograph ever produced in series.
Seven bidders fought for such a valuable lot at The Geneva Watch Auction in 2016. In the end, the super-expensive accessory went to a private collector.
9. Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260
Price - $10 000 000
It is not the most expensive wristwatch in the world, but it is currently the most complex. It took eight years to assemble. The watch has 2826 parts and weighs 957 grams.
The price of Reference 57260 agreed upon between Vacheron Constantin and the client is confidential and has not been officially disclosed. However, various sources estimate the watch to be worth $10 million. It was created for a single client, whose identity is kept confidential. It is only known that this person is a “top watch collector.”
10. Patek Philippe Caliber 89
Price - $6 000 000
If the second number in the top 10 most expensive watches in the world has 24 complications, then Caliber 89 can boast as many as 33. However, on September 17, 2015, Vacheron Constantin presented the luxury accessory Ref. 57260, which has 57 complications. This is an unrivaled result to date.
Only four Caliber 89s were made, three in different gold cases and one in platinum. Last year, the yellow gold cased watch was offered at Sotheby's, but did not go into private hands due to disappointingly low bidding results.
11. Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Ref. 6265 "The Unicorn"
Price - $5 900 000
Until this watch was presented to the public in Geneva in 2018, it was believed that Ref. 6265 was produced exclusively in steel or gold cases. But it turned out that for one lucky rich person, Rolex created a unique masterpiece in 1970 - a cosmograph made of precious white metal.
The only model in a white gold case was the crown jewel of John Goldberger's collection. For a long time, Goldberger claimed that this cosmograph would never be sold, as it was simply impossible to replace it with another copy.
However, the collector then decided to sell the watch in the interests of Children Action, a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of young people around the world.
12. Rolex Ref. 6062 "Bao Dai"
Price - $5 000 000
The eye-pleasing combination of a gold case and a black dial is not the only advantage of this model. The hour markers are interspersed with diamond markers.
But the most important thing about the Bao Dai watch is the name, which makes it known to all watch collectors. It once belonged to the last emperor of Vietnam, and is a legend among Rolex enthusiasts. The reign of the last representative of the Nguyen dynasty was called "Bao Dai", which translates as "keeper of greatness".
13. Hublot Big Bang
Price - $5 000 000
This diamond watch is the perfect choice for those who appreciate chic and have $5 million to spare. The Hublot Big Bang is decorated with 1,280 diamonds, each weighing in at 3 carats. And all the stones were cut by a single New York jeweler with 40 years of experience so that each one had the same signature.
14. Louis Moinet, Meteoris Collection
Price - $4 600 000
This watch with an astronomical price tag is named after Louis Moinet, a famous 18th-century watchmaker. The collection includes four watches decorated with precious stones and pieces of real meteorite embedded in the dials.
- The Tourbillon Mars watch contains a fragment of the Martian meteorite Jiddat al Harasis 479, which fell to Earth. Martian meteorites can cost up to $1,000 per gram.
- The Rosetta stone watch contains a piece of the oldest meteorite to have fallen to Earth and was found in the Sahara Desert.
- The Asteroid watch is made from a piece of an asteroid that formed near the Sun.
- And on the dial of the Moon tourbillon you can see the dark structure of the Moon with small inclusions.
15. Breguet Antique Number 2667
Price - $4 500 000
Breguet is one of the oldest watch companies in the world, producing watches since 1775. And Antique Number 2667 is considered the third most expensive watch released by the house of Breguet. It is distinguished by a stylish and strict design, as well as a luxurious gold case weighing 18 carats. It also has two movements and is based on the principle of resonance.
This accessory has two dials: the first consists of Arabic numerals, the second of Roman numerals. The unusual watch fully reflects Breguet's exquisite aesthetic taste and his inventive genius.
16. Patek Philippe Ref. 5004T
Price - $4 000 000
The renowned top Swiss watch brand released the Ref. 5004T in 2013, especially for a charity auction. The 5004T is a unique titanium version in the beautiful Patek Philippe collection. Its gold dial is decorated with engraving handcrafted to imitate the classic chessboard pattern.
The Swiss watch has created a buzz in the industry as it has taken on a sportier, more colorful look than its more conservative family members.
17. Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4
Price - $2 700 000
With 36 different complications, 1,483 parts, a 1,000-year calendar and a host of other eclectic features, the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 is one of the most complicated watch movements in the world.
A team of watchmakers led by the famous Pierre-Michel Golay worked on this watch for six years. Their brainchild has many impractical options, such as grande and petite chimes, but who needs practicality when it comes to a work of art?
18. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication
Price - $2 500 000
For now, this model, which debuted in 2013, remains the most expensive from the German luxury brand Lange & Söhne.
Inside the large gold case is hidden a highly complex mechanism that combines a perpetual calendar, a large and small strike, as well as a split-chronograph that allows you to determine time intervals with an accuracy of up to 1/5 of a second.
Unlike many luxury and expensive watches, where the dial is so intricate that it is difficult to see the time, this model has a simple and clear dial at first glance.
19. Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie
Price - $2 500 000
What makes this watch so impressive is not only its classic and elegant design (white gold case with black strap), but also the fact that it is the most complicated minute repeater in the world. It is louder and more melodic than repeaters of other luxury watches, and the “brain” of the repeater is a three-tiered tower 5.15 mm high.
In the photo of the watch, you can see that on the right is the dial, and on the left, the watch developers placed an open minute repeater mechanism so that the owner of the accessory could watch all these tiny wheels and levers rotate at any time.
20. Rolex ref. 4113
Price - $2 400 000
Only three times have these gentlemanly-looking steel-cased watches appeared at auction. And never once have they been freely available. Rolex intended all the models in this series for a small number of racers whom it sponsored at one time.
The watch was sold again, but perhaps not for the last time, in 2016.
21. Richard Mille RM 56-02 Sapphire
Price - $2 000 000
The appearance of this watch, released in a limited edition of 10 pieces, is as unique as its mechanism.
The case is exquisitely smooth and transparent, made from durable and beautiful sapphire. The watch mechanism is suspended on cables, giving the impression that it is floating in the air. The composition is completed by a comfortable rubber strap that fits tightly around the wrist.
22. Vacheron Constantin Tour de l'Ile
Price - $1 500 000
This superb combination of mechanics and aesthetics was created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Vacheron Constantin house.
Each of the seven existing examples includes 16 complications. The Tour de l'Ile watch was awarded the Golden Arm, the main prize of the international watch competition Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.
23. Greubel Forsey Art Piece 1
Price - $1 500 000
This watch boasts excellent mechanical properties, such as a 30-degree double tourbillon. But its $1.5 million price tag is due to its unique design. Hidden inside the watch is a tiny sculpture that is only visible thanks to a miniature optical system. It is located on the winding crown and acts as a microscope.
Sculptures created so far include a ship, a mask, a Coca-Cola bottle and a hummingbird.
24. Ulysse Nardin Hannibal Minute Repeater Tourbillon
Price - $758 000
One of the most expensive men's watches in the world is made for those who appreciate ancient Roman culture, and in particular its stage associated with the Punic Wars. It is decorated with figures reminiscent of the Carthaginian commander Hannibal and his war elephants.
However, the engraving is not the only thing that makes this watch so extravagant and expensive. Each component is handcrafted, the case is made of platinum, and the strap is made of alligator leather. And the watch can also boast a special musical system - the "Westminster chime". The Hannibal Minute Repeater Tourbillon series includes only 30 pieces.
25. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication
Price - $725 000
Swiss company Audemars is famous for its luxury watches. But the "Grande Complication", made entirely of ceramic, is undoubtedly their best creation. Through the anti-reflective glass of sapphire crystal you can see the mechanism, all the parts of which are made by hand.
And most importantly, these watches look incredibly stylish and are just begging to be worn by a respectable, wealthy man.
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