A good watch has the power to transform your presence. It can be an elegant timepiece on your wrist or a rare collectible dressed in diamonds, gracing your treasure trove of valuables. Regardless, it is a statement piece in its own right. Little did the first ever locksmiths and horologists of the 16th century realise that their time-telling mechanism would go on to become such a pivotal status symbol.
Which watches, however, are the most sought-after of the bunch? Read on to find out the most expensive watch brands you need to know about.
Rolex
Rolex is arguably one of the most recognisable watch brands, enrapturing hobbyists as well as horology novices. A paragon of Swiss matchmaking, Rolex has solidified the country’s reputation as a horology nonpareil.
The brand was established as Wilsdorf and Davis in 1905 before being trademarked as “Rolex” three years later. Wrist watches were not very common at that time and demonstrated poor accuracy. The founders, however, dreamt of creating a wristwatch that exuded style and boasted precision.
What seemed like a pipe dream came to fruition in 1910, when a Rolex watch became the first wrist watch in the world to receive a Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision from the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne. Four years later, the Kew Observatory in Britain granted a Rolex wristwatch the class “A” precision certificate.
Rolex set significant benchmarks over the next decades, such as producing the first ever waterproof and dustproof watch and inventing and patenting the self-winding mechanism by means of a perpetual rotor. As such, today, the name speaks for itself.
The lowest price tag of a Rolex watch is $5,000, while the world’s most expensive Rolex is Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, which sold at an auction for a whopping $17.8 million.
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin’s stamp of quality lies in its 270-year-long legacy. Dating to 1755, the brand is one of the oldest watchmakers in the world with an uninterrupted production history – quite a feat considering how cataclysmic the Quartz Crisis and world wars were for the watch industry.
The brand was established by Jean-Marc Vacheron in Geneva, Switzerland. Besides his keen intellect for horology and philosophy, Vacheron was reputable for belonging to Europe’s elite literati. He was fast friends with prominent Enlightenment thinkers, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and M. de Voltaire.
Vacheron launched his labour of love with an exquisite silver pocket watch, featuring gold hands, beauteous arabesques, and remarkable chirography. This piece cemented Vacheron Constantin as an eminent luxury timepiece brand.
The brand has other launches of note, such as the world’s first horological complication, opulently designed enamels, and the pantograph. In the early modern period, the company was exporting timepieces to France and Italy.
To this day, Vacheron Constantin boasts some of the best watches of all time. At present, their least expensive watch will set you back $15,000. Their most expensive watch to date is the “Kallista,” worth $11 million – this model is decked out in 118 emerald-cut diamonds and took over 6000 hours to complete.
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet, a leading Swiss manufacturer in the horology scene, was the brainchild of two skilled watchmaking apprentices who served companies like Tiffany and Co. Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, with their collective expertise, crafted a brand that would create waves in the industry.
These entrepreneurs yielded the fruits of being in the right place at the right time. By the 18th century, the village of Vallée de Joux was a prosperous watchmaking centre, brimming with vital natural resources like iron ore, as well as production ateliers fashioned out of untamed farmlands.
Banking on an immensely prosperous niche, Piguet and Audemars built a substantial empire. They are particularly famous for their Royal Oak Complication, which, valued at $869,000, is their most expensive watch to date. The model is plated with an 18-carat white gold facade, has a perpetual calendar running till the year 2100, as well as 52 jewel movements. The starting rate of their watches is $15,000.
Patek Philippe
Every watch connoisseur has their eyes on a handsome Patek Philippe. After all, their timepieces are best in class.
Like many luxury Swiss watchmaking companies, Patek Philippe’s origins can be traced to Geneva in the mid-19th century. In spite of a rocky start owing to creative differences between the entrepreneurs, the brand went on to flourish a decade later under new leadership.
With horology maestros Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe at the helm of affairs, the Polish-French symbiosis forged an incredible path in watchmaking. By 1850, Queen Victoria was the proud owner of two majestic Patek Philippe pieces – a keyless pendant watch with rose-cut diamonds arranged in a pattern of a flower bouquet and a watch hanging from a diamond and enamel brooch-pin. A few years later, the brand crafted a Swiss watch for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, strengthening their ties to European royalty.
Today, Patek Philippe is one of the most expensive watch brands in the world. In a 2023 list of the “world’s most expensive watches sold at auctions,” Patek Philippe filled a staggering nine out of ten places. The company has branched out across Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania, sprouting over 400 stores.
The least expensive Patek Philippe costs $18,000, and its most expensive model of all time is the $11 million ref. 1518 in stainless steel, featuring one of the world’s rarest perpetual calendar chronographs.
Breguet
Breguet, a beloved Swiss horological wonder, has remained a steadfast royal favourite for centuries.
The brand was established in 1775 in Paris by Abraham-Louis Breguet, a seasoned watchmaker. The brand, having taken root with the dowry received from his bourgeois-bred wife, was on the radar of the French elite from the get-go.
Abraham’s connections with France’s creme-de-la-creme placed his peerless craftsmanship in the spotlight. Queen Marie Antoinette grew fond of his self-winding watch, a pioneering technology at the time. Louis XVI, Swedish count Axel Von Fersen, and Napoleon Bonaparte were other royals who commissioned watches from Breguet.
Over the years, the ownership of the brand changed several times. At present, Breguet belongs to the Swatch Group and is an active member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH. The starting price of a basic Breguet is $9,500. Its most expensive model is a pocket watch commissioned by count Axel Von Fersen for Queen Marie Antoinette – ridden with every single complication known to mankind at the time, the famed “Mary Antoinette Pocket Watch” (also known as “The Grand Complication”) is valued at $30 million.
A quality watch goes a long way as a regal accessory and a luxury investment. It is a surefire way of commanding an elite presence in style. Exuding panache and shrouded in the trappings of truly opulent wealth, these watch brands have built an eternal legacy. A quality watch awaits — all you need to do is take your pick.
