Watches are some of the most sought-after and admired pieces of technology. Combining the best in craftsmanship, history, and design, from diamond-encrusted watches to classically constructed timepieces, the practical accessory that sits neatly upon one’s wrist can also sit at extravagant price points.
10 of the Most Expensive Watches in The World
This list showcases the most expensive watches in the world that are revered for their exceptional quality, attention to detail, and stories making them highly sought after by collectors.
1. Graff Diamonds Hallucination – $55 million
The Graff Diamonds Hallucination holds the title of the world's most expensive watch for several reasons. Estimated to be worth $55 million, its value lies in its extravagant design and use of rare materials. The watch presents itself as a kaleidoscope of 110 carats of diamonds, including exceptionally rare, coloured diamonds of 2 to 3 carats each, set into a platinum bracelet. Over two years were dedicated to sourcing these exquisite stones. A team of 30 specialists including gemologists, designers, and master craftsmen took an additional two and a half years to create this masterpiece. The diamonds on this watch feature different types of cuts, including heart shape, pear shape, and emerald. Graff's Chairman, Laurence Graff, envisioned the Hallucination as a testament to the company's passion and expertise in the diamond industry, showcasing their innovation and excellence in every facet of the creation.
2. Graff Diamonds The Fascination – $40 million
The Graff Diamonds Fascination, unveiled at Baselworld 2015, is a testament to luxury and versatility. Incorporating 152.96 carats of the finest white diamonds, its centrepiece is a rare, 38.13-carat D Flawless pear-shaped diamond, cut and polished by Graff. This diamond can be worn as part of a sculptural bracelet or set into a bespoke shank as a ring. Additionally, an elegant diamond watch face can replace the diamond, transforming the bracelet into an opulent timepiece. Designed with input from founder Laurence Graff, the Fascination showcases the close relationship between Graff’s London and Swiss ateliers.
3. Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime – $31 million
The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime unveiled in 2014 for the brand’s 175th anniversary, is the most complex wristwatch Patek has ever made, with 20 complications. This unique stainless-steel model sold at the 2019 Only Watch auction for $31 million, making it the most expensive watch ever sold at auction. The reversible case features two dials – one ebony black, the other salmon – adorned with blue opaline and gold-applied numerals. Its white gold case and navy-blue alligator strap enhance its elegance. Notable complications include an acoustic alarm and a date repeater, alongside a Grande and Petite Sonnerie, moon phases, and a perpetual calendar. Proceeds from its sale supported Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.
4. Breguet Grande Complication Marie Antoinette – $30 million
The Breguet Grande Complication Marie Antoinette, also known as Breguet No. 160, has a storied history that began in 1783 when an anonymous admirer commissioned it for Queen Marie Antoinette. The brief was to create the most spectacular watch possible, incorporating the fullest range of horological expertise and using gold instead of other metals wherever possible. Completed in 1827, long after both the queen and watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet had passed, the 60mm pocket watch featured 23 complications and 823 parts, encased in 18-carat gold with sapphire embellishments. It remained one of the world's most complicated watches until it was stolen in 1983 from the LA Mayer Museum of Islamic Art. The watch was recovered in 2007, discovered among stolen items in Tel Aviv, and is now back in the museum. The saga of this masterpiece, valued at over $30 million, continues to fascinate horologists and collectors worldwide.
5. Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette – $26 million
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette watch features a random series of polished or diamond-set links concealing the miniature calibre 101 movement. Jaeger-LeCoultre, acclaimed for its exceptional craftsmanship, crafted this watch as a gift for Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her 60-year reign. Made entirely from white gold, it reveals a hand-wound mechanism and a sapphire glass-covered clock. The design is elevated with 577 diamonds, highlighting its luxury and uniqueness. The pièce de résistance is the miniature calibre 101 movement, recognised as one of the smallest in the world, making this watch an extraordinary blend of art and engineering.
6. Chopard 201-Carat – $25 million
The Chopard 201-Carat watch, crafted in 2000, is the embodiment of luxury and exclusivity. Valued at $25 million, it features 874 diamonds totalling 201 carats in a spectrum of colours and shapes. This masterpiece, favoured by A-listers and royalty, features three heart-shaped diamonds (15-carat pink, 12-carat blue, 11-carat white) that open to reveal the pavé-set watch face and three pear-shaped yellow diamonds totalling 8.45 carats. The intricate design and Chopard’s esteemed reputation in the jewellery industry make this timepiece highly coveted.
7. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication – $24 million
Henry Graves Jr., a New York banker and avid watch collector, commissioned the Henry Graves Supercomplication from Patek Philippe in 1933 to outdo fellow tycoon James Ward Packard. Featuring 24 complications, it surpassed Packard's 10-complication watch from 1927. This unique gold pocket watch includes functions like Westminster chimes, a perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset times, and a celestial map of New York as seen from Graves's Fifth Avenue apartment. After Graves’s death, it sold at Sotheby’s in 1999 to a member of the Qatar Royal Family for a then-record price of $11,002,500 and again in 2014 to an anonymous buyer for $24 million, setting a new record.
8. Jacob & Co. Billionaire Timeless Treasure Yellow Diamond – $20 million
The Jacob & Co. Billionaire Timeless Treasure Yellow Diamond watch, unveiled in 2023, is a $20 million masterpiece, ensconced in 425 Asscher-Cut Fancy Yellow and Intense Yellow diamonds. Collecting and cutting these high-quality matching diamonds took three and a half years. Yellow diamonds occur about once in every 10,000 diamonds – making them one of the rarest gems in the world. Ten top gemmologists sourced 880 carats of rough yellow diamonds, ultimately creating 216.89 carats of Asscher-cut stones. The watch features a complex tourbillon movement encased in 18-carat yellow gold. Larger stones, totalling 55.15 carats, are used for the case, while the diamonds on the bracelet gradually decline in size due to the rarity of the stones. The intricate setting of 57 yellow baguette-cut diamonds in the tourbillon further elevates its uniqueness, placing it among the most expensive watches ever made.
9. Jacob & Co. The Billionaire – $18 million
Jacob & Co. introduced the "Billionaire" watch in 2015, where it made headlines in the horology world. Priced at $18 million it represents the collaboration between Jacob Arabo and Flavio Briatore, owner of Billionaire Lifestyle SARL. This skeleton timepiece is a visual spectacle, encased in 18K white gold and embellished with 260 carats of GIA-certified, emerald-cut diamonds. Each diamond weighs 3 carats, which contributes to its weighty feel. The JCAM09 skeleton manual winding calibre powers the watch, featuring 167 components and a 72-hour power reserve. Though Jacob & Co. made other iterations of the Billionaire watch, this inaugural piece and the Yellow Diamond version above remain the most expensive and unique variants.
10. Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona – $17.75 million
The most expensive Rolex ever sold was the legendary Paul Newman Daytona, famously worn by the actor and racing enthusiast Paul Newman during his career. Given as a gift from his wife Joanne Woodward in 1968, the 37mm stainless steel chronograph featured a distinctive off-white dial with black subdials and minute track and an engraved tachymeter-scale bezel. With sentimental value and iconic status, the watch commanded a staggering price of $17.75 million when it went under the hammer at an auction in New York in October of 2017, making it a coveted treasure among watch collectors worldwide.
Final Take
In recent years, high-profile brand collaborations have invigorated the watch industry, fuelling sales and enticing collectors worldwide. Celebrities endorsing fine jewellery further elevate the allure of luxury timepieces. These watches stand the test of time due to quality, use of rare materials, intricate designs, and complex movements. More than just beautiful objects for telling time, these watches are expressions of artistry and innovation, showcasing the heights of craftsmanship and luxury in haute horlogerie.
