When the topic of “the world’s most expensive watches” is brought up, many collectors will instantly think of Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona that famously sold for over $17 million in 2017. While it was the most expensive auction price for a watch at that time, multiple Patek Philippes have sold for more since then. In fact, Patek alone accounts for about 85% of all multimillion-dollar watch auctions. Although Patek still dominates the top of the watch collecting world, there are some other watches that could be considered priceless that have never come to auction, and also some newer brands entering the seven-figure realm. In this article we’ll discuss the most expensive watches in various categories, along with the context to explain what makes them so valuable.
A Note on Auction Prices and Market Changes
The most important and expensive watches, generally, get sold at auctions. While it would be simple for us to go straight down the list of watches with the highest all-time auction prices–and we’ll cover plenty of those–we should note that auction results are snapshots in time and don’t necessarily reflect current market prices. When you start talking about watches as rare as the ones we’re discussing today, often one hasn’t come up for auction in decades–if ever.
Or maybe a wealthy collector just really, really wanted a particular Patek Philippe and “overpaid” by a couple million at a particular auction. Charity auctions in particular can cause buyers to be loose with their checkbooks. So, just because the most recent recorded sale price of one watch is higher than another, it doesn’t necessarily mean it would still be “more expensive” if sold today. In fact, the world’s most valuable watch hasn’t come up for sale in recent history at all.
Most Expensive Watch in the World: The Marie Antoinette Watch
Almost all of the world’s most expensive watches are Swiss-made men’s models–but (arguably) the most valuable one of all is a French-made watch made for a woman. Marie Antoinette was a big fan of Abraham-Louis Breguet, the legendary Swiss-born watchmaker who invented the tourbillon. Count Axel von Fersen of Sweden knew this, and he commissioned a cost-is-no-object Breguet pocket watch for the queen with every complication possible.
Historians long speculated whether Von Fersen was Marie Antoinette’s lover or merely deep in the friendzone, but in 2021, x-ray technology was used to decipher redacted phrases from private letters between the two like “beloved” and “I will never stop worshipping you.” It has even been speculated that the Count fathered two of the queen’s children. The Breguet watch that he commissioned for her in 1793 is every bit as complicated as their relationship.
[Count Axel von Fersen] stipulated that wherever possible gold should replace other metals and…complications should be as numerous and varied as possible. No time or financial limits were imposed.
Breguet.com
Unfortunately, Von Fersen, Marie Antoinette, and Abraham-Louis Breguet were all dead before the famous “Marie Antoinette” watch was finished. Breguet’s son, Antoine-Louis Breguet, had to work on the 823-part masterpiece himself for about four years until it was finally finished in 1827. Nowadays, the Marie Antoinette watch resides at a museum in Jerusalem. It was worth an “estimated $30 million” back in 2013, and it’s surely worth more now, but keep in mind that anyone can make estimates. This watch could very well be worth $47 million in today’s market. See? Now this watch has a $47 million estimated value! But really, “priceless” is a more appropriate term for something like this.
Marie Antoinette Watch Specs
| Model | Breguet Pocket Watch #160 |
| Case Material | 18k Yellow Gold |
| Case Diameter | 63mm |
| Functions | Jumping hours, jumping minutes, seconds, chronograph seconds, thermometer, minute repeater, equation of time, perpetual calendar, power reserve indicator |
| Dial | Exhibition (rock crystal) |
| Year Completed | 1827 |
| Market Value | Tens of Millions / Priceless |
Most Expensive Wristwatch in the World: Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A
It would be easy to say that the most expensive watch in the world is the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, as it was sold at the Only Watch charity auction for $31.2 million in 2019–the highest known sale price for any watch in history as of 2023. While it probably wouldn’t outprice the Marie Antoinette pocket watch today, this holds the title of the most expensive modern watch in the world. The Grandmaster Chime is a remarkably complex timepiece, with an absurdly extensive range of movement complications that we’ve included below. Even gold versions of the Grandmaster Chime go for insane numbers, but Patek collectors often favor stainless steel above all else–particularly when it’s a unique piece.
Patek Philippe Ref. 6300A-010 Grandmaster Chime Specs
| Model | Grandmaster Chime |
| Reference | 6300A-010 |
| Movement | Caliber GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM (Manual-wind, 7 beats per second) |
| Functions | Grand Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie, Minute Repeater, Strikework Mode Display, Alarm with Time Strike, Date Repeater, Isochronous Regulator, Second Time Zone, Day, Month, Date, Leap Year Cycle, 24-Hour Subdial |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Diameter | 47.7mm |
| Case Thickness | 16.07mm |
| Dial | Salmon hobnail (front), Black lacquer (reverse) |
| Crystal | Sapphire (both sides) |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Strap | Black alligator strap with folding clasp |
| Limited Edition | 1 piece |
Most Expensive Sports Watch/Most Expensive Vintage Wristwatch: Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona 6239
With a humble but reliable Valjoux movement, the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona obviously isn’t in the same league as a Patek Grand Complication horologically–but it has become incredibly collectible. “Paul Newman Daytona” is a term that refers to any vintage Rolex Daytona made from 1963-1988 (ref. 6239, 6240, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264 and 6265) with a certain dial option. Rolex called them “exotic dials,” although watch fans call them “Paul Newman dials” because Paul Newman notably owned one. These dials have contrasting subdials with “square lollipop” markers and an unusual typeface. Any Paul Newman Daytona in decent shape is worth a quarter-million dollars.
Confusingly, Paul Newman has also been photographed wearing non-Paul Newman vintage Daytonas. But here’s Paul Newman wearing the Paul Newman Daytona. Newman’s personal 6239 is the most expensive sports watch in the world and also the most expensive vintage wristwatch in the world based on its $17,752,500 sale price in 2017.
Rolex Daytona 6239/0 Specs
| Model Name | Daytona |
| Reference Number | 6239/0 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Diameter | 37.5mm |
| Case Thickness | 14.4mm |
| Movement | Caliber 722 (Base: Valjoux 72, manual-wind, 5 beats per second) |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph |
| Market Value | $65,000+ (Regular dial) $250,000+ (Exotic a.k.a. Paul Newman dial) $17.8 million (Last sale price of Paul Newman’s own example) |
Most Expensive Vintage Patek Philippe Wristwatch: 1518
One of the only wristwatches that has a legitimate shot to outprice that Paul Newman at any given auction is a steel Patek 1518. Launched in 1941, the Patek Philippe 1518 was the world’s first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch, and supposedly only 281 examples were made. Only four of those were stainless steel models, and when one of those was sold for over $11 million in 2016, it became the “most expensive wristwatch in the world” (by auction price) until the Newman went up for sale. The steel 1518 was the first wristwatch to ever sell for eight figures, and a pink gold one belonging to a prince came close ($9.57 million) in 2021.
Patek 1518 Specs
| Model Number | 1518j (Yellow gold, most Common) 1518r (Pink gold) 1518a (Stainless steel, only 4 examples known) |
| Case Diameter | 34mm |
| Movement | Caliber 13”’130 Q (Manual-wind, 5 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar, chronograph |
| Year Released | 1941 |
| Estimated Market Value (2023) | $500,000 (Yellow gold) $800,000 (Pink gold) $15-20 million (Stainless steel) |
Most Expensive 20th-Century Watch: Henry Graves Supercomplication
This next masterpiece took six years to make, and it was regarded as the “most expensive watch in the world” for years, until 2019’s steel Grandmaster Chime came along. Named for the banking magnate that commissioned it in 1927, the Henry Graves Supercomplication was the most complicated watch in the world in its day, with 24 complications. Legend has it that Graves wanted to outdo auto mogul James Ward Packard, who also collected ultra-complicated Pateks, but some doubt has been cast on the idea that Packard and Ward even knew each other. It’s good to be skeptical of any “auction fables” that surround high-dollar watches.
To this day, the Henry Graves Supercomplication is probably the most valuable pocket watch in the world aside from the Marie Antoinette. It’s certainly the most expensive Patek Philippe pocket watch, the most expensive vintage Patek, and the most expensive 20th-century watch in general. Sotheby’s sold it for $24 million in 2014.
Patek “Henry Graves” Specs
| Model | “Henry Graves” Supercomplication |
| Case Material | 18k Yellow Gold |
| Case Diameter | 74mm |
| Case Thickness | 36mm |
| Movement | Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph, sidereal time, grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater, alarm, moonphase and age, sunrise, sunset, celestial chart |
| Year Completed | 1932 |
| Last Sale Price (2014) | $24,050,000 |
Most Expensive 21st-Century Pocket Watch: Vacheron Constantin 57260
The most complicated watch in the world today is a Vacheron Constantin with 57 complications–coincidentally, the exact number of complications of the Henry Graves Supercomplication and the Patek Calibre 89 combined. Vacheron Constantin’s Atelier Cabinotiers division is responsible for special uber-complicated watches made to order like this, and although they don’t publish an exact price, $8 million is a reasonable estimate of the cost of ref. 57260. Keep in mind that the person who paid that price had to wait years for its 2015 delivery, and it would probably sell for significantly more at auction today. It’s difficult to overstate just how absurdly complicated this watch is.
Vacheron Constantin 57260 Specs
| Reference | 57260 |
| Case Material | 18k White Gold |
| Case Diameter | 98mm |
| Case Thickness | 50.6mm |
| Movement | Caliber 3750 (2,826 Parts, manual-wind, 5 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, split-seconds chronograph, day-night indicator, digital worldtimer, armillary sphere tourbillon, Gregorian perpetual calendar with retrograde date, Hebraic perpetual calendar, Golden Number indication, celestial chart, sidereal time, equation of time, moonphase, length of day, length of night, sunset, sunrise, Grande Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie, minute repeater, alarm, power reserve indicator, crown position indicator, Metonic cycle |
| Year Completed | 2015 |
| Estimated Market Price (2023) | $10-15 million |
Most Expensive Haute Joallerie Watches: Graff
Extraordinary complications and historical significance are two things that can make the price of a watch skyrocket. But there’s a third way to make a watch incredibly expensive: covering it in high-grade gems. And nobody does that better than Graff, the legendary jeweler known for sourcing and cutting some of the world’s finest gemstones. The colorful Graff Hallucination has a price tag of $55 million, while the brilliant Graff Fascination is listed at $40 million. Both are pièces uniques.
Graff boasts that the Hallucation is the “most valuable watch in the world,” and it’s certainly in the discussion. The Fascination is, too, with a massive removable pear-cut diamond ring that covers the watch dial. But are the “prices” for these gluttonously blingy Graff watches fair? “There is no fair market value on a timepiece such as this,” notes Luxury Bazaar CEO Roman Sharf. “It’s like a rare Picasso, so it’s worth what one is willing to pay for it.”
Still, we thought it could be educational to look at the gems from a jewelry industry perspective, so we asked Roman about the wholesale cost of the diamonds.
I will use the Fascination as an example, as it’s easier to break down white diamonds than colored stones. The main stone, which is the 38.13-carat D Flawless pear, would trade for $110k-130k per carat wholesale, making it worth around $5 million–assuming this is not a rare Type 2A stone in which case it would be more. The additional 153 carats can be purchased as a collection from a diamond manufacturer in Europe for approximately $2,000 a carat, adding an additional $300k to the total. All in all, the goods value if you were buying this as “scrap” would be around $6 million.
Roman Sharf, CEO of Luxury Bazaar
Keep in mind that when it comes to actually getting a large amount of appropriately color-matched and size-matched rare stones, the best-case-scenario wholesale figures often go out the window. Getting a stone “on call” can add 30-40% to the cost. “38-carat flawless diamonds are not exactly lying around on the shelves to be bought,” Roman added. “And matching collections of 150+ carats is also not an easy feat.”
So, all that considered, an approximate 7x markup over theoretical raw material cost (not including any workmanship) doesn’t sound all that unreasonable from a name brand like Graff. Well, certainly no more unreasonable than paying a $17 million premium for a watch because a really cool actor wore it. Both of Graff’s masterpieces use quartz movements, which is understandable, as their owners likely would want to minimize any fiddling with the crown. So whether or not the Graff Hallucination is truly the world’s most valuable watch, it’s certainly the most expensive quartz watch.
Graff Watch Specs
| Fascination | Hallucation | |
| MSRP | $40 million | $55 million |
| Limited Edition | 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Gemsetting | 152.96 ct. diamonds (including removable ring featuring a flawless 38.13-ct. pear-cut diamond) | 110 ct. diamonds (various colors and cuts) |
| Movement | Quartz (Hours, Minutes) | Quartz (Hours, Minutes) |
Most Expensive Haute Joallerie Watch for Men: Jacob & Co. Billionaire Timeless Treasure
For many people, Jacob & Co. is the first name that comes to mind when it comes to ostentatious top-notch jewelry. Although it isn’t as expensive as Graff’s over-the-top masterpieces, the $20 million retail price of the Billionaire Timeless Treasure makes it the most expensive high-jewelry wristwatch for men. It’s covered in color-matched yellow diamonds–not yellow sapphires–which are outrageously costly. Jacob & Co. estimates that about 880 carats of yellow diamonds (pre-cut) were necessary.
Jacob & Co. Billionaire Timeless Treasure Specs
| Model Name | Billionaire Timeless Treasure |
| Movement Caliber | JCAM39 (Manual-wind, 6 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, Minutes, Tourbillon |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Case Size | 43.5mm x 52.2mm |
| Case Thickness | 12mm |
| Material | 18k Yellow Gold |
| Caseback | Sapphire Crystal |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Dial | Open |
| Gem-setting | 482 Yellow Diamonds (216.89 ct.) 76 Tsavorites (3.59 ct.) |
| Limited Edition | 1 piece |
| MSRP | $20 million |
Priceless Art Watches > 250 Years Old
The “Jehan Cremsdorff Enamel Watch,” made in the mid-1600’s, exemplifies the mastery of multiple artistic crafts. The watch features intricate enamel artistry on the dial and inner lid, with floral artistry done in high relief on the front and back of the case. It achieved stratospheric auction results (over $2.7 million) when it went up for sale in 2019. That makes it the most expensive 17th-century watch in the world in terms of recorded sale price.
However, there are other extremely old artistic enamel masterpiece watches that could be rightly classified as “priceless” as well, and they don’t turn up in many “most expensive watch” lists because, well, they never come up for sale. For example, Patek maintains a museum with not only their own historically important watches (including Queen Victoria’s Patek Philippe pendant watch from the mid-1800’s) but also some jaw-dropping enamel masterpieces from other artisans that are arguably on par with the Cremsdorff. So, just keep in mind that the hierarchy of “price” is somewhat subjective when you get to a certain level of historical significance. But it would be hard not to classify any of Patek’s museum pieces as among the most expensive watches in the world.
Most Expensive Watch Brand Producing >1,000 Units Annually: Richard Mille
While many of the world’s most expensive watches are undoubtedly quite old, the top tiers of the collecting world are becoming more receptive to new ultra-high-end avant-garde creations as well. Excluding small-volume superstar artisans like Kari Voutilanen and Philippe Dufour, the most expensive watch brand in terms of median new sale price is likely Richard Mille. Many watch brands have pieces priced well into six figures, but Richard Mille makes numerous watches that actually regularly sell at those prices.
Most Expensive Richard Mille at Retail: RM UP-01 Ferrari
The most expensive Richard Mille of all (at retail price) is the preposterously-thin RM UP-01 Ferrari model. Its 1.75mm height is even slimmer than the thinnest offerings from Bulgari and Piaget, who had previously been vying with each other for the title of world’s thinnest mechanical watch.
Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari Specs
| Model | RM UP-01 Ferrari |
| Case Material | Grade 5 Titanium |
| Case Diameter | 39mm |
| Case Thickness | 1.75mm |
| Movement | RMUL2 (Manual-wind, can withstand > 5,000 g’s) |
| Power Reserve | 45 hours |
| Water Resistance | 10m |
| Limited Edition | 150 Pieces |
| MSRP (2023) | $1,975,000 |
With a $1,975,000 price tag, Richard Mille’s ultra-thin Ferrari collaboration is the highest-priced watch in their prestigious catalog. However, MSRP and market value are two different things.
One should take MSRP with a grain of salt when it comes to RM. The retail price is irrelevant, and in many cases you have pieces that trade up to 5x MSRP. A good example of that are the crystal-case pieces: the first crystal RM tourbillon (RM 56) retailed for just under a million dollars. In today’s market you will need to spend $4 million+ if you can find one.
Roman Sharf, CEO of Luxury Bazaar
Indeed, the tourbillon models with sapphire cases are the most expensive Richard Mille watches of all. In fact, crystal RM’s just might be the most expensive modern sports watches in the world, which brings us to our next topic:
Most Expensive Modern Sports Watch in the World: Crystal Richard Mille Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon
To most watch collectors, sports watches are king, so it’s counterintuitive that watches reaching into the eight-figure price range are almost always dress watches or pocket watches. But as far as modern sports watches go, Richard Mille models with sapphire crystal cases are at the top of the pyramid.
Richard Mille has now made a handful of models–each produced in tiny quantities–with sapphire crystal cases. Making an entirely sapphire case is not easy. Richard Mille starts with a single block of sapphire:
40 days, 24/7 of continuous machining are required in order to produce one case followed by 400 hours of machining and finishing for the different movement bridges.
RichardMille.com describing the RM 56-02
Even a “typical” RM56 would likely sell for over $4 million, and figure an extra million on top if you want the pièce unique “Saphir Zakk” version with red accents.
RM also released five examples of the RM 56 in brown sapphire, and a few one-of-one brown sapphire masterpieces like the RM 52-06 Brown Sapphire “Mask.” But in our opinion the very most expensive crystal Richard Mille, and therefore likely the most expensive non-vintage sports watch in the world, is the RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon with a sapphire case, only five of which were made. There is literally a sapphire dragon sculpture in the tourbillon.
Crystal Richard Mille RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon Specs
| Case Material | Sapphire |
| Case Diameter | 42.7mm |
| Case Thickness | 14.6mm |
| Movement | RM57-03 Calibre (Manual-wind) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, tourbillon encased by sapphire dragon sculpture |
| Bracelet/Strap | Black rubber strap |
| Limited Edition | 5 Pieces |
| Estimated Market Price (2023) | $5.5-7 million |
Most Expensive Ladies’ Watch: Crystal Richard Mille RM07-02
The most expensive ladies’ watch in the world (unless you count the Marie Antoinette, of course) is probably also a crystal Richard Mille. RM07-02 models were made in a variety of colors of breathtaking sapphire cases with a more feminine 32.9mm diameter.
Ladies’ Crystal Richard Mille Specs
| Model | RM 07-02 |
| Case Material | Sapphire |
| Case Diameter | 32.9mm |
| Case Thickness | 14.4mm |
| Movement | CRMA5 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, variable-geometry rotor |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Estimated Market Price (2023) | $1.5-1.9 million |
Most Expensive Automatic Watch: Patek Philippe “Tiffany” Nautilus
The Patek Philippe Nautilus “Tiffany” (ref. 5711/1A-018) was released in 2021 with much fanfare. Although one sold at auction for $6.5 million in 2021, making it the only modern sports watch to ever sell for over $6 million, another example sold more recently for “only” $3.2 million. The turquoise color of the dial is quite appealing, but it’s unlikely that a Tiffany Nautilus would outprice the most desirable crystal Richard Milles at auction these days. Nevertheless, as men’s crystal RM’s, Paul Newman Rolex Daytonas, and most historically significant complicated watches are all manual-wind, the turquoise Nautilus holds the title of most expensive automatic watch in the world.
Patek Philippe Tiffany Nautilus Specs
| Model | Nautilus “Tiffany & Co.” |
| Reference | 5711/1A-018 |
| Case Diameter | 40 millimeters |
| Case Thickness | 8.3 millimeters |
| Dial | Turquoise with “Tiffany & Co.” stamp |
| Movement | Caliber 26-330 S C (Automatic, 8 beats/sec) |
| Power Reserve | 45 hours |
| Water Resistance | 120 meters |
| Limited Edition | 170 pieces |
| Most Recent Sale Price | $3.2 million (2022) |
Most Expensive Audemars Piguet: Engraved Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Tourbillon
A one-of-a-kind textured white gold Black Panther Royal Oak Concept from Audemars Piguet was sold for $5.2 million at Only Watch 2021, making it the most expensive Audemars Piguet ever sold. It’s also currently the world’s most expensive modern sports watch if you go by most recent publicly-known sale price, but keep in mind that late 2021 was a “peak” for watch prices in general. If the engraved Black Panther Concept, a Tiffany Nautilus, and a crystal-case Richard Mille Sapphire Dragon Tourbillon all went up for auction today, the AP would be unlikely to come out on top.
250 AP Black Panthers were made with titanium cases and ceramic bezels, and those go for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But this is the only white gold one; the case is engraved with the Widmanstätten Pattern and the strap gets an interesting texture as well.
| Model | Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Tourbillon Edition made for Only Watch 2021 |
| Case Material | 18k White Gold with Engraved Widmanstätten Pattern |
| Case Diameter | 42mm |
| Case Thickness | 14.6mm |
| Dial | Sapphire Crystal with Hand-painted Black Panther figure |
| Movement | Caliber 2965 (Manual-wind, 6 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, flying tourbillon |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Limited Edition | 1 piece |
| Bracelet/Strap | Textured purple rubber strap with folding white gold clasp |
Most Expensive Rolex at MSRP: Pave Diamond Meteorite Sky-Dweller
We already discussed Paul Newman’s Paul Newman Daytona, the most valuable Rolex in terms of market price, but some people are curious about the most expensive Rolex in terms of retail price too. With an MSRP of well over $500,000, the off-catalog diamond-covered meteorite-dial Rolex Sky-Dweller released in 2021 (ref. 326959TBR), like the one in Richard Heart’s watch collection, is the most expensive known Rolex ever made as far as list price goes.
Rolex Sky-Dweller 326959 TBR Specs
| Model | Sky-Dweller |
| Reference | 326959 TBR |
| Case Material | 18k White Gold set with diamonds |
| Case Diameter | 42 millimeters |
| Movement | Caliber 9001 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, second time zone, annual calendar |
| Dial | Meteorite with diamond baguette hour markers |
| Bracelet/Strap | 18k White Gold Oyster bracelet set entirely with diamonds |
| Year Produced | 2021 only |
| Market Price (2023) | $1 million |
Most Expensive “Independent” Watch: Philippe Dufour Grande et Petite Sonnerie
While everyone knows the name “Rolex,” an increasing number of small independent brands are making stunning watches, too. Many watchmakers would argue that chiming complications are the most difficult to make of all. Perpetual calendars and tourbillons are impressive, but nowadays “budget-luxury” brands like Frederique Constant are more than capable of making a watch with both of those complications. You can even find watches with Chinese tourbillon movements for under a thousand dollars. But you won’t find any thousand-dollar grande sonnerie watches.
A grande sonnerie is a watch that chimes the time every 15 minutes. It will sound one tone for the hours, and another sound for the quarter-hours, so 4:30 would be “bong-bong-bong-bong bing-bing” for example. A petite sonnerie is the exact same thing, except it doesn’t “bong” the hours every fifteen minutes–only on the hour. At 4:30 it would just say “bing-bing.”
Both types of sonneries are amazingly complex and difficult to pull off, but Philippe Dufour–widely regarded as one of the world’s great living watchmakers–was the first person to make a “petite et grande sonnerie” wristwatch. This means that you can use a slider on the watch to switch between “petite mode” or “grande mode.” Mind-blowingly complex mechanics.
A rose gold 1995 Philippe Dufour Grande et Petite Sonnerie (GS 1) sold for $7.63 million in 2021, making it the most expensive watch from a small-volume independent watchmaker. Dufour also made one with an exhibition dial in 1999 (GS 8) that could conceivably outprice that if it ever comes up for sale!
It should be noted that Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet are legitimately independent watch houses, but in watch collector terms, “independent” usually refers to individual artisans or small companies with annual watch outputs in the 5-5,000 range. And there’s really only one independent watchmaker whose pieces realistically compete with Dufour’s resale prices: the late great George Daniels, which brings us to our next category:
Most Expensive Non-Swiss Watches
It’s no surprise that Switzerland dominates any list of expensive watches. But it’s a bit shocking just how dominant the Swiss are at the upper echelons of the watch collecting world: the only non-Swiss watches to ever be sold at auction for more than a million dollars were either handmade by George Daniels or worn on the moon.
Most Expensive English Watch: George Daniels
George Daniels was one of the most important watchmakers in recent history, and one of the few elite non-Swiss watchmakers on this list. It’s difficult to overstate how brilliant he was; he could make cases, movements, and dials by hand himself.
Daniels is best known for inventing the co-axial escapement, which has been used by Omega since 1999, but he also personally handmade 27 masterpiece-level watches in his lifetime. Each and every one is a multimillion-dollar auction price waiting to happen, but they rarely come up for sale. “Daniels London” is proudly displayed at the bottom of each dial.
Most Expensive German Watch: A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication
A. Lange & Söhne is widely regarded as the highest-end watchmaker in Germany, and they really outdid themselves with the Grand Complication, part of the 1815 family. With 867 parts, this 50mm beast had a price tag of $2.6 million when it was released in 2013, but it’s anyone’s guess what it would go for if one ever hits the open market.
| Model Name | 1815 Grand Complication |
| Reference | 912.032F |
| Case Material | 18k Pink Gold |
| Case Diameter | 50mm |
| Case Thickness | 20.3mm |
| Movement | Caliber L1902 (Manual-wind) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, calendar, day, moonphase, chiming mechanism, chronograph |
| Power Reserve | 30 hours |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
Most Expensive Japanese Watch: Grand Seiko SLGT001
Although Japan dominated the watch world from about 1970-1990, revolutionizing the industry in the process, ultra-high-end Japanese watches have never gotten the same attention from collectors as their Swiss counterparts. No Japanese watch has ever been sold for a million dollars–or even a half-million quite yet–but Seiko is getting there. Their ultra-luxe dress watch brand, Credor, has multiple offerings with retail prices over $300,000. There’s a 112-jewel Spring Drive minute repeater with a gong specially made by an artisanal blacksmith (ref. GBLS998), as well as the Fugaku (ref. GBCC999), a tourbillon watch crafted by four absolute master artisans in their fields (lacquering, carving, design and watchmaking).
But the most expensive Seiko of all is actually from Grand Seiko, a brand priced “below” Credor that has much more of an enthusiast following due to their sportier designs. Most Grand Seikos have retail prices comparable to Rolex, but there are also “Micro Artist Studio” Grand Seikos made by their most skilled artisans that have more Patek-like prices. And the craziest Grand Seiko yet is the Kodo, a platinum-and-titanium watch that debuted in 2020 featuring a constant-force tourbillon. Only a handful of high-end watch brands have ever managed to create a constant-force tourbillon watch; it’s a relatively new innovation. Initially, 20 Kodos were made, with the reference number SLGT003 and a retail price of $350,000. Phillips sold a Kodo SLGT001, which is a pièce unique with a fully titanium case, for $478,800 in 2022.
Grand Seiko Kodo Specs
| Model | Kodo |
| Reference | SLGT003, SLGT001 |
| Movement | 9ST1 (Manual-wind, 8 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, co-axial tourbillon with constant force mechanism |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Case Diameter | 43.8mm |
| Case Thickness | 12.9mm |
| Case Material | SLGT003: Platinum/Titanium SLGT001: Titanium |
| Water Resistance | 100m |
| Dial | Open |
| Limited Edition | SLGT003: 20 pieces SLGT001: 1 piece |
| Bracelet/Strap | Lacquered calfskin strap with platinum deployant clasp |
| MSRP | $350,000 |
Most Expensive American Watch: Dave Scott’s Moon-Worn Bulova
The most expensive American-made watch of all time gained most of its market value because of its historical provenance. A Bulova chronograph that was worn by Colonel Dave Scott on the Moon was sold for $1,625,000 in 2015, and it would surely sell for far more today. Bulova enjoyed playing up their Moon heritage, and in 2018 Scott sued Citizen (owner of Bulova since 2008) for using his name and likeness so much that he felt he was construed as an endorser.
Most Expensive New Watch Brand: Purnell
It’s no surprise when watches from old established names like Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin cross the million-dollar line at auction. But a strong number of relatively new independent brands are beginning to reach stratospheric auction heights, too. Richard Mille and FP Journe have reached well into the seven-figure range at auction, and some even newer brands look poised to do the same. One worth mentioning in particular is Purnell.
The Purnell Escape II Absolute Sapphire “Hancock Red” takes their groundbreaking double triple-axis tourbillon movement and places it in a case crafted entirely from one piece of red sapphire. With a list price around $2.5 million, the “Hancock” is surely among the most expensive watches from a relatively new brand.
Purnell Escape II Unique Absolute Sapphire “Hancock Red” Specs
| Model | Escape II Unique Absolute Sapphire “Hancock Red” |
| Case Material | Red Sapphire |
| Case Diameter | 48 millimeters |
| Movement | Caliber P03 (Manual-winding, 6 beats per second) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, power reserve indicator, double triple-axis tourbillon |
| Dial | Smoked Sapphire |
| Water Resistance | 30 meters (100 feet) |
| Bracelet/Strap | White fabric strap |
| MSRP | $2.5 million |
Most Expensive Serially-Produced Quartz Watch: FP Journe Élégante
The FP Journe ÉlĂ©gante is the most expensive serially-produced quartz-powered watch that we know of. With a market price around $150,000, the 40mm titanium variant covered in 604 diamonds is probably the priciest one in particular. Journe uses lug-to-lug sizes for his models, so the “40mm” ÉlĂ©gante actually has a width of 35mm.
In order to save battery power, the hands of the watch “sleep” when the watch has been unmoved for 35 minutes, and “wake up” upon movement, quickly and smoothly advancing to the correct current time. A mechanical motion detector located at 4 o’clock helps make that possible. With 18 jewels, 132 parts and beautiful finishing on display through an exhibition caseback, Journe’s Calibre 1210 is anything but a typical quartz movement.
FP Journe Élégante Specs
| Model Name | Élégante 40mm Titanium Watch with 12 Rows of Diamonds and Set Bracelet |
| Case Material | Titanium |
| Case Diameter | 35mm |
| Case Thickness | 7.35mm |
| Movement | Caliber 1210 (Quartz) |
| Functions | Hours, Minutes, Seconds, “Rest” feature (Hands stop when unworn and advance to the correct time when worn again) |
| Bracelet/Strap | Diamond-set titanium + rubber strap |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Gem-setting | 604 brilliant-cut VS1 F/G diamonds (~4.8ct) |
| Market Value (2023) | ~$150,000 |
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the world’s most expensive watches. Whether you’re looking for haute horlogerie, haute joaillerie, hype, or history, there are more ways than ever to strap a fortune to your wrist.
