From a dazzling $55 million diamond wristwatch to a historical timepiece commissioned for French royalty, we’ve compiled a list of the most expensive watches ever created.
Over the years, certain timepieces have achieved extraordinary value due to their unique design, rarity, and historical significance. These luxury watches represent the pinnacle of watchmaking, where precision meets artistry.
The Most Expensive Watches
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10. Hublot Big Bang – $5 Million
The Hublot Big Bang watch is decorated with 1,282 diamonds, including over 100 carats of baguette diamonds and six emerald-cut diamonds weighing more than three carats each.
In 2012, Beyoncé famously purchased this watch as a birthday gift for her husband, Jay-Z, adding to its celebrity attraction. The Big Bang is a shining example of Hublot’s bold and luxurious design philosophy.
9. Vacheron Constantin 57260 – $8 Million
With 57 complications, 2826 components, and 242 jewels, the Vacheron Constantin 57260 is a marvel of watchmaking complexity.
It took eight years to design and construct and is estimated to have been commissioned for a private client at a cost of $8 million. This watch exemplifies the brand’s commitment to continuously pushing the boundaries.
8. Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 – $11.1 Million
In 2016, the stainless steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 was sold at auction for over $11 million.
Introduced in 1941, it was the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch produced in a series.
7. Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona – $17.8 Million
This iconic Rolex Daytona, once owned by actor and racing enthusiast Paul Newman, sold for an astounding $17.8 million in 2017. The 1968 Daytona reference 6239 features an Art Deco style and is engraved with “Drive Carefully, Me,” a message from Newman’s wife, actress Joanne Woodward.
Newman later gifted the watch to his daughter’s boyfriend, who auctioned it to benefit the Nell Newman Foundation, making it a piece rich in both history and sentimental value.
6. Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch – $18 Million
The Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch lives up to its name with 260 carats of emerald-cut diamonds set in 18K white gold.
The watch seamlessly integrates the bracelet and watch face, creating a luxurious and cohesive design. With 167 individual components and 19 jewels, its’ the perfect bling for celebrities like Floyd Mayweather who like to have their wrists sparkling.
5. Patek Philippe Supercomplication – $24 Million
The Patek Philippe Supercomplication is a gold pocket watch created in 1933 for banker Henry Graves Jr.
It took five years to design and build and includes 24 complications, such as a perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset times, and a celestial chart based on Graves’ New York apartment. Another of Patek’s most unique pieces they have ever made.
4. Chopard 201-Carat Watch – $25 Million
This stunning Chopard watch features 874 diamonds totaling 201 carats, arranged in a breathtaking array of colors.
The centerpiece includes three heart-shaped diamonds in yellow, pink, and blue. The intricate design and the sheer number of diamonds make this watch seriously stand out, but not as much as its hidden feature.
When the spring-loaded mechanism is activated, the three heart-shaped stones open like flower petals, revealing a pavé-set watch face adorned with three pear-shaped yellow diamonds totalling 8.45 carats.
It’s an extremely rare watch that is even hard to find a clear picture of.
3. Breguet No. 160 – $30 Million
The Breguet No. 160, also known as the Marie Antoinette, was commissioned for the French queen by one of her admirers.
Abraham-Louis Breguet began the project in 1782, but Marie Antoinette was executed before its completion. The watch was finally finished in 1827 by Breguet’s son. It boasts every known complication of its time, including a thermometer, chime, and perpetual calendar. After being stolen in 1983 from the L.A. Mayer Museum in Jerusalem, it was eventually recovered and remains on display there.
2. Graff Diamonds The Fascination – $40 Million
Graff Diamonds is renowned for creating opulent diamond jewelry, and The Fascination watch is no exception. This exquisite piece features 152.96 carats of white diamonds, with a detachable 38.14-carat D Flawless pear-shaped diamond at its centre.
This diamond can be removed and worn as a ring, adding to the watch’s versatility. The Fascination is a testament to Graff’s mastery in merging high-end jewellry with horology.
1. Graff Diamonds Hallucination – $55 Million
Topping the list is the Graff Diamonds Hallucination, unveiled at the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair. This extraordinary watch is crafted from 110 carats of diamonds in a kaleidoscope of colors, including Fancy Pink, Fancy Yellow, Fancy Green, and Fancy Blue.
The diamonds are cut in various shapes such as emerald, heart, pear, marquise, and round, making this watch a spectacular fusion of art and luxury and one of the most impressive showcases of Graff’s expertise.