Top 10 Most Expensive Watches Sold Till Date
Several auctions take place in a year, with each one having a few rare timepieces. The relevance of these watches and their rarity make them really desirable among watch collectors and enthusiasts alike. This is a list of some of those watches. While we can presume that not all of these expensive watches get recorded for privacy purposes, we were only able to use the publically available information to list down some of the rarest and most expensive pieces. As of today, these watches are the most expensive ones sold, but in the future, we might see some pieces surpass these ones. Until that happens, let’s dive in and take a look at these amazing timepieces.
Richard Mille RM 56-02 Sapphire
The Richard Mille RM 56-02 Sapphire is hands down one of the best looking RMs out there. First introduced in 2014, this Richard Mille watch features a sapphire case, a material known for its exceptional hardness and clarity. The watch’s movement is held onto the case using a unique cable system inspired by the RM 27-01 Rafael Nadal. This kind of a mechanism uses braided cables, which are just 0.35mm thick and they are supported by pulleys and a miniature ratchet to maintain precise tension.
Limited to only 10 pieces in the world, it was no surprise that this marvel made it to the list of the 10 most expensive watches sold. According to the data available, the watch was once sold for $2 million (roughly AED 7.35million).
Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4
With all the expensive RMs and Pateks in the world, I would be lying if I said I expected a Franck Muller in this list. But this one earned the spot (literally) by being sold for a whopping $2.7 million (roughly AED 10 million). Thanks to its 36 complications and 1,483 components, the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 is one of the most complicated wristwatches ever made. This is also what makes it quite rare and relevant to the watchmaking industry.
Hublot Big Bang Diamond
A list of the most expensive watches is literally incomplete without having a piece that is completely covered in diamonds. This Hublot Big Bang Diamond just fills that spot right. At a jaw-dropping bid of $5 million (approx AED 18.35 million), this Hublot watch is definitely the flashiest of all.
Vacheron Constantin 57260
While most of the timepeices here are wrist watches, this one stands out of the crowd being a pocket watch. Even though the era and trend of pocket watches is long gone, they are still highly regarded by watch collectors around the globe. This Vacheron Constantin 57260 is an example of such pocket watches as it once fetched over $8 million, which converts to around AED 29.4 million. Introduced back in 2015, this highly complicated watch features a total of 57 complications!
Patek Philippe 1518 Stainless Steel
Sold for $11 million (roughly AED 40.4 million), this Patek Philippe 1518 is a limited edition watch released way back in 1943. Only 4 of these pieces were ever made, making it extremely rare.
Rolex Daytona – Paul Newman
If you are a watch enthusiast, then you already saw this one coming. The Paul Newman Daytona is insanely popular, and people pay crazy prices to get one in mint condition, especially if it is a full set. While this Rolex Daytona reference 6239 is itself a very expensive and rare piece, the one that fetched the most money was Paul Newman’s personal Daytona watch. It was auctioned off for about $17.75 million (roughly AED 65.2 million).
Jacob & Co Billionaire Watch
Jacob & Co is known for designing some extraordinary watches. Considering the brand is still relatively new when compared to some older players, Jacob & Co has definitely done some great work over the years. One of those epice creations has been this Jacob & Co Billionaire watch. With over 260 carat baguette cut diamonds, this one is definitely a head turner. To get that attention in the room, you are looking to pay about $18 million or about AED 66 million for those living in the UAE.
Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication
It is called the Super Complication for a reason. Named after Henry Graves, an American Banker, this timepiece is crafted out of gold and it is still known to be the world’s most complicated watch built by hand. The watch offers over 24 different functions, including a perpetual calendar, Westminster chimes, and more. Something that stands out on this piece as soon as you look at it is the celestial map replicating to that of the what was seen from Grave’s apartment in New York. This super complicated timepiece has fetched over $24 million (roughly 88.1 million).
Breguet Marie Antoinette Grande Complication
This $30 million Breguet pocket watch was made for the famous French queen Marie-Antoinette. The watch was commissioned to Breguet by a secret admirer of the queen. But sadly, the watch never made it to her hands as it was only completed 34 years after she passed away.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime
One of the most expensive Patek Philippe watches ever sold has to be this Grandmaster Chime. Released in 2014 to celebrate the brand’s 175th anniversary, this one-of-a-kind watch features a whopping 20 complications. The watch was auctioned back in 2019 and it attracted the highest bid of $33.6 million, roughly converting to around AED 123.4 million.
