In the realm of luxury goods, watches have long held a place of paramount importance. These intricate timepieces, often adorned with precious stones like diamonds, precious metals like gold and platinum, and the intricate craftsmanship that goes into their making, represent not just a utilitarian accessory. But these are also a symbol of status, wealth, and perhaps, one might say impeccable taste.
These days, the world of horology is ever-expanding, as more and more monumental timepieces are coming out by the hour, pun intended. Yet, amid an ocean of some extravagant, some classics, and everything in between, only a few stand out for the exorbitant price tags accompanying them and their unprecedented opulence.
We've drafted this list of some of the world's most expensive timepieces and offered a justification for its pricing.
The most expensive watches in the world ranked
1) Graff Diamonds Hallucination
Price: $55 million
This diamond-studded timepiece has over 110 carats of opalescent stones encrusted over an invisible band that ties the whole thing together, making this piece arguably the most expensive piece ever created in the world. The self-winding clock itself is encrusted in pink diamonds.
The rare diamonds come in colors like Fancy Vivid Yellow, Fancy Intense Pink, Fancy Intense Blue, Fancy Light Pink, Fancy Light Grey Blue, Fancy Green, and Fancy Orange. The stones also come in various shapes, such as heart shape, pear shape, marquise, emerald, radiant, and round.
2) Graff Diamonds The Fascination
Price: $50 million
This piece retails for a whopping $50 million, which can be attributed to the 152.96 carats of white diamonds and the 38.13-carat ‘D Flawless’ pear-shaped diamond. As if that wasn't enough, it also has a rare stone that rests on the center of the piece, an 8.13-carat D Flawless pear-shaped diamond.
Furthermore, the piece serves a dual purpose: it can be worn as a diamond bracelet or a ring. The piece was displayed for the world to admire at Baselworld in April 2015. The company's founder, Laurence Graff, had a major role in crafting the design and creation.
3) Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010
Price: $31 million
Albeit a far cry from its predecessors on this list, this timepiece was sold for a whopping $31 million back in November 2019 at an auction, making it the most expensive watch in the world at the time. According to the website, the watch came out in 2014 as a token of the company's 175th anniversary.
Furthermore, it has been dubbed the "most complex Patek Philippe wristwatch" to date. Reportedly, about seven years and over 100,000 hours went into making the piece, and the company had its alarm and date repeater patented.
4) Breguet Grande Complication Marie Antoinette
Price: $30 million
This pocket watch was inspired by its namesake, and as per the website, it is still considered "the 5th most complicated in the world." This can be primarily attributed to some of its features, which include hours, minutes, seconds, and a calendar.
Other features also include the equation of time, a thermometer, and an indicator of the power reserve, among others. Also, it self-winds, known as perpétuelle in Breguet’s day. The build itself is made of pink gold, while the screws are made of blued steel, which had been polished.
5) Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette
Price: $26 million
This piece features several encrusted diamonds strewn across the band. The build is made of white gold, and the piece was crafted for Queen Elizabeth II as a gift for her 60th anniversary as monarch. Notably, she also wore an earlier version for her coronation, making the gift fitting.
The clock itself is encrusted beneath a sapphire glass. The watch has about five hundred seventy-seven diamonds etched into it, and its miniature caliber 101 movement has been dubbed one of the smallest in the world. Notably, the watch itself weighs only about 1 gram.
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So, from the watch Queen Elizabeth herself wore to the most "complicated watch in the world," these watches have been established in the world of horology as ones that will go down in history for their intricacy, beauty, and not to mention, their price tag.
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