What is the most expensive watch in the world? And why does it cost so much? Below, we tell you the what and the why—plus our list of nine other watches that give the titleholder a run for its money.
What Is The Most Expensive Watch In The World?
1. The Graff Diamonds Hallucination
Price: $55 million
Year: 2014
Priced at $55 million, this diamond-decked Graff masterpiece is said to be the most expensive watch in the world. It is made up of a total of 110 carats of colored diamonds, including pink, blue, green, orange, and yellow.
Natural fancy colored diamonds are incredibly rare and valuable—usually more so than white diamonds—and its unique combination of so many different colors creates a striking rainbow effect.
While baguette and round brilliant-cut diamonds are typically favored for diamond watches, Graff opted for a mix of heart, pear, emerald, marquise, and round diamonds.
A truly distinctive and inimitable watch, the Hallucination is a one-of-a-kind work of art.
The watch has a tiny dial allowing the diamonds to take prominence. A simple clasp is hidden once the bracelet is closed and only opens when pressure is applied on a specific diamond.
Part of the magic of this ladies' watch is that its ingenious, 'invisible' platinum gem setting creates the impression that the diamonds are held together by magic. It took gemologists, designers, and a team of craftsmen thousands of hours to create this showstopping watch.
The Hallucination was created by Laurence Graff, an English jeweler, who was born in 1938 and began his career with a teenage apprenticeship in Hatton Garden, before founding his own firm in the early 1960s.
The brand now boasts over 50 stores throughout the world. Graff has been credited with elevating the status of yellow diamonds from a cheap alternative to white diamonds to a valuable stone. His customers have included Oprah, Donald Trump, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth in 2013, Graff has played a pivotal role in shaping the UK jewelry industry. Looking to create something truly exceptional that showcased his love of diamonds, Graff began work on the Hallucination.
What Are The Most Expensive Watches In World?
2. The Graff Diamonds' Fascination
Price: $40 million
Year: 2015
Most jewelers would have stopped with The Hallucination. Not Graff. In 2015, he created The Fascination, a watch that incorporates 152.96 carats of colorless diamonds—including a 38.13 D flawless pear-shaped diamond in the center that doubles as either watch dial or (detachable) ring.
3. Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime
Price: $31 million
Year: 2019
When discussing high-end timepieces, Patek Philippe is a name closely associated with sophistication, prestige, and excellent craftsmanship. Within Patek Philippe's impressive collection of watches, there is one that truly stands out as the brand’s most costly ever sold: the Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010.
This timepiece achieved an unprecedented sale price of $31 million during a charitable auction held in Geneva in November 2019. The watch was specifically crafted to commemorate Patek Philippe's 175th anniversary and represents a genuine masterpiece of horology, boasting an array of 20 distinct complications, a stainless steel case, and a double-faced design.
What makes this achievement even more astounding is that despite the high price at auction, the Grandmaster Chime initially retailed for $2.6 million, underscoring the remarkable value it fetched during the auction.
4. The Breguet 1160
Price: $30 million
Date created: 2008
By legend, the original 1160 pocket watch was commissioned in 1783 for Marie Antoinette, who collected Breguet timepieces. Unfortunately, the French Revolution interfered and France's queen was never able to take ownership of her timepiece (which, in any case, was not completed until 1827—34 years after she went to the guillotine).
In 2004, Swatch Group founder Nicolas Hayek ordered the masterpiece to be reproduced from the drawings in the Breguet archives and the resulting watch was completed in 2008.
5. Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette
Price: $26 million
Year: 2012
Presented to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years on the throne, this bracelet watch incorporates 576 diamonds, a gray sapphire dial, and some of the smallest watch movements ever made.
6. Chopard 201-Carat Watch
Price: $25 million
Year: 2014
Essentially a diamond bracelet with a watch attached, this Chopard beauty incorporates three heart-shaped diamonds: a 15-carat pink, a 12-carat blue, and an 11-carat white—plus another 163 carats of white and canary diamonds.
7. Patek Philippe Supercomplication
Price: $24 million
Year: 1933
In 1925, American Henry Graves Jr. decided to commission the world’s 'most complicated timepiece' from Patek Philippe. Money was no object. The resulting pocket watch, which was not finished until 1932, had 24 complications would pass into legend—fetching $24 million when it came up for auction in Switzerland in 2014.
8. Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch
Price: $18 million
Year: 2018
A quartz watch with a 260-carat, blinged-out bracelet of emerald-cut diamonds (including a few of 3 carats each), this Jacob & Co. creation was purchased from Takashi Fukushima by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who also owns a closet full of Hermès Birkin bags and a Rolls Royce Phantom.
9. Paul Newman's Rolex Dayton
Price: $17.75 million
Year: 1960s
Proving that provenance matters as much as brand name, actor/race car driver Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona, a gift from his wife Joanne Woodward in the 1960s, fetched over $17.75 million when it came up for auction in 2017.
10. Patek Philippe 1518
Price: $11.1 million
Year: 1941
Part of a four-piece limited edition made by Patek Philippe, this watch was once owned by King Farouk and fetched $11.1 million when it came up for auction in 2016.
Made of steel (as opposed to the usual pink or yellow gold), this chronograph features 20 complications, including a perpetual calendar. Today, contemporary versions sell for prices that start around $300,000.
How To Buy A Luxury Watch Online?
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Each watch has been assessed and properly authenticated to guarantee that you are buying the real deal.
Browse our selection and get in touch if you have any questions and a member of our team will be sure to help you make a choice.
Looking To Sell Your Watch?
Selling your watch is made quick and easy with myGemma. We are a leading international luxury watch buying company, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a team of watch experts on hand to evaluate your timepiece. There are no costs or hidden fees deducted from your final offer, and we buy your watch directly meaning that we can have you paid in as little as 24 hours. Our process is simple:
- Fill out the online form.
- Receive a price range from our experts.
- Schedule an appointment at our offices. Or choose to complete your transaction from your own home and send your watch with our free shipping and insurance.
- Get paid.
Your watch will be insured for the top end of the price range we provide to you, and you are able to track it every step of the way. You will also receive notification once we receive it—on the following day.
Payment can be issued by check or wire and if you do not accept the offer, we will return your watch free of charge. Any questions? Give us a call on 646 569 3655 and we would be more than happy to explain our process further. Read reviews from hundreds of our satisfied customers.
Looking To Trade In Your Watch?
At myGemma we also offer an upgrade program, allowing you to trade-in your used luxury watch to buy a new timepiece. Receive up to 10% more on your offer in the form of store credit.
We understand that watch collections are something that continuously grow and evolve and that many watch collectors like to change out their old watches for something new. So take advantage of our upgrade program today by filling out the online form.
