When most people think of expensive watches, one name usually springs to mind – Rolex. If you’re a bit more savvy, names like Hublot, Panerai, Breitling, IWC, and Cartier may have crossed your path at some time or the other. It is true, they are relatively expensive with entry level pricing just above the $3500.00 mark for some of those brands. However, to be in the category of ‘most expensive’, especially in the luxury watch market, that takes something special.
Here is a list of the 5 most expensive watches in the world:
Chopard 201 Carat Watch – $25 Million
Founded in 1860 by Louis Ulysse Chopard, this luxury brand which produces fragrances, eyewear, and jewelry has also been responsible for making some of the world’s most precise and iconic, Swiss timepieces. The 201 Carat Watch, so named, because it actually has 201 carats of diamonds is a breathtaking example of ‘Haute Joaillerie’. This is truly a one-of-a-kind piece and is the embodiment of the term ‘jewelry watch’. This piece features 3 heart shaped diamonds, 289 pear shaped diamonds, 139 round brilliants, and 443 canary diamonds. Overkill, you say? Maybe, but this piece sold for over $25 million at an auction between 2000 and 2001, makes it the world’s most expensive watch.
Patek Philippe Henry Graves Super Complication Pocket Watch – $11 Million
No list in Horology is complete without a few entries from this watchmaking giant. As with so many things, there is usually an interesting story behind great leaps in innovation. The Super Complication Pocket Watch made for Henry Graves is no exception. Here’s how it went: Two friends, Henry Graves and James Packard, made a bet on owning the most complicated watch. Graves commissioned Patek Philippe, vastly outspending Packard in the process. The result: In 1933 Graves became the proud recipient of the most complicated watch at that time. The Super Complication Pocket Watch made in 18k gold has 24 chronological functions (one for each hour of the day), a chart of the night sky over New York, and a minute repeater that chimes like Big Ben.
Patek Philippe Ref. 1527 – $5 Million
This Patek Philippe creation is one of its lesser inspired pieces. However, there are a few things that stand out. Firstly, there is size; coming in at 37mm this watch would have been considered very large during the 40’s. The case design is also a bit ‘avant garde’ for this era. Initially regarded as an uncomplicated watch, the Ref. 1527 has a semi-perpetual calendar with day and month apertures with date display on a totalizer at the six o’ clock position. A moonphase, and chronograph function, add nicely to complete this wristwatch. Notable owners of this timepiece were the Stern family who actually owned Patek Philippe. With all that being said, the Ref. 1527 sold for $5 million (twice the lot estimate) at an auction in Geneva.
Breguet & Fils, Paris, No. 2667 Pocket watch – $4.7 Million
Breguet made this 18k piece for a Mr. Garcia who at that time (1814) purchased it for 5,000 francs. Among its many notable features is the movement which contains two complete mechanisms. What this means is that simultaneously the pocket watch displays two separate times each working independently of the other. In 1814, this was an unrivalled technical achievement. Even by today’s standards of Haute Horlogerie it is still impressive. At 63.7mm diameter, the 2667, is pretty imposing yet still elegant owing to its deceptively simplistic looks.
Louis Moinet Meteoris Tourbillion Watch Set – $4.6 Million
The Meteoris watch set, which comes complete with a mechanical planetarium is something to behold. The set comprises of 4 unique watches, each dial is made from a different meteorite that fell to earth. The meteorites hail from Mars, Mercury, our very own Moon, and even an Asteroid! To top this off, the inclusion of a tourbillion mechanism which stops the effects of gravity on the escapement guaranteeing precise time, makes this watch a must have for the serious watch and astrological connoisseurs out there.
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