6 Most Expensive Wristwatches in the World

We all know how expensive luxury items are. Precious pieces of jewelry and clothes from high fashion cost quite a lot. Another quite expensive thing is luxury watches. Well, luxury watches are expensive in their own right, but some pieces get too expensive because people already consider them relics or timepieces of cultural importance! Considering these timepieces’ worth and how the best watchmakers in the world take time to create these with the best materials, it just deserves its price. Some people no longer regard their luxury watch purchase as a luxury, but more as an investment. Allow us to walk you through the most expensive wristwatches in the world!

1. Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime

Patek Philippe watches currently hold the record for being the most expensive wristwatch in history. An anonymous telephone bidder bought it from the auction of Christie’s Only Watch last November 9, 2019. This auction was held in Geneva. The bidding took only 5 minutes with its hammer price of $31.2 million. This auction had 2 Patek Philippe watches. What is special about this is that the Grandmaster Chime has two dials. You get one in front and one at the back. It even has 20 different functions.

This price might be a lot of money, but the auctioneers raised this for a cause. Christie’s Only Watch will donate a part of the hammered price to the research for a condition called Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

2. Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona

Before the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime became the most expensive watch, the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona held the record by being sold off at an auction for $15.5 million in 2017. This watch used to rest on the wrist of movie star and racecar driver Paul Newman. The timepiece was a gift from his wife, Joanne Woodward, last 1968 because of his love for racing. It even has an engraving: “Drive Carefully”. Ever since this has been one of the watches that watch collectors have always wanted to have. After 12 minutes, an anonymous phone buyer bought the precious watch. At the time, its price almost had the same value as 9,030 2017 Rolex Daytonas.

3. Patek Philippe Ref 1518 In Steel

Patek Philippe yet again is present in the list of the most expensive watches with its Patek Philippe Ref 1518 in Steel. We know why Patek Philippe watches, in general, are very precious. Expert watchmakers manufacture Patek Philippe watches with the utmost intricacy that a single basic watch takes about 9 months to be finished. Since it was established in 1839, Patek Philippe has only released less than a million watches—which is quite a few compared to other luxury watch brands of its tier.

Now, for this particular watch, watch connoisseurs worship the Patek Philippe Ref 1518 because only four models of this watch are ever created. This 1941 watch was the first-ever watch in its time to have a chronograph and a perpetual calendar. If you look at the watch, it is quite complex. You will immediately know how complicated its engineering is and how extraordinary Patek Philippe watches are to ever execute such technology during the time. This even makes it a historical piece. With this, it no longer comes as a surprise that it would reach a harking price of over $11 million at an auction in Phillips, Geneva in November 2016.

4. Louis Moinet Meteoris Collection

Louis Moinet is the father of chronograph watches by inventing such watches and by creating limited-edition Swiss watches. With this, our next expensive watches are named after him. The Meteoris Collection features four watches that also showcase precious stones. What makes it extra special—which also was implied by its title—are meteorite pieces that watchmakers fused into the dials. On top of this, each timepiece is unique from the other. Its Tourbillon Mars timepiece has a piece of the Jiddat al Harasis 479 meteorite. This meteorite is a legitimate meteorite that fell to the Earth from Mars. Oh, and did we mention that this meteorite is about 180 million-year-old? Maybe you can imagine how expensive meteorites are. Martian meteorites can cost about $1,000 per gram. This is about 15 times the cost of gold. The Louis Moinet Meteoris collection costs about $4.6 million.

5. Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4

Upon seeing the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 watch, you would immediately know that it is valuable because of its complicated dials. This 1000-year calendar watch is as special as having 36 complications and 1483 individual components. This fits the experimental watch collector with a lot of its eclectic features.

It is eclectic enough that the watch is even dubbed as the “Master of Complications” by some watch connoisseurs. Its watchmakers have embedded a lot of utilities into its Mega 4 model. It even has a back case made from glass sapphire and a tourbillon piece on the dial. The Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 watch costs about $2.7 million.

6. Rolex Paul Newman Ref. 6264 ‘John Player Special’ – £1.145 million

This valuable watch got its name from the colors of the Formula 1 Lotus Car from the John Player Special. This Rolex ref. 6264 is said to be only one of the 10 watches Rolex has manufactured in yellow, gold and black. It was hammered at an auction at Sotheby, London for a price of over $1.5 million. Because of this, it held the place for being the most expensive watch sold in the UK. It also holds the record for being the most expensive watch sold in an auction online.

Have a valuable watch, yourself

Without a doubt, luxury watches are expensive enough. How much more are priceless watches such as the ones above? These watches have remnants of the feats of human experience which is why they became quite expensive. One watch was used by a famous personality, the others were products of the extraordinary feats that man has achieved about watchmaking and many more. You may not think of it, but you can even have a valuable watch of your own! You can celebrate your milestones by investing in a good watch that will accompany you for all your struggles and success in life. That way, it becomes extra valuable and personal.

Also Read: 7 Top-Rated and Highly Classified Rolex Timepieces