A pre-eminent creator of custom rubber watch straps, Rubber B has spent the last several years crafting watch straps for watches for some of the most highly respected watchmakers in both Europe and North America, including Rolex and Patek Philippe. This is fitting because both of these watchmakers will be prominently featured in this article, which focuses on which watches are the most expensive timepieces in the world.
However, the most expensive watch in the world was not made by either of these companies, but by another party entirely. We will now take a few moments to explore these timepieces in greater detail below, including information on both their pricing and the stories behind the watches.
1. Graff Diamonds – Hallucination – $55 Million
The most expensive watch in the world is the Graff Diamonds “Hallucination” Timepiece, which, if it were available for retail, would be worth $55 million. The Graff Diamonds Hallucination watch made its first appearance at Baselworld in 2014, where it quickly generated a lot of press due to both its immense price tag and its opulent appearance.
The reason that this timepiece is so expensive is not because of what the watch is made out of, at least in a technical sense, but what is on the outside of it. The entire timepiece is covered in a series of brightly covered diamonds in different cuts, totaling 110 carats in all.
Lawrence Graff, the owner of Graff diamonds and the man who conceived of the piece initially, stated that “The Graff Hallucination is a sculptural masterpiece; a celebration of the miracle of colored diamonds. For many years I have thought about creating a truly remarkable watch that illustrates our all-consuming passion for diamonds. The Hallucination has made my diamond dream a reality.”
2. Graff Diamonds – The Fascination – $40 Million
Also occupying the second spot on this list, Graff Diamonds is a jeweler that is well-known for combining artistry and opulence. This timepiece contains almost 153 carats of white diamonds and a large, 38-carat pear-shaped diamond in the center of the watch. Additionally, the diamond dial can also be worn as a ring as well.
And while the dial on the Hallucination is small and somewhat difficult to read, The Fascination has a considerably larger and more legible dial, making it an easier watch to use for telling time than its more opulent predecessor on this list.
3. Patek Philippe – Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 – $31 Million
The Grandmaster Chime was produced by well-known Swiss watch manufacturer Patek Philippe and stands out for a number of reasons in addition to its price. It features 20 complications, two of which were specially patented for this watch: one was an alarm that struck a pre-determined alarm time, and the other was an option to sounds the date on demand whenever the wearer chose to do so. It should also be noted that this is the only version of this watch in the entire world, and that Patek Philippe will not produce another ever again.
The proceeds from the auction of this watch went to a good cause, as they were donated to the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy, which is a degenerative disease that affects the neuromuscular system.
4. Breguet – Grande Complication Marie Antoinette – $30 Million
The Breguet Grande Complication Marie Antoinette has a unique narrative surrounding it, as it is believed that the watch was commissioned by one of Marie Antoinette’s lovers before the beginning of the French Revolution. However, because the timepiece took 40 years to manufacture, she would not live to see its completion.
Many years later, in the early 1900’s, the watch would be stolen, but it was successfully recovered afterward and is now housed in the L.A. Meyer museum, where it is currently available for purchase.
The watch is completely encased in gold and contains every complication that was in existence at the time, including a thermometer and perpetual calendar.
5. Jaeger-LeCoultre – Joaillerie 101 Manchette – $26 million
Well-regarded Swiss watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre created this elegant timepiece as a gift to England’s Queen Elizabeth II in honor of the 60th year of her reign, which was back in 2012. Because of the intended recipient of the piece, Jaeger-LeCoultre made a considerable effort to craft a piece that would be commensurate with the occasion it was crafted to mark.
The piece is made primarily from white gold and contains a series of polished diamond-set links. It is also powered by a miniature caliber 101 movement, which is one of the smallest in the world.
6. Chopard – 201-Carat – $25 million
The 201-Carat timepiece from Chopard, from a stylistic standpoint, is much more reminiscent of the first two entries on this list from Graff, as it shares a similar sensibility in terms of its opulent style. It contains 874 diamonds, equaling a grand total of 201 carats, and which come in a variety of different colors and cuts.
While there is a visible dial under all of the diamonds, it appears to be somewhat difficult to read, signifying that this watch is meant more as a display piece than it is to be used as an actual timepiece.
7. Patek Philippe – Henry Graves Supercomplication – $26 Million
This watch was originally crafted upon the special request of an extremely wealthy American banker named Henry Graves. The gold pocket watch took seven years to design and build, as computers were not yet widely available at the time, meaning all of the work had to be done completely by hand.
It includes a number of intriguing complications, including a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater that sounded with Westminister Chimes, an accurate display of sunrise and sunset times, and a celestial chart that depicted the appearance of the night sky from Graves’s home in New York.
The most beguiling part of this story though, is that the watch was sold to an anonymous bidder during an auction in November 2014, so no one knows who the current owner is as of this time.
8. Rolex – Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6239 – $18.7 Million
Simply put, to many watch collectors, owning this timepiece would be the Holy Grail for them. Very few watches have ever received the attention that this one has, and that is due entirely to the man who was its previous owner – legendary Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman.
When he wasn’t making movies, Newman had another interest that he was very passionate about – race car driving. His beloved wife, Joanne Woodard, had the piece specially commissioned, which is why it has the words “Drive Carefully” elegantly engraved on the back.
In his later years, he gave the watch as a gift to his daughter’s boyfriend, and when it ended up at auction in 2017, the entire bidding lasted all of 12 minutes before it was sold.
9. Jacob & Co. – Billionaire Watch – $18 million
If a watch is going to refer to itself as a “Billionaire Watch,” it is essential that it lives up to the bar it is setting for itself. In this particular instance, Jacob & Co. set a high standard for themselves, and they managed to successfully achieve it – and then some.
This watch has been covered in 189 carats of Akosha diamonds, which is a specialized cut that is designed to make the diamond look significantly bigger than a more traditional emerald cut. This timepiece contains a skeleton dial, which means that, ironically enough, this watch cannot tell time.
The skeleton dial does, however, allow one to see the intricately hand-crafted tourbillion movement at work, which is comprised of 167 elements and 18 jewels. The bracelet is made of 18K white gold and a rose-cut jewel is on the crown. In 2015, this watch was purchased by professional boxer Floyd Mayweather.
10 – Patek Philippe Stainless Steel Ref. 1518 – $12 Million
A part of a very limited series of only four watches, this watch is mainly sought after by collectors because of its case. Very few Patek Philippe watches have been produced in stainless steel – they are primarily manufactured from yellow or rose gold.
This timepiece also has an interesting historical component to its backstory as well. Released in 1941, it contained the first-ever perpetual calendar and chronograph to be contained in a wristwatch. The combination of the casing and complications combine to cause this watch to be worth $12 million.
11 – Patek Philippe Gobbi Milan “Heures Universelles” – $9 Million
There is a strong argument to be made that this is the most cosmopolitan timepiece on the list, because one of its primary draws is the fact that the dial allows a person to tell the time at anywhere in the world.
This is because the dial features the “Heures Universelles” system for telling time that was developed in the 1930’s by Louis Cottier. It is also worth noting that this watch is the only reference 2523 to contain the signatures of both Patek Philippe and Gobbi Milano.
12 – Vacheron Constantin 57260 – $8 million
Despite the fact that it was manufactured in 2015, everything about the Vacheron Constantin 57260 is shrouded in old-world elegance – up to and including the fact that it is a pocket watch, and one that was commissioned for a private client at that. Currently the most complicated watch in the world from a mechanical standpoint, this timepiece contains 57 different complications, which are comprised of 2,826 individual components and 242 jewels.
This watch contains a Judaic calendar, a “night mode” setting, and a double retrograde split-seconds chronograph. As a result of all these complications, this timepiece took a team of three highly skilled watchmakers eight years to design and construct.
13 – Patek Philippe Stainless Steel Ref. 5016A-010 – $7.9 Million
The 5016 reference from Patek Philippe is already a fairly difficult watch to find, but there is only one version of this variation in the world, so when Patek decided to bring back the 5016 for a one time only update, a lot of watch collectors became very excited and the news traveled quickly within the world of horology.
This timepiece features three of the most cherished complications among watch collectors – a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, and a tourbillon movement. The elegant blue dial is made from prized Grand-Feu enamel as well.
14 – Patek Philippe Two-Crown Worldtime Ref. 2523 Eurasia Dial – $7.7 Million
Despite the fact that this watch is not the most expensive on the list, it still manages to be one of the most coveted in the world of watch collecting – so much so, in fact, that many collectors refer to it as a “Grail Watch.”
Known more informally as the Silk Road 2523, this timepiece features a map of Eurasia, a world time complication, and a 41-city ring. Only three of these watches are known to have been made, so finding one is certainly going to be a quest unto itself.
15 – Patek Philippe White Gold Calibre 89 – $6.9 Million
We have actually already covered this watch earlier on the list, but in this instance, the piece is available in white gold. Initially created as a commemorative piece to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Patek Philippe, this timepiece contains an astounding number of complications, such as a second time-zone, a perpetual calendar, a sunrise and sunset timer, a century leap year correction, and a notification of what date Easter will fall on.
Since Easter is determined not by a calendar date but astrologically, that last complication is particularly impressive from a technical standpoint.
Are You In Need of a Custom Rubber Watch Strap For Your Luxury Timepiece? Visit Rubber B Today
If you are looking for a custom rubber watch band for your Patek Philippe or another luxury timepiece, Rubber B has a wide selection of colors, styles, and materials to choose from. Simply visit our website to learn more about our complete product catalog, pricing, and other pertinent information.
Additionally, all of these straps are made exclusively from 100% vulcanized rubber, and Rubber B watch straps do not contain any coating, blends, or bonding. Each strap also undergoes rigorous testing to ensure that it meets quality control standards
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