10 Most Expensive Watches in the World: You Won’t Believe What They Cost

Not All Watches Tell Time. Some Watches Tell a Completely Different Story. 

To be fair. We all buy a watch because we like the look of it, because we want to use it to tell the time, or because we just want a nice watch on our wrist. Or, in some cases, we buy one that costs millions of dollars. 

Yes – millions. 

At that price, you're obviously not just paying for the time. Some of the most expensive watches in the world cost more than houses, in fact a handful could probably buy you an entire street.

So, here's a look at 10 of the most expensive watches in the world and what makes them so valuable.

A quick note: a handful of the following prices are actual auction results and some are the suggested retail valuation, so they might not all be directly comparable.

1. Graff Diamonds Hallucination- Around $55 Million

Let's begin with one that definitely doesn't look like a normal watch. The Graff Diamonds Hallucination, is to a simple rainbow of diamonds, what an original Picasso painting is to a rapidly scribbled piece of paper. With something in the region of 110 carats of glittering, rainbow-hued brilliant colored diamonds, starting from yellow and pink, to blue, green, orange, and white, it's a marvel to look at. 

Watch details: 

• Brand: Graff Diamonds Quoted 
• Price: Roughly $55 million 
• Diamonds: Roughly 110 carats
• Main attraction: Rare coloured 
• Diamonds Style: High jewelry 

The $55 million figure here is largely quoted as a valuation figure, not an actual auction result.  And honestly, that really isn't hard to see! It definitely doesn't look like a timepiece… more like something out of a jewelry Mad Max.

2. Graff Diamonds and the Fascination – Approximately 40 Million Dollars

Not only was the Hallucination not sufficient, but Graff also created another very expensive piece, The Fascination. It has a rather clever trick.

It has the ability to take the form of a ring. The watch has nearly 153 carats of diamonds on it, one of which is a large pear-shaped diamond located in the centre.

Watch Details

• Brand: Graff Diamonds
• Quoted value: Around $40 million
• Diamonds: About 152.96 carats
• Special feature: Can be worn as a ring

The centre diamond is pear-shaped and weighs 38.13 carats.

Imagine buying a watch and then deciding:

Well, I'll put it on as a ring today. That kind of thing isn't something you usually find in a typical smartwatch.

3. Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A – CHF 31 Million

We have finally arrived at a watch featuring another type of luxury.

The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A doesn't attract attention thanks to its diamond studding.

It attracts attention because of the mechanisms contained within its casing.

The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A is the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. It was sold at the charity Only Watch auction held in Geneva in 2019 for CHF 31 million, and entered into Guinness World Records.

Watch Details

• Brand: Patek Philippe
• Model: Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010
• Auction price: CHF 31 million
• Complications: 20
• Case: Stainless steel
• Special feature: Reversible case with two dials

Twenty complications.

A huge number. The watch is capable of performing actions that most people won't be able to use in real life, but that's besides the point. It's an amazing demonstration of the limits of what mechanical watches can do.

And the fact that this specific watch was produced as a unique item means you get a bit of watchmaking history with your purchase.

4. Breguet Marie-Antoinette - Approximately $30 Million

This one comes with some history. The Breguet Marie-Antoinette, otherwise called Breguet No. 160, is among the most recognized complicated watches ever built.

It has a storied past linked to the French royal family, and it took several years to construct.

Watch Specifications

• Brand: Breguet
• Model: No. 160
• Estimated cost: Approximately $30 million
• Category: Grande complication
• Highlight: History and craftsmanship

There is more to this watch than its cost. There is also history involved.

This watch bridges the gap between modern collectors and an era completely unlike ours.

Isn't that impressive?

5. Chopard 201-Carat Watch — Around $25 Million

If you're a person who prefers simple and minimal watches, then this won't be to your liking. The Chopard 201-carat watch is by no means subtle. The diamond content amounts to about 201 carats, of which three are large heart-shaped stones.

Watch Details

• Brand: Chopard
• Model: 201-Carat Watch
• Quoted value: Around $25 million
• Diamonds: Around 201 carats
• Highlight: Large heart-shaped diamonds

To call it a watch almost seems unfair.

It's essentially a time-telling device that at the same time is a diamond masterpiece.

6. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication - $24 Million

Here's another Patek Philippe, but this one is unique. The Henry Graves Supercomplication is a pocket watch, as opposed to a contemporary wristwatch.

It was designed for American banker Henry Graves Jr and is now one of the world's most iconic complex watches.

Watch Details

• Brand: Patek Philippe
• Model: Henry Graves Super complication
• Auction price: $24 million
• Type: Pocket watch
• Complications: 24

Sold at Sotheby's for $24 million in 2014.

I really like this watch because it is a reminder of how much patience the ancient art of watch-making takes.

No apps. No computers doing everything for you.

Wow, amazing mechanical engineering and a LOT of skill.

7. Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch — Around $18 Million

The name says it all:

Billionaire.

This Jacob & Co. watch is covered in diamonds and has a skeletonized movement, so you can actually see part of the mechanism working inside.

Watch Details

• Brand: Jacob & Co.
• Model: Billionaire
• Quoted price: Around $18 million
• Main feature: Large emerald-cut diamonds
• Movement: Skeletonized mechanical movement

This isn't a watch you'd wear if you wanted to stay unnoticed.

You wear this because you want people to notice it. And that's probably exactly the point.

8. Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” — $17.75 Million

Now here's a time piece that backs up one of this world's most complicated theories:

It is not necessary to have hundreds of diamonds to make a watch exceedingly expensive.

Valued at $17.75 million and sold at auction by Phillips in 2017, this Rolex Daytona worn by racing and Hollywood fan Paul Newman.

Watch Details

• Brand: Rolex
• Model: Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239
• Auction price: $17.7525 million
• Famous connection: Paul Newman
• Main attraction: History and provenance

It was this that made the watch so much more valuable in terms of its association to Newman. And that's one of the coolest things about having a watch collection.

Every object has a story, and some stories are more valuable than the objects themselves.

9. Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Stainless Steel- Approximately $17.6 Million

On the first look, this one doesn't appear as crazy as some other diamond watches on this list.

And that's exactly why it's interesting. The Ref. 1518 from Patek Philippe is renowned for its scarcity and mechanical significance.

A stainless-steel variant achieved a world record price of approximately US$17.6 million (EUR13 million) in 2025.

Watch Details

• Brand: Patek Philippe
• Model: Ref. 1518
• Auction result: Around $17.6 million
• Material: Stainless steel
• Functions: Perpetual calendar and chronograph

Think about that for a second. It's made from stainless steel.
However, collectors were prepared to spend millions on it. That's the power of rarity.

10. F.P. Journe Chronomtre Rsonance - $13.922 Million

When you think of expensive watches, you probably don't think of F.P. Journe.

But serious collectors know the brand. In 2026, a rare F.P. Journe Chronomtre Rsonance Souscription No. 007 was sold for $13.922 million by Phillips in New York.

Watch Details

• Brand: F.P. Journe
• Model: Chronomètre à Résonance
• Auction price: $13.922 million
• Main attraction: Resonance-based movement
• Edition: Souscription No. 007

The movement that it is. This is based on the principle of mechanical resonance – one of the reasons watch collectors are obsessed with F.P. Journe watches. And the auction result from 2026 demonstrates just how much many collectors are willing to pay for a really rare example.

💎 Why Are These Watches So Expensive?

Okay, let's get to the obvious question.

Why would anyone pay millions for a watch?

It's not because the watch tells time better than your phone.

Obviously.

The price can come from a combination of things.

Rarity

If only a few examples exist, collectors may compete heavily to own one.

History

A watch connected to an important person or event can become much more valuable.

Craftsmanship

Some mechanical watches contain hundreds of tiny components and incredibly complicated mechanisms.

Diamonds and precious materials

Rare stones and precious metals can push the value up dramatically.

Brand

Names such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, Breguet, Graff, and other prestigious makers carry huge weight among collectors.

The story

Sometimes the story is the most valuable part.

A watch that belonged to a famous person can become far more desirable than an otherwise similar watch.

What is it that makes luxury watches so fascinating?

I really believe it's not merely a question of the price.

If that were the case, a watch costing $20 million would just be an expensive item. However, luxury watches are interesting since there is generally a story associated with them.

Think about it.

The design and construction of one watch could take many years, while another might be adorned with rare diamonds. One watch could have belonged to a well-known individual, and another might be extremely rare, with only a small number ever being produced.

There are also those small mechanical details which most people will never even notice.

Hundreds of small parts working in unison within an item that will fit on your wrist. There's no need for apps, no charging cable, and no screen—just some engineering, craftsmanship, and patience.

That's pretty amazing.

In my view, watches have a special quality because they can hold memories.

One could purchase a watch to mark their first major achievement, get one as a wedding present, or inherit it from a parent or grandparent and, after many years, the watch can have a value that goes well beyond its original price.

That is most likely the main difference between a normal expensive product and a genuine luxury watch.

You're not just getting the watch—you're also acquiring the craftsmanship, the history, the story, and at times the memories associated with it.

Perhaps that's the reason why people still love mechanical watches even though their phones can tell the time perfectly.

A phone will inform you of the time.

A fine watch is able to tell a story.

⏱️Would You Actually Wear a $10 Million Watch?

To be honest —if somebody offered most of us a watch worth $10 million, our initial response would most likely not be, “Wow, that's going to look great with my outfit.”

It would probably be:

Where exactly am I to put this object?

It would be extremely stressful for an ordinary person to have a watch that costs $10 million; they'd probably be concerned about scratching it, about losing it, about being robbed, or about accidentally leaving it somewhere, and even going on a vacation might seem like a sort of security operation.

For the average person, a beautiful watch which costs a few hundred or a few thousand dollars is quite sufficient, since they can wear it without having to constantly think about its value.

For a billionaire or a serious collector of watches, the answer might be entirely different.

A $10 million watch wouldn't seem so incredible if you already possess expensive cars, houses, art, jewellery, and other rare collectibles; to you it might appear not as an item that you wear daily but rather as a rare work of art, history, or an investment.

That's a significant difference.

A billionaire could wear it to a major event since it forms part of their collection. A serious collector might wear it because they value the craftsmanship and the rarity. However, another person might never wear it and will just keep it stored safely.

In my opinion I should be about halfway between the two.

If money weren't a problem I certainly would like to have one, but I don't think I'd wear it anywhere.

I'll keep it for special occasions, take a huge number of photos of it, and then put it safely back into its box.

Well, let's get down to it, there's a great distinction between being able to afford a $10 million watch and feeling at ease wearing one.

Which is why this question is interesting.

Final Thoughts

After looking at watches worth millions of dollars, one thing becomes pretty clear: these aren't really about telling time.

Your phone can do that for free.

What makes these watches special is everything behind them—the craftsmanship, rare materials, history, famous owners, limited production, and the incredible amount of work that goes into creating something so small and detailed.

And honestly, you don't have to be a millionaire to appreciate that.

Maybe you'll never own a $10 million Patek Philippe or a diamond-covered Graff. Most of us won't. But that's okay.

Sometimes it's fun just to look at these watches and think, “People actually paid that much for a watch?”

At the same time, luxury means different things to different people. For a billionaire, a million-dollar watch might be another addition to a collection. For someone else, their first quality watch might be the one they save for years to buy—and that watch could have just as much personal meaning.

Because at the end of the day, the most valuable watch isn't always the most expensive one. It's the one that means something to you.

So, if you suddenly had $20 million to spend on a watch, what would you do?

Buy the diamond-covered masterpiece?

Choose a rare Rolex or Patek Philippe?

Or forget the million-dollar watches and buy something you could actually wear every day?

I'd genuinely love to know what you'd choose.