The Most Expensive Watches in the World

Worth a whopping $55 million and featuring 110 carats of rare and colorful diamonds, the Hallucination tops the list of the most expensive watches in the world. Set into a platinum bracelet, the different shapes of gems that cover the band surround a tiny yet mighty quartz dial (yes, there is still a watch in all that decadence). While the stones absolutely steal the show and are a statement in itself, the watch is also very functional, durable, and accurate. Conceived by Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds and shareholder in the South African Diamond Corporation, the diamonds selected are some of the highest quality and most beautiful in the world, as Graff chooses himself which jewels get to adorn his creations. It's clear that the Hallucination is just as dreamy and whimsical as it sounds.

The Hallucination is not the only Graff Diamonds piece to make it to the most expensive watches list. What makes the Fascination extra special—besides the fact that it features 152.96 carats of white diamonds—is that it isn't really even a watch, at least some of the time. The stunning 38-carat pear-shaped diamond in the center of the bracelet covers the dial and can be removed and worn as a ring when desired. Get two for the price of one, because for $40 million—and the second most expensive watch in the world—you should have a timepiece that does it all.

Although a much more discreet and classic watch style, Patek Philippe's Grandmaster Chime is just as intricate as the previous timepieces. Taking 100,000 hours of development and assembly, this piece is considered the most complicated wristwatch ever made. This particular watch has 20 extra features beyond displaying the time, as well as one dial on the front and another on the back—and you know you are always getting quality from one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world. Featuring blue opaline dials, gold-applied numbers, and 18k gold dial plates, from this feat of watchmaking comes six patented innovations. Encased in white gold, the watch also features a strap of sleek blue alligator leather.

Brequet's watches have awed since the time of Marie-Antoinette, who acquired many of his timepieces over the years. With no time or financial limits, the Grande Complication Marie Antoinette was commissioned by an unknown admirer of the French Queen in 1783. Taking 44 years to craft, this elaborate timepiece saw the deaths of both Marie-Antoinette and Brequet himself before its completion. Incredibly innovative at the time, this watch includes unique features like a perpetual calendar, a thermometer, and power-reserve indicator. Worth $30 million, this watch is really made for royalty.

Brequet’s Grande Complication Marie Antoinette is not the only watch in this list that’s fit for a queen. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette watch, a version of the watchmaker's 101 Calibre Collection, was worn by Queen Elizabeth II during the celebration of her 60 years on the throne. A perfect blend between high jewelry and fine watchmaking, its thick white-gold bracelet featuring diamond links steals the show, while the dial itself fades in the background of complexly aligned squares of gemstones. Considered the world's smallest mechanical engine, this may not be the most practical piece for actually reading the time, but the craftsmanship and precision in this watch still shine through.

From a perpetual calendar and celestial chart based on the New York sky, Patek Philippe’s Henry Graves Supercomplication really has it all. In the shape of a pocket watch and as its name indicates, this timepiece features a high number of complications. Originally made for the American banker Henry Graves, the timepiece found its way to the auction block in 2014, where an anonymous bidder settled the final price of $26 million after 15 minutes, the most anyone had ever paid for a watch at the time. The price reflects the incredible craftsmanship and production of the pocket watch, but also the exclusivity of owning a rarity so sought after. 

There’s no doubt Chopard’s 201-Carat watch is a sight to behold. Crafted with 874 gemstones in a mix of different weights and colors—including a 15-carat pink diamond, a 12-carat blue diamond, and an 11-carat white diamond—bordering the tiny dial, this timepiece speaks more to the jewelry lovers than it does to the watch enthusiasts. Although its blinding gems make it rather hard to read the time, this $25 million watch is worth every stone.

Actor and race car driver Paul Newman contributed to the popularity of Rolex's "Daytona" watches because of his love for timepieces, making it one of the most recognizable styles in the world. His wife, Joanne Woodard, commissioned this watch in 1968, engraved with the words, "Drive Carefully." Like the Patek Philippe pocket watch, the Paul Newman Daytona was also the subject of a long bidding war resulting in $18.7 million. Not only classic and sleek in design, the watch is also an endearing homage for any racing fans, making the timepiece entirely timeless.

Introduced in 2015, the Jacob & Co. Billionaire watch carries a shorter legacy than the previous timepieces on this list, but it's just as unique. Featuring 189 carats of Ashoka diamonds—a cut that optimizes brilliance, making the stone look almost 50 percent larger than a typical emerald cut—the skeletal dial intentionally leaves out any unnecessary material to make for the most precise and robust operation. High-end materials, accuracy, and bling come together in a gorgeous work of watchmaking.

While most of Patek Philippe’s watches would use gold on the case, this $12 million watch uses high-grade stainless steel. And, although it is considered a less valuable material than gold, the fact that it is special in Patek Philippe's collection makes it worthy of the big bucks. But that’s not the only reason why this timepiece made it to the most expensive watches in the world list. The Patek Philippe Stainless Steel watch was also the first to have a perpetual calendar and chronograph, making it entirely innovative and special for multiple reasons.

Commissioned by an anonymous collector with the objective of owning the world's most complicated watch, this unique timepiece includes technical features that had never been seen on a watch before. Named Vacheron Constantin 57260 as a reference of its 57 complications and the brand's 260th anniversary, this piece took 8 years to assemble. In an 18-karat white gold case, this $8 million watch merges technology, artistry, and precision in its 2,800 tiny mechanical components.

Last on this list of most expensive watches doesn't mean cheap by any means. Encrusted with 1,282 of the highest quality diamonds—including over 100 carats of baguette diamonds, and six square emerald-cut stones weighing more than three carats each—this $5 million design required 14 months of work before completion. Hublot’s most luxurious watch to date, the technical construction process behind this rare style is as unique as the final piece itself. Instead of crafting the body of the watch to fit the precious stones—as it is usual with most jeweled timepieces—the gems were sourced specifically to fit the complex construction. Back in 2012, Beyoncé famously gifted this remarkable piece to Jay-Z for his 43rd birthday.