Luxury watches can cost more than mansions, private jets and supercars.
At the very top of the collecting world, exceptionally rare watches from Patek Philippe, Rolex and F.P. Journe have sold for more than $10 million each, with the most valuable examples reaching well above $20 million.
But lists of the world’s most expensive watches can be misleading.
Some watches are ranked using manufacturer valuations or asking prices even though they have never actually been sold for those amounts. Others have verified prices from major international auction houses.
For this TopMost10 ranking, we use documented public auction sale prices wherever possible. That gives us a much stronger answer to a simple question: what are the most expensive watches people have actually paid for?
Here are the top 10 most expensive watches ever sold at auction, based on records available in 2026.
How We Ranked the World’s Most Expensive Watches
The ranking is based primarily on documented results from major auction houses including Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips.
Where an auction house reports the result in Swiss francs or another currency, the approximate U.S. dollar equivalent reported around the sale is provided.
Two important points should be understood.
First, some record watches were sold at charity auctions such as Only Watch. Charity-auction results can behave differently from normal commercial auctions because buyers may be motivated partly by philanthropy.
Second, this ranking includes both wristwatches and the historically important Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication pocket watch. It is therefore a ranking of watches, rather than wristwatches only.
Prices can also vary slightly depending on exchange rates and whether a source reports the original auction currency or its dollar equivalent.
10. Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 Cloisonné “South America” — About $10.25 Million
Brand: Patek Philippe
Reference: 2523
Sale: Phillips Geneva, 2026
Price: Approximately $10.25 million
The Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 is one of the most desirable vintage world-time watches ever produced.
The reference combines mechanical watchmaking with miniature decorative art, particularly through its spectacular cloisonné enamel map dials.
In May 2026, a Ref. 2523 featuring a cloisonné enamel map of South America achieved approximately $10.245 million at Phillips Geneva.
The result established a new auction record for the reference at the time and demonstrated the extraordinary demand for historically important Patek Philippe world-time watches.
Why It Is So Valuable
- Extremely rare Patek Philippe world-time reference
- Highly collectible cloisonné enamel dial
- Map of South America
- Exceptional vintage provenance
- Very limited surviving examples
Collectors can explore major watch auctions through Phillips Watches.
9. Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 First Series in Pink Gold — About $10.26 Million
Brand: Patek Philippe
Reference: 2499
Sale: Phillips Hong Kong, 2026
Price: Approximately $10.26 million
Only a few thousandths of a million dollars separate ninth and tenth place.
In May 2026, an extraordinarily rare first-series Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 in pink gold sold for HK$80.37 million, approximately $10.255 million, at Phillips Hong Kong.
The result made it the most valuable timepiece ever sold at auction in Asia at the time.
The Ref. 2499 occupies a special position in Patek Philippe history because it combines a perpetual calendar with a chronograph in one of the most recognizable vintage designs produced by the company.
First-series examples are particularly coveted, and pink-gold examples are exceptionally scarce.
Why Collectors Value the Ref. 2499
- Legendary perpetual-calendar chronograph
- Rare first-series configuration
- Pink-gold case
- Exceptional condition and provenance
- One of Patek Philippe’s most important vintage references
Visit Patek Philippe to explore the manufacturer’s watchmaking heritage.
8. F.P. Journe FFC “Francis Ford Coppola” — $10.755 Million
Brand: F.P. Journe
Model: FFC
Sale: Phillips New York, 2025
Price: $10.755 million
One of the most unusual watches in the top ten belonged to legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
The F.P. Journe FFC displays time using a mechanical hand whose fingers change position to represent the hours.
The concept developed after a conversation between Coppola and independent watchmaker François-Paul Journe about whether a mechanical watch could display time using a human hand.
Coppola’s personal FFC eventually appeared at Phillips New York in December 2025.
It sold for an extraordinary $10.755 million, establishing a major record for F.P. Journe at the time.
The result reflected both the watch’s mechanical originality and its exceptional provenance.
What Makes the FFC Special?
- Highly unusual mechanical time display
- Connected directly to Francis Ford Coppola
- Created by celebrated independent watchmaker François-Paul Journe
- Historically important experimental design
- Exceptional provenance
Learn more about the watchmaker at F.P. Journe.
7. Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel — About $11.1 Million
Brand: Patek Philippe
Reference: 1518
Sale: Phillips Geneva, 2016
Price: Approximately $11.1 million
The Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 is one of the most important wristwatches in horological history.
Introduced in 1941, it became the world’s first serially produced wristwatch combining a perpetual calendar and chronograph.
Most examples were produced in precious metals.
Only a tiny number were made in stainless steel, making steel Ref. 1518 watches among the most coveted vintage watches on earth.
In November 2016, a stainless-steel Ref. 1518 sold at Phillips Geneva for CHF 11.002 million, approximately $11.1 million at the time.
The result was extraordinary for 2016 and helped establish steel complicated Patek Philippe watches as some of the most valuable collector watches in existence.
Why Stainless Steel Matters
It may seem strange that a steel watch can be more valuable than the same model in gold.
In high-end vintage watch collecting, however, rarity can matter more than the intrinsic value of the metal.
Because very few Ref. 1518 watches were produced in steel, surviving examples have become enormously desirable.
6. F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Souscription No. 007 — $13.922 Million
Brand: F.P. Journe
Model: Chronomètre à Résonance Souscription No. 007
Sale: Phillips New York, June 2026
Price: $13.922 million
This is one of the newest record-setting watches on the list.
On June 13, 2026, F.P. Journe’s Chronomètre à Résonance Souscription No. 007 sold at Phillips New York for an astonishing $13.922 million.
The result established a world auction record for an F.P. Journe watch and for an independent watchmaker.
The Chronomètre à Résonance is one of François-Paul Journe’s signature creations.
It uses two balances designed to benefit from the physical phenomenon of resonance, bringing an old horological concept into a modern wristwatch.
Only 20 commercial watches formed the original Souscription series, and No. 007 has an especially rare combination of pink gold and platinum with a pink-gold dial.
Why This Watch Made History
- Sold for $13.922 million in 2026
- Record for F.P. Journe
- Record for an independent watchmaker
- One of only 20 Souscription Résonance watches
- Extremely rare configuration
- Historically important early independent watchmaking
See the documented auction result at Phillips.
5. Patek Philippe Ref. 6301A-010 Only Watch — About $17.3 Million
Brand: Patek Philippe
Reference: 6301A-010
Sale: Only Watch, 2024
Price: CHF 15.7 million, approximately $17.3 million
The Patek Philippe Ref. 6301A-010 was created as a unique stainless-steel watch for the Only Watch charity auction.
Patek Philippe is famous for producing some of its most complicated watches in precious metals, so creating a unique complicated model in stainless steel immediately gave the piece enormous collector appeal.
The watch sold for CHF 15.7 million at Only Watch in 2024, equivalent to roughly $17.3 million at the time.
Like other Only Watch results, the price needs context because bidders were participating in a charity auction rather than a conventional commercial sale.
Nevertheless, it remains one of the largest documented amounts ever paid for a wristwatch at auction.
4. Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Stainless Steel — About $17.6 Million
Brand: Patek Philippe
Reference: 1518
Sale: Phillips Geneva, November 2025
Price: CHF 14.2 million, approximately $17.6 million
Nearly a decade after a steel Ref. 1518 first broke through the $10 million barrier, another extraordinary example reset the record.
On November 8, 2025, a stainless-steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 sold at Phillips Geneva for CHF 14.2 million, approximately $17.6 million.
The watch is widely believed to be the first steel Ref. 1518 ever produced.
That historical importance, combined with the extreme rarity of steel examples, helped drive the enormous result.
The sale made it the most expensive vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch ever sold at auction at the time.
Why It Sold for So Much
- One of only a handful of known steel Ref. 1518 watches
- Believed to be the first steel example produced
- Historic perpetual-calendar chronograph
- Exceptional collector demand
- Major provenance and rarity
3. Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 — $17.75 Million
Brand: Rolex
Model: Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239
Owner: Paul Newman
Sale: Phillips New York, 2017
Price: $17,752,500
Few watches have a story as famous as Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona.
The watch was reportedly given to Newman by his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, and became closely associated with the actor and racing enthusiast.
The unusual Daytona dial style eventually became known among collectors as the “Paul Newman” dial.
When Newman’s own Ref. 6239 appeared at Phillips New York in October 2017, collectors knew the sale would be historic.
The watch sold for $17,752,500.
At the time, it became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction.
Even after later records surpassed it, Paul Newman’s Daytona remains one of the most famous watches in the history of collecting.
Why Paul Newman’s Daytona Is Legendary
- Personally owned and worn by Paul Newman
- Direct connection to the famous “Paul Newman” Daytona nickname
- Exceptional celebrity provenance
- Iconic Rolex reference
- $17.75 million verified auction result
Explore Rolex’s current watch collection at Rolex.
2. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication — $24.07 Million
Brand: Patek Philippe
Type: Pocket watch
Commissioned by: Henry Graves Jr.
Sale: Sotheby’s Geneva, 2014
Price: CHF 23.237 million, approximately $24.07 million
The Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication is not a wristwatch.
It is, however, one of the most important mechanical watches ever made.
American banker and collector Henry Graves Jr. commissioned Patek Philippe to create the extraordinary pocket watch in 1925.
The project took years to complete.
The finished watch incorporated 24 complications and became an extraordinary demonstration of mechanical watchmaking in the era before computer-aided design.
When Sotheby’s sold the Supercomplication in Geneva in November 2014, it achieved CHF 23,237,000, approximately $24.07 million.
The sale established a world auction record for a watch at the time.
Why the Henry Graves Supercomplication Is Important
- Commissioned by famous collector Henry Graves Jr.
- 24 mechanical complications
- Created decades before computer-assisted watch design
- Historically important Patek Philippe masterpiece
- Held the overall auction record before the Grandmaster Chime
Explore major luxury-watch auction records through Sotheby’s Watches.
1. Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 — About $31 Million
Brand: Patek Philippe
Model: Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010
Sale: Only Watch / Christie’s Geneva, 2019
Price: CHF 31 million, approximately $31 million+
The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 is the most expensive watch ever sold at auction.
The unique stainless-steel wristwatch sold for an astonishing CHF 31 million at the Only Watch charity auction held by Christie’s in Geneva on November 9, 2019.
Guinness World Records gives the dollar equivalent at the time as approximately $33.65 million, while watch-industry sources frequently describe the result as roughly $31 million based on contemporary exchange-rate conventions.
Either way, the original CHF 31 million auction result is what matters.
The Grandmaster Chime is one of Patek Philippe’s most complicated wristwatches.
The unique Ref. 6300A was created in stainless steel and features a reversible case with two dials.
It incorporates 20 complications, including multiple chiming functions, an acoustic alarm and a date repeater.
The dial also includes the words “The Only One”, emphasizing its unique status.
Why the Grandmaster Chime Ranks #1
- CHF 31 million verified auction result
- Unique stainless-steel construction
- 20 complications
- Reversible double-sided case
- Created specifically for Only Watch
- One-of-one configuration
- World auction record for a watch
Christie’s maintains information about major watch auctions through Christie’s Watches.
Summary: Top 10 Most Expensive Watches in the World
| Rank | Watch | Sale Year | Approx. Sale Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 | 2019 | CHF 31 million (about $31M+) |
| 2 | Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication | 2014 | About $24.07 million |
| 3 | Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 | 2017 | $17.75 million |
| 4 | Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Stainless Steel | 2025 | About $17.6 million |
| 5 | Patek Philippe Ref. 6301A-010 Only Watch | 2024 | About $17.3 million |
| 6 | F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Souscription No. 007 | 2026 | $13.922 million |
| 7 | Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Stainless Steel | 2016 | About $11.1 million |
| 8 | F.P. Journe FFC “Francis Ford Coppola” | 2025 | $10.755 million |
| 9 | Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 First Series Pink Gold | 2026 | About $10.26 million |
| 10 | Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 “South America” | 2026 | About $10.25 million |
Note: Dollar conversions can vary with the exchange rate used. The original auction-house currency is the definitive sale result where applicable.
What About the $55 Million Graff Hallucination?
The Graff Diamonds Hallucination is frequently described online as the world’s most expensive watch because of its reported $55 million valuation.
The spectacular jewellery watch contains more than 110 carats of rare coloured diamonds and was unveiled at Baselworld in 2014.
However, there is an important distinction between valuation and verified sale price.
The widely quoted $55 million figure is a stated value associated with the watch rather than a documented $55 million public auction transaction.
That is why the Hallucination does not rank above the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime in this particular list.
If this article were ranking watches by stated valuations rather than verified auction prices, the Hallucination would be a leading contender for first place.
Visit Graff to explore the jewellery house behind the Hallucination.
What About the Graff Fascination?
The Graff Fascination is another extraordinary high-jewellery watch.
It was unveiled with a reported value of approximately $40 million.
The piece contains more than 150 carats of white diamonds and incorporates a large pear-shaped diamond that can be removed and worn separately.
Again, the $40 million figure represents a stated value rather than a comparable verified public-auction transaction.
What Is the Most Expensive Watch Ever Sold?
The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 holds the record for the most expensive watch sold at auction.
It achieved CHF 31 million at the 2019 Only Watch charity auction held by Christie’s in Geneva.
What Is the Most Expensive Rolex Ever Sold?
Paul Newman’s personal Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 is the most famous Rolex auction record and sold for $17,752,500 at Phillips New York in 2017.
Its extraordinary value comes not only from the watch itself but also from its direct connection to Paul Newman.
Why Are Patek Philippe Watches So Expensive?
Patek Philippe dominates the upper end of the vintage-watch auction market because of a combination of craftsmanship, rarity, historical significance, complicated movements and collector demand.
Some of the most valuable references were produced in extremely small numbers.
When those watches combine rare case materials, important provenance and excellent condition, competition among wealthy collectors can become intense.
Why Can a Steel Watch Be Worth More Than a Gold Watch?
In ordinary products, gold is generally more valuable than stainless steel.
Vintage watch collecting works differently.
If a particular complicated watch was almost always produced in gold but only a handful were made in steel, the steel version can become dramatically rarer and therefore much more valuable.
The Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 is one of the best examples of this phenomenon.
What Makes a Watch Worth Millions?
Several factors can turn an already expensive watch into a multimillion-dollar collector piece:
- Rarity: Unique or extremely limited watches attract intense demand.
- Provenance: Ownership by someone famous can transform value.
- Historical importance: Watches representing major horological milestones are highly desirable.
- Complications: Exceptionally sophisticated mechanical functions can add importance.
- Condition: Original and well-preserved watches generally command stronger prices.
- Materials: Rare metals, gemstones and unusual configurations can increase desirability.
- Brand: Patek Philippe and Rolex have exceptionally deep global collector markets.
- Story: At the highest end, collectors often pay for history as much as the physical object.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive watch in the world in 2026?
By verified public auction price, the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 remains the record holder, having sold for CHF 31 million in 2019.
Is there really a $55 million watch?
The Graff Diamonds Hallucination has been widely valued at approximately $55 million. However, that figure is a stated valuation rather than a verified $55 million public-auction sale.
What is the most expensive Patek Philippe watch?
The unique Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 holds the auction record at CHF 31 million.
What is the most expensive Rolex?
Paul Newman’s personal Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 sold for $17,752,500 in 2017, making it one of the most valuable wristwatches ever auctioned.
What is the most expensive pocket watch?
The Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication sold for CHF 23.237 million, approximately $24 million, at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2014.
What is the most expensive watch sold in 2026?
Among the major documented results through 2026, the F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Souscription No. 007 achieved $13.922 million at Phillips New York in June 2026.
Which brand has the most expensive watches?
Patek Philippe dominates the highest levels of the watch auction market. Multiple Patek Philippe watches have sold for more than $10 million.
Are expensive watches good investments?
Some rare watches have appreciated dramatically, but watch prices can also fall. Condition, provenance, rarity, fashion, authenticity and market demand all affect resale value. Record auction results should not be treated as guaranteed investment returns.
Explore More Luxury Rankings on TopMost10
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You can also discover more record-breaking lists in Facts, Lists & Rankings.
For rankings about the people who can afford the world’s rarest watches, visit Wealth & Net Worth.
Final Thoughts
The world’s most expensive watches demonstrate that high-end watch collecting is about much more than telling time.
At the highest level, collectors are buying mechanical engineering, artistic craftsmanship, scarcity, provenance and history.
Patek Philippe dominates the record books, but Rolex’s Paul Newman Daytona demonstrates the enormous power of provenance, while F.P. Journe’s record-breaking 2026 results show how independent watchmakers are becoming increasingly important to elite collectors.
Most importantly, readers should distinguish between a watch’s advertised value and the amount a buyer has actually paid.
That is why this TopMost10 ranking prioritizes documented auction results rather than simply repeating headline-grabbing valuations.
As new record-breaking watches appear at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips, TopMost10 will update this ranking to reflect the latest verified sales.
