When you imagine a successful businessman, how does he look? A perfectly tailored suit, expensive tie, shining pair of shoes, and a golden Rolex on his wrist. A Rolex that’s probably worth more than the rest of the outfit. However, compared to the five watches described on our list, a Rolex is a cheap toy. Take a look at some of the most expensive watches to have ever been created by men.
Even a standard watch may be helpful, it doesn’t necessarily have to be so expensive. Do you know what else is not expensive at all but it can considerably help you with time management? Of course. A time tracking software! And TimeCamp is one of the best on the market, while also being the cheapest.
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The Duc D’Orleans Breguet Sympathique Clock – $6.8 million
A clock made by the famous Swiss horologist, Abraham-Louis Breguet, in 1835 for the Ferdinand-Philippe, Duc d’Orléans. The clock has a unique feature – a docking pocket watch. Creator designed the Sympathique mechanism which significantly facilitates winding, regulating, and setting the watch.
The clock was restored in 1974 by Dr. George Daniels, the world’s leading expert on Breguet’s work. This was the first clock ever with the concept of docking implemented in its design (owner had to place it on three gold pins that regulated the clock’s mechanism). In a way, mister Breguet gave an idea to the future designers of smartphones and their docking stations. The clock was sold in 2012 at Sotheby’s New York.
Patek Philippe Calibre 89
Another masterpiece made by the Swiss company for its 150th anniversary, in 1989. Thus, it is not an antique, but it does not need to be, as it holds one of the most complicated sets of mechanisms in the world. It has 1728 components, including thermometer and star chart. It weights over 1kg – that’s because the creators tried to compose it using the best mechanical and artistic patents of Swiss watchmaking.
There are four of its kind – made of white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, and platinum. One that was put for the auction at Antiquorum in 2009 got sold for $5.002.652. The one on the photo is available for purchase (at least, according to the internet sources, we can’t say for sure, as we couldn’t find the auction) with the price set at $11 million. Interested?
Patek Philippe Supercomplication Pocket Watch – $24 million.
The one and only Patek Philippe Supercomplication was sold in Geneva, Switzerland, for the stunning amount of $24 million dollars. This is the biggest price anyone ever paid for a pocket or a wrist watch. The auction was unusually long – bidders fought for whole 15 minutes. No wonder, considering the fact that the clock is one of a kind and wasn’t even meant to be put for auction ever again.
In 1999 it was sold for $11 million dollars, which in that time, made it the most expensive timepiece in the world. However, it was returned to Sotheby’s as a part of debt repayment, and 15 years later, they sold it again. But this time for more than twice the previous amount. Also, it was the 175th anniversary of the famous Swiss company Patek & Phillippe, founded in 1851 by Polish watchmaker, Antoni Patek, and his fellow professional from France, Adrien Philippe.
Chopard 210 karat – $26 million.
Another masterpiece made by a Swiss-based company (no wonder that we say “everything works like in a Swiss watch” – they are the best). The company got its name from the founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who started producing quality watches in 1920.
Why is this wristwatch so expensive? Well, it is practically made of diamonds -it has 874 diamonds that are worth 201 carats in total. It is equipped with the spring-loaded mechanism which, when pressed, opens up the three biggest diamonds (15-carat pink, 12-carat blue, and 11-carat white) and presents the yellow diamond-studded watch face.
The Breguet Marie Antoinette
Before her life was brutally ended by the guillotine in 1793, Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, was a huge enthusiast of devices created by A. L. Breguet. The Breguet’s masterpiece, watch No 160, was never completed during queen’s life, but it still bears her name. There was no time or price limit set on the watch, and after the French Revolution Breguet took his time, as there was no one to give the watch to.
So, not only the watch is a piece of art, but there is also a fascinating history behind it. A story that has its continuation 200 years later, when the watch was stolen from the Jerusalem museum (1983), and found 24 years later, in 2007. The so-called “a poem in clockwork” was valued in 2013 at $30 million. Ladies and gentlemen, we got a winner!
I would like your blog…Nice information. But I think you forget to add the Fortis brand watches which are also very luxurious and expensive watch in the world. Thanks for sharing the post…