In the exclusive world of haute horology, auctions are where history is made and legends are born. While the list of all-time record-breakers is dominated by one-of-a-kind masterpieces, the 2025 auction market has been defined by a surge in “grail” level pieces coming to market.
Here, we look at the most expensive watches ever sold, capped off by the most anticipated sale of 2025.
1. The Graff Diamonds Hallucination
Price: $55 Million
Less a watch and more a wearable sculpture, the Hallucination is the single most expensive timepiece ever created. Unveiled in 2014, this “watch” is a stunning, kaleidoscopic array of over 110 carats of extremely rare colored diamonds set into a platinum bracelet. The tiny, quartz-powered dial is almost an afterthought, hidden among the dazzling gems.
2. Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010
Price: $31.19 Million
Sold at the 2019 Only Watch charity auction in Geneva, this is the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. It is a true “grand complication” masterpiece, featuring 20 complications, including a grande and petite sonnerie, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar. What makes it unique is its “A-010” designation, meaning it is the one and only version of this watch to ever be made in stainless steel.
3. Breguet Grande Complication Marie-Antoinette
Price: Estimated $30 Million
Commissioned in 1783 for the famed French queen, this watch was so complex that it wasn’t completed until 1827, 34 years after her death. Containing every known complication at the time, the original “Marie-Antoinette” was stolen in 1983 and only recovered in 2007. The modern replica, painstakingly recreated by Breguet, is itself valued at $30 million.
4. Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona Ref. 6239
Price: $17.75 Million
The watch that ignited the vintage Rolex craze. Sold in 2017, this specific watch was a gift to Paul Newman from his wife, Joanne Woodward, inscribed with “Drive Carefully Me.” It features the rare “exotic” dial that is now known worldwide as the “Paul Newman” dial. Its price is a testament to the power of provenance—this wasn’t just a Paul Newman Daytona, it was the Paul Newman’s Daytona.
5. The 2025 Market-Maker: Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel
Price: Estimated $10 Million+ (Upcoming Auction)
The all-time list may soon have a new member. The major horological event of 2025 is the “Decade One” auction in Geneva, celebrating 10 years of landmark sales. The headline piece is one of the “unicorns of the collecting world”: a Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in stainless steel.
Introduced in 1941, the Ref. 1518 was the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph. While 281 were made, the vast majority were in yellow or pink gold. Only four are known to exist in stainless steel. One of those four sold for $11 million in 2016. The example hitting the block in November 2025 is considered a “grail” among grails and is expected to shatter records, proving that the market for ultra-rare, investment-grade timepieces is stronger than ever.
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