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1. Patek Philippe (Geneva)
When watch aficionados start throwing around four digit numbers, then youmight be witnessing a discussion about the different Patek Philippereferences. That being said, we’ve made our way to the absolute high end scaleof the luxury watch world and going to end our list of the top 10 Swiss watchbrands with the most prestigious of them all: Patek Philippe. Its referencesregularly achieve record sums at the largest auction houses, where one of itswatches can trade ownership for a two figure million sum. In 2014, Patek Philippe Henry Graves “Supercomplication” became the mostexpensive auctioned watch of all time with a price of 16 million GBP. Today,Patek cultivates and grooms its exclusive image and waiting times for certainmodels are standard fair as the demand far surpasses the supply sometimes. Canwe provide any examples? The yearly amount of Patek Philippe Sky MoonTourbillon can be counted on one hand. Sometimes it’s two, sometimes three, oreven five timepieces. If someone wants to get their hands on one of itspopular timekeepers, they have to personally meet and greet the companydirector, Thierry Stern. Along with its rich company history is an equally rigorous philosophy: thesame quality standards apply to all of its watch models. Regardless if it’s aGrande Complication or “just” a Calatrava or Nautilus reference, the watchmodels from Patek Philippe form in our opinion the pinnacle of horologiccreativity made in Switzerland. Famous Models: Calatrava, Nautilus, Ellipse, Gondolo, Grande Complicationmodels (e.g. Ref. 2499)11 Most Expensive Watches Sold At Auction In The Past 10 YearsPaul Newman Rolex Daytona, c. 1980; Titanium Patek Philippe, 2017; PatekPhilippe Grandmaster Chime, 2019; Patek Philippe Guilloché, 1954The important role of horology in our everyday lives, the complexity ofclockwork mechanisms, and the potential for the most sophisticated andbeautiful designs make luxury watches some of the most sought-after andvaluable products in the world of collecting. The popularization of thewristwatch in the nineteenth century marked the advent of a new status symbol,the appeal of which has endured to the present day. From Rolex to PatekPhilippe, watchmakers help to define the very concept of luxury and the mostexpensive watches among these have yielded incredible auction results.Here are the auction results of the most expensive watches sold in the last 10years.
9. Patek Philippe Gold Chronograph, 1943
The avant-garde case design and proportions of this watch made it stand outfrom its contemporaries in the 1940sPrice realized: CHF 6,259,000 (USD 5,709,000)Estimate: CHF 1,500,000 – 2,500,000Auction Venue: Christie’s, Geneva, 10 May 2018, Lot 84About This PieceThis watch first became known to collectors and scholars when it appeared atauction in XXX, when it was labeled the “large size, one-off perpetualcalendar chronograph wristwatch.” Created in 1944, it stood out from the otherwatches of the era because of its avant-garde case design and proportions. Therounded body, substantial lugs, and notably larger diameter of 37.6mm give ita particularly striking appearance, comparable to the increasingly extravagantdesigns seen on the cars of the 1940s.As a forerunner of future generations of complicated Patek Philippetimepieces, this watch holds an important place in horological history. Itsrarity, beauty, and legacy all contribute to its impressive value. In 2018,the watch was sold at Christie’s for over $5.7m, exceeding its lower estimateby four times!
3. The Materials Used Are Also Expensive.
Take two units of the same watch. Let’s say that the first one is made out ofsolid gold while the other one is made out of stainless steel. Which one doyou think will cost more? If you answered the first one, then you’re correct.The material used to make the watch can make a lot of difference in the price,even though it’s the same model. In conclusion, expensive watches are madewith expensive materials.
4 Patek Philippe Ref 1527 Perpetual Calendar 18k Rose Gold – $5.7 Million.
The Reference 1527 Perpetual Calendar 18k in rose gold is among the mostmysterious watches to ever appear at auction. This classic Patek Philippetimepiece showed up on auction in 2010, and baffled archivists upon firstseeing it. Made during the height of the second World War, this one of a kindtimepiece was once the most valuable watch ever sold at auction by PatekPhilippe.Photo: Christie’s
12. Patek Philippe Calibre 89 – $5.5 Million
The watchmakers of Patek created the Patek Philippe Calibre 89 as a 150thbirthday gift to the brand. This pocket watch features 33 complications, 24hands, and 1,728 components in total! Because of that, people consider it asone of the most complicated watches in the world.Four versions of the watch were made and these vary in the materials used. Onewas made with yellow gold and another with rose gold. The third one was madewith platinum and the last one was white gold.It took the watchmakers five years to research and develop this watch. Then ittook another four years to manufacture. We have to say that all those years ofresearch were worth it because the watch landed on the list of most expensivewatches.
6. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication – $24 Million
There’s a reason why it bears the word “super” in its name. The Patek PhilippeHenry Graves Supercomplication is one of the most complicated watches in theworld. Commissioned by and named after Henry Graves Jr, this pocket watch tooka total of eight years to finish.Overall, it has 24 different complications. That includes Westminster chimes,a perpetual calendar, and sunrise and sunset times. Apart from those, thiswatch includes a personalized celestial map of New York as seen from theapartment of Henry Graves on Fifth Avenue.
5 Patek Philippe Caliber 89 Grand Complication Pocket Watch – $4.9
Million.The Caliber 89 Grand Complication Pocket Watch was first released for the150th anniversary of the watch maker’s existence. Since being released, thistimepiece remains to this day the most complex watch ever made by PatekPhilippe. With a staggering 1,728 handcrafted movement parts, 33complications, and 126 jewels, this watch is truly the magnum opus of amaster. Today there are only 4 iterations of this watch ever made, each oneunique.Declared by Patek Philippe as “the most complicated watch in the world” at thetime of creation, it has 33 complications, weighs 1.1 kg, exhibits 24 handsand has 1,728 components in total, including a thermometer, and a star chart.Photo: @bluepatek”
