The 10 Most Expensive Watches Ever Made

A watch is one of the very few things that combines luxury, amazing craftsmanship and technology. For some, they may be an everyday necessity, for others, they may be sought-after jewelry or gadgets, but no matter what, a watch can be a multi-million-dollar work of art.

In this article, we'll explore 10 of the most expensive, record-breaking watches.

1. Graff Diamonds Hallucination - $55 Million

Presented at Baselworld's Opening Day Event, Graff Diamonds Hallucination features over 110 carats of Fancy Pink, Fancy Blue, Fancy Green and Fancy Yellow in a wide variety of cuts such as heart, pear, marquise and an emerald cut. The watch also includes a platinum bracelet if its owner ever wishes to take it off the display and wear it for an elegant outing.

2. Graff Diamonds The Fascination - $40 Million

Designed by Graff, the $40 million watch consists of 152.96 carats of clear diamonds. What is unique, is that the 38.14-carat D Flawless pear-shaped centerpiece that is removable and can be worn on its own as a ring.

3. Breguet Marie-Antoinette Grande Complication Pocket Watch - $30 Million

The story goes that a lover of Marie Antoinette commissioned Abraham-Louis Breguet to make the watch as a gift to the queen. It took 45 years to make this beautiful piece of art. But why does it take so long to make? This particular watch included all the known complications at the time, complete with chime, perpetual calendar, and even a thermometer.

The watch remained on display at the LA Mayer Museum in Jerusalem until it was stolen in 1983. Luckily, the watch was recovered and put back on display in the same museum where it resides, where it remains to this day.

4. Chopard 201-Carat Watch – $25 Million

Looking more like a display piece than an actual watch, this piece contains 874 coloured diamonds totalling 201 carats. A pink, blue, and yellow heart-shaped diamond accents the center of this Chopard watch.

5. Patek Philippe Supercomplication – $24 Million

Created in 1933 for banker Henry Graves Jr., this exquisite gold pocket watch took 5 years to design and manufacture. This is no ordinary pocket watch, however, it is packed with over 24 complications, including a perpetual calendar, a celestial calendar (based on the night sky above Grave's New York apartment), a minute repeater with Westminster chimes, and capable of telling sunrise and sunset times.

6. Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch – $18 Million

As the name suggests, this watch is truly built for the "elite." Contains 19 gemstones, 167 components and 260 carats of emerald cut diamonds. The surfaces (including the beautiful skeletal appearance that allows the wearer to see the internal mechanism) appear to be seamlessly connected to the bracelet, both of which are made of 18K white gold.

7. Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona – $17.8 Million

Combining Paul Newman's love of motorsports and horology, this beautiful timepiece was gifted to the movie star by his wife and actress Joanne Woodward. Engraved with "Drive Carefully, Me" and a 1968 Daytona reference 6239, this only adds to the bespoke and unique feel of this piece.

8. Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel - $11.1 Million

One of 4 ever produced, this stainless steel watch is the first perpetual calendar chronograph to be produced in series. Not only that, but at a whopping $11.1 million, it is one of the most expensive mechanical watches in the world.

9. Vacheron Constantin 57260 – $8 Million

With 2826 individual components, 242 jewels and 57 complications, this watch is a true technical feat of craftsmanship. The magnificent piece took eight years to design and create, and while an official price has not been announced, it is estimated to have sold to a private client for $8 million.

10. Hublot Big Bang – $5 Million

As a birthday present from Beyoncé to her husband Jay-Z in 2012, the Hublot Big Bang watch is truly a work of art. The watch is decorated with a total of 1,282 diamonds, including six 3-carat emerald-cut diamonds and small baguette-cut gemstones over 100 carats. A $5 million men's watch is truly worth the money.