Most Expensive Watch in the World: Verified Auction Records

The most expensive watch ever sold at auction is a steel Patek Philippe that fetched CHF 31 million in Geneva in 2019. Behind that headline sits a small group of record breakers, each with its own story of rarity, fame or sheer engineering. This guide lists the verified auction records, explains why they reached such prices, and separates true auction results from jewellery pieces with headline price tags.

The most expensive watch ever sold at auction

On 9 November 2019, Christie's in Geneva hosted the Only Watch charity auction. There, the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime reference 6300A-010 sold for CHF 31 million, then about US$31 million. According to Monochrome Watches, that single lot made up more than 80% of the sale's total of CHF 38.6 million. Seven years later, it is still the most expensive watch ever sold at a public auction.

Patek Philippe made this piece as a one-off. It is the only Grandmaster Chime in stainless steel, while every other example uses precious metal. Inside the 47.7 mm case sit 20 complications, including a grande and petite sonnerie that chimes the time on gongs. Because the watch was unique, the cause was good and the maker was Patek Philippe, several bidders pushed the price far past any earlier record.

Most expensive watch auction records at a glance

The table below shows key auction results that we could verify from the auction houses or reputable reports. Prices include the buyer's premium where the house published it, so they may differ from the hammer price.

The Henry Graves Supercomplication

Before 2019, the record belonged to a pocket watch. Patek Philippe built the Henry Graves Supercomplication by hand between 1925 and 1932 for the American banker Henry Graves Jr. It has two dials and 24 complications, so it stayed the most complicated mechanical watch in the world until Patek Philippe's own Calibre 89 arrived in 1989. In December 1999, Sotheby's sold it in New York for US$11,002,500. Then, on 11 November 2014, Sotheby's Geneva sold it again for CHF 23,237,000, roughly US$24 million.

That result shows how a watch with a clear history can gain value over time. If old pieces interest you, our guide to the vintage watch explains how condition and originality affect price.

Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona

In 1968, the actor Joanne Woodward bought a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 6239 at Tiffany & Co. in New York for her husband, Paul Newman. She also had the case back engraved with "Drive Carefully Me", because he had just started motor racing. Decades later, on 26 October 2017, Phillips offered the watch at its first New York watch sale. After about 12 minutes of bidding, the hammer fell at US$15.5 million, or US$17,752,500 with the buyer's premium.

At the time, it was the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. It also remains the most expensive watch by Rolex ever sold at a public sale. It also made "Paul Newman" the most famous nickname in watch collecting. For context, a new Rolex costs a tiny fraction of that; our guide to the rolex watch price malaysia covers current models. The Daytona is a chronograph watch, so it also works as a stopwatch.

Recent records from Patek Philippe and F.P.Journe

The market has stayed strong since then. On 9 November 2025, Phillips sold a 1943 Patek Philippe reference 1518 in stainless steel for CHF 14,190,000, about US$17.6 million. According to Phillips, it is now the most expensive vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch sold at auction. Interestingly, the same watch had fetched CHF 11,002,000 when Phillips sold it in 2016.

Independent makers are rising too. In June 2026, Phillips New York sold the F.P.Journe Chronomètre à Résonance "Souscription, No. 007" for US$13,922,000, nearly 14 times its estimate. As a result, it set the auction record for any independent watchmaker. Meanwhile, in May 2026, a Patek Philippe reference 2523 "South America" world-time watch reached CHF 7,961,000 in Geneva.

Jewellery watches: a different kind of most expensive watch

Some lists name the Graff Hallucination as the most expensive watch in the world. At Baselworld in 2014, the British jeweller Graff unveiled the ladies' piece, which carries more than 110 carats of rare coloured diamonds. According to JCK, Graff gave it a value of US$55 million. However, that is the maker's own stated price, not the result of an open auction.

So it helps to treat these as two separate categories. A jewellery watch draws its value mainly from the stones. By contrast, an auction lot draws its value from rarity, history and watchmaking, and its price comes from real bidders competing on the day. Both are remarkable, but they answer different questions. When you read a headline about the most expensive watch, check whether it describes an auction result or a jeweller's asking price.

Why the most expensive watch prices climb so high

Original retail price has little to do with a record. In fact, the most expensive watch at any sale is rarely the one that cost most when new. Instead, a few factors usually come together.

Rarity

Unique pieces and tiny production runs attract the most bidders. For example, the Grandmaster Chime in steel exists only once, while only a handful of steel 1518s are known. When several collectors want the only example, the price has no natural ceiling.

Provenance

A famous owner adds a story that no other example can match. Paul Newman's Daytona shows this clearly, because many other 6239s exist, yet none carries his wife's engraving. Similarly, the Henry Graves name adds value to the Supercomplication.

Complication and condition

Complex movements take years to design and build. Chiming watches, perpetual calendars and the tourbillon watch all demand rare skills, so collectors prize them. On top of that, original condition matters a great deal. A watch with its first dial, hands and papers can be worth far more than one that has been heavily restored.

What the most expensive watch records mean for you

Few of us will ever bid on the most expensive watch at auction, and that is fine. Still, these records reveal what the market values most: honest condition, clear history and serious watchmaking. Those same qualities matter whether you spend RM1,000 or far more. Also, notice that almost every lot in the table comes from a top Swiss house or a respected independent, as our guide to luxury watch brands explains.

In short, buy what you love, keep the box and papers, and service the watch properly. A record price is never guaranteed, but a well-kept watch from a respected maker is far more likely to hold its value over time.