In the world of high-end luxury collectors of expensive watches never had it so good as in 2024! The year has stood out as a landmark year as auction prices have soared and rewritten records at private sales.
At this elite level, timepieces aren’t just instruments to measure time; they represent the intersection of art, engineering, heritage, and status. Today, we take a closer look at some of the most expensive watches to be sold in 2024 and marvel at their intricate craftsmanship, storied histories, and the allure they hold for collectors.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime
Sold for: $35 Million
The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A is at the top of watchmaking sophistication. The watch features an extraordinary 20 complications, this model holds two faces—a rose gold and a black dial—that allow it to be worn in multiple ways, offering both versatility and elegance. Taking 11 years to develop and produce, each dial displays different complications, including minute repeaters, alarms, a perpetual calendar, and a rare four-digit year display. Thanks to these features, it is one of the most complex wristwatches ever created.
The Grandmaster Chime blends Patek Philippe’s legacy of technical achievement and artistic refinement into a masterpiece. The watch is a celebration of the brand’s prestige and rarity with only 7 units ever produced, this particular unit, which went at an auction for an eye-watering $35 million to make it among the most expensive watches to be sold, is the only one in stainless steel and says “The Only One” on the watch face.
Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman”
Sold for: $17.75 Million
The “Paul Newman Daytona” is a legendary timepiece among watch enthusiasts and collectors. Known formally as the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, it includes models with reference numbers 6239, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, and 6265. What sets these watches apart are their “exotic dials” featuring unique colour schemes, such as the “panda” (white dial with black subdials), “reverse panda” (black dial with white subdials), and anthracite variants. These dials were initially less popular, but their distinct look and association with Paul Newman transformed them into coveted items.
The connection to Paul Newman came about due to his personal Daytona watch, given to him by his wife, Joanne Woodward. She engraved it with “Drive Carefully, Me”—a thoughtful reminder reflecting his passion for motorsport. This connection, along with his fame and the model’s rarity, elevated the watch’s desirability.
Newman’s actual Daytona, featuring the rare panda dial, became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold when it fetched a stunning $17.75 million at auction in 2017. Although it has since been surpassed by two Patek Philippe watches, the Paul Newman Daytona remains a symbol of how mainstream popularity can redefine the market value and cultural significance of expensive watches.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther”
Sold for: $10 Million
Merging luxury watchmaking with pop culture, in 2021 Audemars Piguet unveiled the Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther,” drawing inspiration from the iconic Marvel superhero. The watch’s design pays homage to the iconic Marvel superhero, featuring a dial that resembles the Black Panther character in intricate, three-dimensional detail. Constructed from titanium and ceramic, the model combines modern materials and trademark Audemars Piguet craftsmanship with a bold cultural reference.
The Black Panther watch was sold privately for $10 million in 2024, making it one of the most expensive watches to be ever sold. Royal Oaks are already pretty hard to get one’s hands on, but with this edition limited to 250 units only, it has an even higher desirability factor for not only watch collectors but also pop culture enthusiasts as well.
Richard Mille RM 56-02 Sapphire
Sold for: $8.5 Million
Richard Mille’s RM 56-02 Sapphire is a striking demonstration of futuristic design and cutting-edge materials. The watch’s case is crafted entirely from sapphire crystal, giving a full, transparent view of its intricate mechanics. Within the case, the movement is suspended by cables in a unique tourbillon structure, showcasing Richard Mille’s pursuit of innovative engineering.The model fetched $8.5 million in 2024, driven by the brand’s appeal among watch collectors who want a bold design and exclusivity as only 10 units have been made.
The model fetched $8.5 million in 2024, driven by the brand’s appeal among watch collectors who want a bold design and exclusivity as only 10 units have been made.
Jacob & Co. Billionaire Ashoka
Sold for: $7 Million
Jacob & Co.’s Billionaire Ashoka is an iconic piece in the brand’s history. With over 188 carats of Ashoka-cut white diamonds seamlessly covering its bracelet and case, this watch is more than a timepiece; it’s a statement of wealth and grandeur. Its skeleton movement reveals a fascinating one-minute tourbillon with a vertically aligned structure, which is handled by a total of 167 components. Since less than 1% of all diamonds were eligible for the timepiece, the brand has stated that it will produce only a single unit of the Ashoka.
The watch’s record-breaking $7 million sale in 2024 underscores its place in the luxury market as a modern marvel and uber exclusivity. Jacob & Co.’s distinctive style and dedication to craftsmanship make the Billionaire Ashoka one of the most desirable pieces for collectors seeking a combination of high jewellery and complex engineering.
Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Île
Sold for: $6.5 Million
The Tour de l’Île from Vacheron Constantin is a ludicrous timepiece, featuring 16 complications, including a second time zone, perpetual calendar, and sunrise/sunset indicators. Created to commemorate Vacheron Constantin’s 250th anniversary in 2005, this model is an extremely limited edition with only 7 units in existence, making it highly coveted by collectors.
A 2024 auction saw the Tour de l’Île reach $6.5 million, instantly making it one of the most expensive watches ever. This piece is a statement of Vacheron Constantin’s levels of craftsmanship and sophistication, and its exclusivity continues to add to its allure and value among luxury watch enthusiasts.
Greubel Forsey Art Piece Edition Historique
Sold for: $6 Million
Blending high art with precision engineering, the Greubel Forsey Art Piece Edition Historique features a miniature sculpture embedded within its dial, encapsulating the brand’s commitment to aesthetic and technical excellence. Within its 44 mm-diameter case the watch houses a brand-new movement with a variation on the theme of the Double Tourbillon 30˚: a mechanism designed to enable the balance wheel to oscillate consistently in all planes ensuring maximum precision.
Limited to only 22 pieces ever made, the timepiece made high-end luxury collectors take notice when it was revealed. The Art Piece Historique fetched $6 million when it exchanged owners in an auction recently in 2024.
F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue
Sold for: $5.75 Million
The Astronomic Blue by F.P. Journe is a celestial-themed timepiece that is just as complex as it is beautiful to behold. The watch was inspired by a drawing from the eponymous founder’s adolescent son, who had made that sketch over a decade before the timepiece came to fruition.
It features an array of complications, including a tourbillon and minute repeater, equation of time, sidereal time, sunrise and sunset, moon phases, a 2nd timezone and an annual calendar. All of this is encased in tantalum, a rare and resilient metal.
A unit of the Astronomic Blue was sold for $5.75 million in an auction in 2024. François-Paul Journe’s watchmaking consistently evokes strong reactions among the select few collectors who can afford his creations and appreciate the unique style they embody, and the Astronomic Blue elicits a similar response.
A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication
Sold for: $5 Million
A. Lange & Söhne’s is a name known mostly by watch connoisseurs as the makers of some of the highest-quality timepieces in the world. The marque introduced the Grand Complication in 2013 which is partially inspired by a pocketwatch from 1902. It is the brand’s most complicated watch ever, featuring a split-second chronograph with flying seconds, a grande and petite sonnerie with minute repeater, and a moon phase perpetual calendar,
Only 6 units of the Grand Complication were ever made, with a unit selling for $5 million in 2024. A.Lange & Söhne went on to make even more complex watches after this, but the Grand Complication was when the brand proved that German watchmaking is just as exclusive and complex as its Swiss peers.
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
Sold for: $4 MillionThe Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is celebrated as the first of its kind watch in the world. However, its stainless steel version, one of only four ever made, is especially prized. The scarcity of this model in stainless steel makes it highly collectable, appealing, and among the most expensive watches because of its historical significance and rarity.
The 2024 sale price of $4 million reaffirms the value of Patek Philippe’s vintage models in unique materials, reflecting the lasting appeal of this pioneering timepiece.
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