The most expensive watch ever sold at auction is the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010. It sold for 31 million Swiss francs, about $31 million, at Christie's in Geneva on November 9, 2019. No sale has beaten it since. The highest value reported for a watch with no auction sale is the Graff Hallucination, at $55 million. One is a price paid and the other is a price tag, so we keep them apart below. Bizak & Co. is a sourcing desk, not an authorized dealer of any watch brand: every watch here is found to order, not held in stock.
Last updated on November 2, 2026. Sources: Guinness World Records, Phillips press release, November 2025, Phillips New York Watch Auction XIV, Sotheby's, Forbes, patek.com.
What is the most expensive watch ever sold at auction?
The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010 is the most expensive watch ever sold at auction, at 31 million Swiss francs. Patek made it as a one-off in steel for Only Watch, a charity sale. Christie's ran the sale in Geneva on November 9, 2019. Guinness World Records says the sale had no buyer's premium, because it was for charity. Patek calls the Grandmaster Chime its most complicated wristwatch, and the model has 20 complications.
The record beat two older marks. The first was the Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication, a gold pocket watch that sold for about 23 million francs at Sotheby's in 2014. The second was Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona, the wristwatch record before 2019. For the rest of the Patek list, read our guide to the most expensive Patek Philippe watches.
What is the most valuable watch never sold in public?
The Graff Hallucination has the highest reported value of any watch with no auction sale, at $55 million. Graff Diamonds unveiled it at Baselworld in March 2014. Graff estimated it to be the most valuable watch ever made. Forbes reported the $55 million figure, which is not an auction result. It is a ladies' watch set with 110 carats of rare colored diamonds. No public sale has been reported. So treat it as a price tag, not a price paid.
What are the ten highest prices ever paid for a watch at auction?
Eight of the ten highest auction prices are Patek Philippe watches, and the list runs from CHF 31 million down to $10.2 million.
| Rank | Watch and reference | Price paid | House | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010, one-off in steel | CHF 31,000,000 (about $31.2 million) | Christie's, Geneva (Only Watch) | November 9, 2019 |
| 2 | Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication, gold pocket watch | CHF 23.2 million (about $24 million) | Sotheby's, Geneva | November 11, 2014 |
| 3 | Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6239, Paul Newman's own steel watch | $17,752,500 | Phillips, New York | October 26, 2017 |
| 4 | Patek Philippe 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph, steel, made in 1943 | CHF 14,190,000 ($17,631,075) | Phillips, Geneva | November 2025 |
| 5 | Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie 6301A-010, one-off in steel | CHF 15.7 million (about $17.3 million) | Christie's, Geneva (Only Watch) | May 10, 2024 |
| 6 | F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance "Souscription No. 007", platinum and pink gold, about 2000 | $13,922,000 | Phillips, New York | June 13, 2026 |
| 7 | Patek Philippe 1518, steel (the same watch as rank 4) | CHF 11,002,000 ($11,112,020) | Phillips, Geneva | November 12, 2016 |
| 8 | Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication, gold pocket watch (the same watch as rank 2) | $11,002,500 | Sotheby's, New York | December 1999 |
| 9 | Patek Philippe 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph, "The Pink First Series" | HK$80,370,000 (about $10.3 million) | Phillips, Hong Kong | May 30, 2026 |
| 10 | Patek Philippe 2523 two-crown World Time | CHF 7,961,000 (about $10.2 million) | Phillips, Geneva | May 9, 2026 |
Prices are what the buyer paid. The 2019 charity sale had no buyer's premium. Ranks use the US dollar value on the day of sale, as the house or the press reported it. Ranks 3 to 5 sit close, and so do ranks 7 and 8 and ranks 9 and 10, so exchange rates could swap them. The steel 1518 appears twice, because it sold in 2016 and again in 2025. The Graves appears twice as well, for 1999 and 2014. It is the only pocket watch.
Has any sale beaten the 2019 record?
No sale has beaten the 2019 record as of November 2, 2026. The two closest results since are about half of it. The steel 1518 made $17,631,075 at Phillips in November 2025. Patek's steel Grande Sonnerie 6301A-010 made CHF 15.7 million at Only Watch in May 2024. The best 2026 result in Everywatch's August list is the F.P. Journe, at $13,922,000 in June. Phillips holds its next Geneva watch auction on November 7, 2026.
Why do these watches cost so much?
Four things push prices to the top: one-off charity pieces, famous owners, rarity and complexity. Most record watches mix two or three of them.
One-offs for charity. Patek has given a unique piece to every Only Watch sale since 2005. The 2019 and 2024 pieces are in steel, a metal Patek rarely uses for grand complications. The money goes to research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Famous owners. Phillips estimated $1 million to $2 million for Paul Newman's own Daytona. It sold for $17,752,500 in 2017. Buyers paid for the owner, not just the reference.
Rarity. Patek made an estimated 281 examples of the 1518, the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch. Only four are known in steel. The one that sold in 2016 and 2025 is the first steel case made, with a "1" under the case number. In 2016 it became the first wristwatch to pass 10 million francs at auction. The F.P. Journe is number 7 of a 20-piece series made around 2000. Phillips expected more than $1 million and got $13,922,000.
Complexity and gems. Patek built the Graves Supercomplication between 1925 and 1932. It stayed the most complicated watch in the world until 1989. The Grandmaster Chime has 20 complications. Stones can matter just as much. The Graff Hallucination carries 110 carats of colored diamonds.
Which brands hold the record prices?
Patek Philippe holds the record, and Rolex and F.P. Journe are the only other makers in the top ten. For Patek, the record is the Grandmaster Chime at 31 million francs. Our guide to the most expensive Patek Philippe goes deeper. For Rolex, it is Paul Newman's Daytona 6239, which sold for $17,752,500 at Phillips. See our guide to the most expensive Rolex watches. For F.P. Journe, it is the Chronomètre à Résonance, which sold for $13,922,000 at Phillips in June 2026. See the F.P. Journe collection. No Richard Mille makes the top ten. Our most expensive Richard Mille guide lists its best results, and the Richard Mille collection shows the range. For other makers, see our guide to luxury watch brands.
What does a top-of-catalog watch cost?
Patek Philippe lists the gem-set Grandmaster Chime 6300/403G-001 in the mid seven figures on its website, and Rolex lists its priciest gem-set watches in the low six figures. The Chime is a double-faced white gold watch, 49.4 mm wide. It carries 118 baguette-cut emeralds and 291 baguette-cut diamonds. Patek calls it the most complicated piece in its current collection. The line also comes as the 6300/400G-001, the 6300/401G-001 and the rose and white gold 6300GR-001. The platinum 6301P-001 Grande Sonnerie is the regular version of the 6301 that Patek made in steel for Only Watch in 2024. See more on the Patek Philippe Grand Complications page.
| Brand | Watch | What sets it apart | Price band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patek Philippe | Grandmaster Chime 6300/403G-001 | White gold, 20 complications, set with emeralds and diamonds | Mid seven figures (Patek's website) |
| Rolex | Lady-Datejust 28, white gold with diamonds | The priciest watch on Rolex's US gem-set page | Low six figures (Rolex's US site) |
| Rolex | Cosmograph Daytona 40, Everose gold with diamonds | The priciest Daytona on that gem-set page | Low six figures (Rolex's US site) |
Rolex's US site lists both of those in the low six figures. The Chime lists for about thirty times the price of the priciest Rolex. The 2019 record was more than five times the Chime's list price. For gem-set Daytonas, read our gem-set Rolex Daytona guide.
What should a buyer take from these prices?
Treat record prices as history, not as market value. A record shows what one bidder paid on one day, often for a one-off. This page is not investment advice. The watches in the table rarely trade, and you cannot order most of them. What you can order is the catalog and the pre-owned market. At the top of the catalog, a gem-set Rolex costs six figures and a gem-set Grandmaster Chime costs seven figures. Before you pay, check the reference, the set and the papers.
Buy a Grandmaster Chime if you want Patek's most complicated wristwatch and can pay seven figures. Buy a gem-set Daytona if you want a top-of-range Rolex at six figures. Buy a pre-owned steel Cosmograph Daytona 116500LN if you want the Daytona name for far less, going by Chrono24 listings.
Related reading: Patek Philippe watch prices and Rolex watch prices.
Quick answers
What is the most expensive watch in the world?
By price paid at auction, it is the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010. It sold for 31 million Swiss francs at Christie's in Geneva on November 9, 2019. By reported value, it is the Graff Hallucination at $55 million, but no auction or public sale has been reported.
Has any watch beaten the 31 million franc record?
No. As of November 2, 2026, the closest results since 2019 are about half of it. A steel Patek 1518 sold for $17,631,075 in November 2025, and Patek's steel Grande Sonnerie sold for CHF 15.7 million in May 2024.
What is the most expensive Rolex ever sold?
Paul Newman's own Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6239. It sold for $17,752,500 at Phillips in New York on October 26, 2017.
Is a record auction price the same as a watch's value?
No. A record is one price, paid by one bidder on one day, often for a one-off piece. It is not market value, and it is not investment advice.
What does a top-of-catalog watch cost?
Patek Philippe lists the gem-set Grandmaster Chime 6300/403G-001 in the mid seven figures on its website. Rolex lists its priciest gem-set watches in the low six figures.
Get it sourced
Want a Grandmaster Chime, a gem-set Daytona or another top-of-catalog watch found? Tell us the model, size, material and strap or bracelet, whether you want new or pre-owned, and your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs and final price before you commit, and a $200 deposit, credited to the price, starts your sourcing request.
0 comments