A gentleman’s choice of timepiece says as much about him as his Saville Row suit – Ian Fleming (Creator of James Bond)
Of course Ian Fleming would know, he created the coolest, slickest most stylish bad-ass character in fiction!
Since the 1700s, when the first watch was worn in a pocket, it has become a highly visible symbol of status and identity for both men and women. For decades, watch makers have made collectors edition watches and timepieces which would require a mortgage or two if you were looking to acquire them!
We’re talking millions people!
So I figured why not find the 6 most expensive watches in the world. (Hold your pockets tight!)
6. Vacheron Tour De’I’Ile – $1.2 million / Rs. 8 Crores (approx)
Vacheron is the one of oldest watch manufacturer in the world, still running strong since its inception in 1755. 250+ years of history allows them to beat the most in the business. The Tour de l’Ile has tourbillon, two faces, and more parts than one can imagine, making it the most complicated serial wrist watch ever made.
5. Louis Moinet, Meteoris Watches – Price: $4.6 million / Rs 31 Crores (approx)
How blown away would you be if I told you there was a watch so rare that in order to make it, you had to go into space and get some moon rock? There were only 4 of these watches ever made, and apart from the beautifully crafted architecture, each piece contains something so special that an average person will never get to encounter it in their life-time! These 4 watches form the Meteoris Collection by Louis Moinet, and they all tie for the 5th position on our top 6 most expensive watches in the world!
4. Hublot Big Bang – Price: $5 million / Rs. 33.5 Crores (Approx)
What else can we put on a watch in order to make it a far away dream for a common man (No points for guessing this one): Diamonds, and lots of them! But just how many diamonds can one manufacturer put on a wrist watch? Hublot answered that question with: as many we can fit in there! They ended up with 1280 diamonds that have at least 3 carats each.It took over 1 full year just to find the diamonds and bring them to the headquarters from all corners of the earth, but the end result was fully worth it! And do you know who bought one of these precious timepieces, Beyonce Knowles, who else? She bought it for her husband Jay-Z as a birthday gift for his 43rd!
3. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Pocket Watches – Price:$11 million / Rs. 73 Crores (Approx)
It used to be the most expensive pocket watch the world had ever seen! It was sold for $11 Million back in 1999, and its has been valued at $15 Million if it was to be resold today. Made in 1933 for banker Henry Graves by Patek Philippe himself, it took over 5 years to complete! It happens to be one of the most complicated and complex pocket watches in the world with over 24 functions! Made out of 18 carat gold, the watch used to be the world’s most expensive pocket watch until late 2013 when one exquisite piece dethroned it.
2. Chopard 201 Carat Watch – Price: $25 million / Rs. 167 Crores (Approx)
There may be not 1280 diamonds, but what gave it the second place in the list is that there are 874 rare diamonds!! The Chopard 201-carat watch used to be the world’s most expensive watch and still is the highest priced jewelry watch out on the market! Sold in the year 2000 for this unbelievable amount of $25 million, it made the front page of every luxury publication at the time. Contrary to the $5 million Hublot, the stones don’t form any sort of pattern or design but its a masterpiece nonetheless.
1. Breguet Grande Compliation Marie Antoinette – Price: $30 million / Rs 200 Crores (Approx)
Here we are! The most expensive watch in the world as of 2016 is priced at a cool $30 mil!! And it is a case watch not a wrist watch. So what makes this watch so expensive? Well its the history behind it. It was commissioned by an alleged lover of Marie Antoinette, the French queen. Work on the watch began in 1782 by Abraham-Louis Breguet and was finished in 1827 by his son, 4 years after his death. The result, an amazing piece of design, class and technology containing every function that was possible at that time.
Don’t you love materialism!?
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