Who said that watches only show you time. They also show the size of bank account of the owner. Today watches are more than a meagre accessory. They are a symbol of status and power for the influential. Their bling add weight to the snob appeal of the ‘Ritchie Rich’ billionaires. Some of them would cost you more than a Ferrari but to the glitterati it’s a ‘must buy’ on their shopping list. The Luxury Watch manufacturers designing and making these watches are raking in the moolah even when the world is facing an economic slump. The craftsmanship behind these eternal and exquisite timepieces is commendable. Here is a collection of the world’s most expensive watches, starting at just about a million dollars!
1) 201 Carat Chopard ($ 25 million)
Yeah! You read that right. This wrist watch comes with a whopping $ 25 million price tag. It’s a money printing machine! The watch is made by the Swiss luxury watch brand Chopard. The watch comes with a lot of Bling! The timepiece adorns three heart shaped diamonds a 15-carat pink diamond, a 12-carat blue diamond and an 11-carat white diamond. And as if this was not enough sparkle to blind someone, there are 163 carats of white and yellow diamonds to bring the total to 201 carats of diamonds, hence the name 201 Carat. The watch has a spring-loaded mechanism which, when pressed, allows the three heart shapes to mechanically open up to see the time and expose the yellow diamond-studded watch face.
2) Patek Philippe’s Super Complication ($ 11 million)
Patek Philippe, another Swiss watch brand are known for manufacturing the world’s most luxurious and complicated timepieces. The Super Complication, a pocket watch, has 24 ultra-complicated functions, functions beyond the hour, minute and seconds movement. The story behind this watch is that it was specially made for Henry Graves Jr. who wanted to outdo his competitor James Ward Packard at a horological competition. The eternal timepiece is made of 24 carat yellow gold, a different chronological function for each hour of the day, an actual chart of the night sky over the New York City showing the magnitude of stars and the Milky Way, and a minute repeater that chimes the same melody as the Big Ben. This watch was later auctioned in 1993 for $ 11 million.
3) Hublot, Genève ($ 5 million)
This is the most recent addition to the world’s most expensive watches. Revealed in March this year at Basel, this watch is more of a shimmering piece of jewellery than a wrist watch. The dazzling timepiece is embedded with 1,292 diamonds on a white gold bracelet. It took 17 people, 14 months to master the design and manufacture this magnificent wrist watch.
4) Patek Philippe’s Platinum World Time 1939 ($ 4 million)
It is said that Patek Philippe has created ten of the world’s most expensive watches ever. So with no exception Patek created the Platinum World Time in 1939 and it was in private hands until it was auctioned for a little over $ 4 million in 2002. A part of the Philippe’s World Time Collection, the Platinum World Time 1939 shows time across, not one or two cities but 42 cities. It has a self-winding mechanism that shows time in any of the 42 time zones. A rotating ring has the names of 24 cities on it and a second rotating ring has 24-hour markers on it. Local time is told by a standard hour and minute hand.
5) Piaget Emperador Temple Watch ($ 3.3 million)
Diamonds, diamonds and more diamonds and then add a little more diamonds. That’s what Piaget; the creator has done to make one of the most expensive watches in the world. The watch is shaped like a pyramid so that one can stack as many diamonds as possible. The timepiece has two watches in one; on top is a little hatch over a smaller mother-of-pearl and diamond watch face. Then the watch opens up again to expose a large face with one minute tourbillon and power reserve indicator. There are over 1200 diamonds with different cut stones. No watch can get gaudier than this one.
6) Aeternitas Mega 4 ($ 2.4 million)
Made by Frank Muller, the Aeternitas Mega 4 has got by far the maximum number of complications till date, a total of 36 and 1,483 components. This one is expensive not because of precious gem stones but for its mechanics. The watch displays three time zones, a 999 year calendar, and a fly back chronograph, the Carillon Westminster melody ( a very high complication) that chimes every hour, with small strikes at every quarter hour. You would have to run behind time (apart from having a gargantuan bank account) to own this watch as it is made to order and is available only in New York and Geneva
7) Vacheron Constatin Tour de I’lle ($ 1.5 million)
Vacheron Constatin has manufactured only seven of these, wonderful and superb timepieces and it can be yours forever at just $ 1.5 million USD. The Tour de I’lle is an 18 karat gold timepiece with a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, and sunset time, sapphire glass that provides an anti-reflective coating, a leather strap and a power reservoir of 58 hours.
8) Patek Philippe’s Sky Moon tourbillon ($ 1.3 million)
Yet again, Patek Philippe’s grand timepiece, the Sky Moon Tourbillon is a rare and complications loaded watch with two faces. The front face is opaline white with Calatrava Crosses and gold hour indicators and has a perpetual calendar, retrograde date, equation of time and the moon phase. The other face of the watch has a celestial view, a skychart depicting the placement of stars, phases of the moon and a 24 hour hand. This timepiece is remarkable for its intricate complications and world class craftsmanship.
9) The Chopard Super Ice Cube ($ 1.1 million)
The Super Ice Cube is satiated with diamonds on a white gold bracelet. Chopard, a Swiss watchmaker has a fetish for gemstones and leaves ‘no stone unturned’ to add sparkle to its beautiful timepieces. The Super Ice Cube has 60 carat baguette cut diamonds on the side and top of the face, on the dial, on the straps, in short everywhere!!
10) Hublot Black Caviar Bang ($ 1 million)
What can a million dollar fetch? Hublot’s Black Caviar Bang, not a penny more or less. This ‘Black Beauty’ is super stylish and laden with hundreds of rare black diamonds. It has an 18 karat white gold casing and the design is derived from Hublot’s Big Bang line. This one is a real jaw dropper.
