The most expensive wristwatches for men

After the invention of the mechanical pocket watch by the Dutch physicist Christian Huygens in 1675, an indispensable accessory at that time immediately turned into a luxury item, emphasizing the social status of the owner. In the 21st century, the situation has not changed radically, even despite the fact that mechanics have appeared more accurate, as well as more affordable competitors in the guise of quartz and electronic movements.

What are they, the most expensive wristwatch in the world? Hold your breath, now we will open the curtain on the world of luxury timepieces that cost millions of US dollars!

The palm in our selection of the most expensive watches belongs to the PATEK PHILIPPE REF chronograph. 1518 in a stainless steel case. The model was sold for $11.136 million at the Geneva Watch Auction: Four on November 12, 2016.

The legendary PATEK PHILIPPE REF. 1518 1941 is the world's first series of chronographs with a moon phase indicator and a perpetual calendar mass-produced. In total, 281 units of such watches were produced: 233 models were made of yellow gold, 44 had a rose gold case, and only 4 were not made of precious metals. Hence the explanation for such a high price for an incredibly rare creation of famous Swiss watchmakers.

Price: $11.136 million

Housing materials: stainless steel.

In second position are PATEK PHILIPPE REF chronographs. 1527, with a price tag of $5.64 million, is the most expensive watch ever sold by Christie's since 2010.

PATEK PHILIPPE REF. 1527 produced in 1943 is a continuation of the REF line we have already mentioned. 1518, which in functional terms was no different from its predecessor.

Price:$5.64 million

Body materials: yellow gold, silver, precious stones.

The stunning cost of the HUBLOT $5 MILLION wristwatch, which is a fortune, is due to the unique expensive materials that were used to finish the device case. Only in search of 1200 cut diamonds of the same shape, with a total weight of 140 carats, the Swiss manufacturer took about 14 months! American pop star Beyonce purchased one of these watches for her husband, the famous rapper Jay-Z.

Price: $5 million

Housing materials: white gold, diamonds.

– How can you surprise billionaires who want to buy expensive watches? Diamonds, gold, complex mechanics or a unique design?

- May be.

What about celestial bodies?

- Exactly!

This is the logic followed by the masters of the Swiss company Louis Moinet, who presented a series of chronographs called METEORIS. In the production of each of the four watch models, particles of meteorites that fell to Earth were used.

Line name: TOURBILLON MOON, TOURBILLON ROSETTA STONE, TOURBILLON MARS, TOURBILLON ASTEROID.

Price:$ 4.6 million

Housing materials: white gold, rose gold, diamonds, meteorite particles.

The uniqueness of the PLATINUM WORLD TIME REF. 1415 HU lies in the fact that it is capable of showing the time of 24 time zones, which also include more than 40 cities of the world, due to the rotary dial.

The world time display system was invented in 1935 by the watchmaker Louis Cotier, and was put into practice just after the release of WORLD TIME REF. 1415 in 1939.

In 2002, an antique chronograph was sold at the Antiquorum auction in Geneva for $4 million.

Price:$4 million

Housing materials: platinum, leather.

To date, mechanical wristwatches play the role of an indicator of a person's social status to a greater extent. And only then they can be considered as an everyday accessory. For example, luxury brands of the most expensive Swiss watches by today's standards have a fairly high rate error - up to 4 seconds per day.

Note to perfectionists! Permissible error values ​​of the 1st accuracy class of mechanical watches are from +40 to -20 seconds per day. Whereas quartz movements are allowed to be wrong by 10 seconds a day or a year, depending on the manufacturer and the cost of the device. Electronic clocks have virtually no error.

Expensive watches are not a sign that they are accurate! Now it is clear why all the important "big shots" come to the events last.