10 Expensive Vintage Watches Collectors Love
Everyone knows that if you see a Rolex on someone’s wrist, they spent a pretty penny to put it there (or they got lucky with an heirloom). Plenty of watches cost thousands of dollars, but where things get really pricey is with vintage timepieces. These vintage watches are the most expensive ones we could find.
1. 1933 Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication
Price: $24 million
American banker Henry Graves Jr. commissioned this pocket watch, which was crafted in 1933. The timepiece was designed with 24 complications, including a perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset times, and a celestial map of the New York night sky. In 2014, it shattered records at auction and sold for $24 million, surpassing its previous record set in 1999.
2. 1943 Patek Philippe Reference 1518
Price: $20 million
Produced in the 1940s, this Patek Philippe was the first-ever perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch made in series — quite the feat for high-end watchmaking. While most 1518s were crafted in yellow or rose gold, only four exist in stainless steel. In 2016, that exclusivity paid off when one sold for a staggering $11.14 million, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever auctioned at the time. Now, another is expected to sell for at least $20 million.
3. 1968 Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6239
Price: $17.75 million
Manufactured in 1968, this particular Rolex Daytona gained legendary status thanks to its famous owner: actor and race car driver Paul Newman. Gifted to him by his wife, the watch featured the now-iconic “exotic” dial, which was once overlooked but has since become one of the most sought-after Rolex designs. In 2017, it shattered records, selling for an astonishing $17.75 million, making it the most expensive Rolex ever auctioned.
4. 1953 Patek Philippe Gobbi Milano ‘Heures Universelles’ Ref. 2523
Price: $8.4 million
Introduced in 1953 and produced until 1957, this Patek is a rare and iconic world-time wristwatch. Equipped with the Geneva Seal certified caliber 12-400 HU, the 2523 features a second crown at 9:00 for adjusting the outer disc of cities. With its limited production and striking design, the 2523 remains highly coveted among collectors and can sell for millions.
5. Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 First Series in Pink Gold
Price: $7.7 million
This Patek was made in 1957 and set a record at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2022, selling for HK$60.3 million (US$7.7 million). One of only nine pink gold examples, it stands out with a double-signed dial featuring both Patek Philippe and Gobbi Milano signatures. Produced between 1955 and 1974, there were only 349 2499s made, making it rare and subsequently valuable.
6. 1970s Rolex Daytona ‘Unicorn’ Ref. 6265
Price: $5.9 million
When something is super-rare, it’s dubbed a “unicorn.” Such is the case with this Rolex, which is the only white gold vintage Daytona ever made. This rarity sold for an astounding $5.9 million at the Phillips Daytona Ultimatum sale, making it the second-highest price ever paid for a Rolex. What makes this watch even more special is the Sigma symbol on the dial, a mark used in the 1970s to indicate the watch was made of solid gold.
7. 1944 Patek Philippe Ref. 1527
Price: $5.7 million
A Patek Philippe from 1944 made history when it sold at Christie’s for a record-breaking $5.7 million, the highest price ever paid for a yellow-gold wristwatch at auction. The 18-karat gold timepiece features a calendar that adjusts for leap years and displays the phases of the moon. Often referred to as the “Mona Lisa of 20th-century wristwatches,” this watch sparked intense bidding, with six bidders competing across three continents. Estimated to fetch between 1.5 million and 2.5 million francs, it far surpassed expectations.
8. 1954 Rolex ‘Bao Dai’ Ref. 6062
Price: $5 million
The Rolex 6062, first introduced in 1950, was the first triple calendar moon phase watch with a waterproof case, setting it apart from the earlier ref. 8171. Featuring a 36mm Oyster case, Perpetual movement, and a Jubilee bracelet, it housed the caliber 655 movements with day, month, and moon phase indicators.
9. 1950s Patek Philippe Ref. 2497
Price: $2.9 million
The Patek Philippe reference 2497 with a black gilt dial became a focal point at a Christie’s auction in Geneva after its initial sale attempt was abruptly halted two years earlier due to an ownership dispute. The tension was palpable when the watch returned for a second round of bidding, but it ultimately sold for $2,898,000, sparking an intense battle between prominent watch dealers Alfredo Paramico, Davide Parmegiani, and a private collector.
10. 1969 Rolex Daytona ‘Oyster Sotto’ Ref. 6263
Price: $1.8 million
The “Oyster Sotto” Rolex 6263 is a rare and legendary piece in the collectors’ world. With fewer than 20 examples ever auctioned, this vintage Daytona is a true dream watch, made even more special by its tropical dial. The unique “RCO” (Rolex Cosmograph Oyster) layout, or “Oyster Sotto” (meaning “Oyster Underneath” in Italian), comes from a rare anomaly where preprinted dials for non-waterproof references were adapted for the water-resistant 6263 model around 1969. The addition of “Oyster” created a distinct variation only found in a small batch.