When it comes to the top price of Patek Philippe Mens Watches, there’s really no upper limit to how high things can go. The value of watches produced by traditional Swiss watchmaking giants like Patek Philippe can run into thousands or even millions of dollars, depending on various factors. Of course, the most important factor is the rarity of the timepiece. 

Luxury watches are deliberately designed to preserve their value, which raises their value in the secondary market compared to their original retail price. The Patek Philippe brand is particularly renowned for creating these top-performing timepieces. The brand has a long and prestigious history and has rolled out some of the most expensive watches ever sold at auction. 

For context, Patek Philippe watches currently take up nine spots on the list of the top 10 most expensive watches ever sold at auction. Similarly, 14 of the top 20 most expensive watches ever sold were manufactured by this watchmaker. On the list of watches that have been sold for over US$1.5 million at auction, Patek Philippe has 114, a staggering figure considering the second best on that list is Rolex, with only 22 pieces. This demonstrates just how successful Patek Philippe has been when it comes to creating rare and expensive watches. 

So, what are some of Patek Philippe's most expensive men’s watches? In this post, we’ll list the rarest and most expensive men’s watches ever created by the Patek Philippe company and discuss what makes them so special. 

Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 

The Grandmaster Chime with Ref. 6300A-010 isn’t just the most expensive Patek Philippe timepiece; it is the most expensive wristwatch ever sold by any manufacturer. It was sold at a Christie's Auction in 2019 at $33,616,493. This sale broke the previous record for the most expensive wristwatch at the time held by Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, which was sold for $ 17.7 million in 2017 at a Phillips auction. 

This timepiece is a rare find, which explains why it was sold at such a steep price. The Grandmaster Chime collection was originally launched in 2014 to commemorate Patek Philippe’s 175th anniversary.

Patek created this timepiece specifically for charity purposes, so it is truly one-of-a-kind. It is also the first and only Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime in stainless steel. Other regular Grandmaster Chime models are made of precious metals.

 The Grandmaster Chime is also one of the few Patek Philippe watches with a double-face case design that allows you to reverse the watch face to demonstrate its true rarity; the words “Only One” are printed boldly on the Ref. 6300A-010’s golden opaline and ebony black dial. 

Patek Philippe Stainless Steel Ref. 1518 

When the Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph was sold for $11.137 million at a Phillips auction in 2016, it broke the world record for the most expensive timepiece ever sold until it was displaced a few months later. 

Several factors contribute to the high value of this timepiece. For one, it is the first wristwatch with both a perpetual calendar and a chronograph in one timepiece. Although Patek Philippe perfected the perpetual calendar complication in 1925, it was typically not combined with a chronograph function mainly because of how difficult it was to execute at the time. Even today, this combination remains extremely rare.

In 1941, Patek Philippe unveiled the reference 1518, making it the first wristwatch with both a perpetual calendar and chronograph. The piece sold in 2016 was one of only four models made in steel. 

Apart from the complication, the period in which this watch was manufactured is another reason why it is so precious. The ref 1518 was created during the years of World War II. Watchmakers generally refrained from making complicated watches at the time, so there are only a few of them from that era. Also, the watch was made from stainless steel at a time when most of the stainless steel produced was earmarked for war efforts. 

Patek Philippe “Prince Mohammed Tewfik A. Toussou” Ref. 1518 

This is another ref 1518 model, which was part of a batch of 340 pieces produced by Patek in 1941. This piece stands out from the bunch because it has a copper-pink dial, a feature seen in only 14 known models. 

As explained above, this watch reference featured a combination of perpetual calendar and chronograph function and was produced during the Second World War. In addition to these factors, the previous owner of this timepiece adds even more intrigue to its provenance. 

The watch belonged to Prince Mohammed Tewfik A. Toussou of Egypt, a direct descendant of Muhammad Ali, who is regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. The Prince obtained the timepiece in 1951, and it remained in his possession until he died in 2021. Unsurprisingly, the timepiece sold for a whopping $9.5 million when it was put up for sale at a Sotheby's auction in December 2021. 

Patek Philippe Gobbi Milan "Heures Universelles" Ref. 2523 

The Patek Philippe "Heures Universelles" Ref. 2523 is one of seven world-time timepieces ever made, which makes it one of the rarest Patek Philippe watches. It was sold in 2019 at a Christie’s auction held in Hong Kong. The record auction price of this watch made it the most expensive timepiece ever auctioned in Asia. 

This extremely rare wristwatch was manufactured in 1953. To further add to its already remarkable history, the ref 2523 was manufactured based on designs created by renowned watchmaker Louis Cottier. It also bears the unique signature of “Gobbi,” the prestigious Milan timepiece retailer, making it the only example in this reference to bear both a Patek Philippe and a “Gobbi” signature. 

Patek Philippe Two Crown Worldtime Ref. 2523 “Eurasia” 

The WorldTime Ref. 2523 “Eurasia'' is similar to the reference mentioned above but with a few modifications. Both watches have a “Heures Universelle” world-time function. However, there are obvious distinctions between them, like the fact that this timepiece has two instead of one crown. The second crown is for setting the watch’s city ring.

The rare timepiece also came in a yellow gold case, which gave it an attractive appearance. To add to its distinctiveness, this watch comes with a cloisonné dial depicting the supercontinent of Eurasia, hence the name. It has also been nicknamed “The Silk Road”. This timepiece holds the record for the highest-selling watch in a yellow-gold case. This watch was sold in 2021 for $7.8 million at a Phillips Auction held in Geneva. 

Gobbi Milano Pink Gold Ref. 2499

Recently sold at a Sotheby Auction held in Hong Kong in 2022, the Gobbi Milano Pink Gold Ref. 2499 is a vintage perpetual calendar chronograph. The timepiece was sold as part of a single-owner collection nicknamed the “Nevadian Collection,” which includes 37 other Vintage Patek Philippe Timepieces. 

Although there were four other ref 2499 watches sold in the same auction, this timepiece stands out from the rest thanks to its pink gold casing. It is also the only one that has been double-signed by the retailer Gobbi Milano. 

The 37mm timepiece had earlier broken the record for the most expensive Ref. 2499 ever sold in 2007 when it went for roughly $3M at a Sotheby Auction. The new auction price shows just how much the timepiece had appreciated in less than two decades. 

Patek Philippe Stainless Steel Ref. 5016A-010 

The final piece on our list is a Stainless Steel ref 5016A-010 timepiece sold at a Philipps “Only Watch” auction for $7.259 million in 2015. It is a truly one-of-a-kind piece created specifically by Patek Philippe for the Only Watch auction. 

The design of the Ref. 5016A-010 is based on the ref. 5016 timepiece was originally created in 1993. At the time, it was Patek Philippe’s most complicated wristwatch, featuring a minute repeater, tourbillon, and a perpetual calendar with a moon phase.

The original iteration had only about 200 to 300 pieces made in platinum, white, yellow, or pink gold colors. This reference was discontinued in 2011 until Patek resurrected it with the Ref. 5016A-010 in 2015. The stainless steel casing of the auctioned piece makes it remarkably different from the older models. It was also the first stainless steel timepiece produced by Patek Philippe for the Only Watch event. 

Conclusion 

It is worth noting that while these are the most expensive wristwatches produced by Patek Philippe, the Swiss watch manufacturer has some really expensive pocket watches as well. For instance, the Henry Graves Supercomplication, which is one of the most complicated pocket watches in the world, was sold for roughly $24 million in 2014, which puts it in second place on our list. 

The high price tag of these and other Patek Philippe timepieces is a nod to the world-leading craftsmanship, innovative designs, and remarkable reputation that the Patek Philippe brand has built over several decades.