A simple yet complex question to answer. Although there are high-end expensive women's watches that have been produced such as The Graff Hallucination (see more detail below) with a price tag of $55,000,000 and The Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette (see more detail below) with a price tag of $26,000,000. However, these are once-off limited edition pieces and unavailable over the counter nor for everyday use. This blog post will take a look at the Top 5 Most Expensive Watch Brands In The World, list the factors that determine the price between men's and women's luxury watches with the hopes of answering that one golden question: Are Men's Watches More Expensive Than Women's Watches?
What Are The Most Expensive Women's Watches In The World?
The Graff Hallucination
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette
The Graff Hallucination watch is set with over 110 carats of rare colored diamonds which contributes to its exorbitant price tag.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette watch consists of five cubed links which are a mix of polished precious metal and set with 576 diamonds. It has held the world record for the smallest timepiece since 1929.
As you can see, these two watches may be amongst the most expensive watches in the world but that doesn't exactly answer our one golden question: Are Men's Watches More Expensive Than Women's Watches?
To get a better understanding of whether men's watches are more expensive. We've done our research on the Top 5 Most Expensive Watch Brands and hand-selected the most expensive watches from each of these various luxury brands.
When we think of expensive watches, the first brand that comes to mind is Rolex, if you are not a luxury watch connoisseur you'd be surprised to know that Rolex does not make our top 5 list. Although, Rolex has come to be associated with class and exclusivity. Those who wear Rolex's are seen to be high achievers. This perception was imprinted on society through Rolex's effective marketing strategy. However, if we were to ask our PriceScope members who really know their luxury watches, they'll list you a few other Swiss brands which are a lot more exclusive than Rolex.
Eager to know which luxury watch brands surpass Rolex. Here is a list of the Top 5 Most Expensive Watch Brands In The World. Now, you may have a list in mind. Please feel free to share it in the comments section below.
What Are The Top 5 Most Expensive Watch Brands In The World?
#5 Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe is a Swiss luxury watch brand founded in 1839 by Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe. Patek Philippe watches start at $15,000 - $580,000. However, their most expensive watch made was the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, which fetched $31,190,000 back in 2019 at a Christie's auction. Patek Philippe invented the first watch to wind up without using a key. In awe of Patek Philippe? There's a waiting list of up to 8 years.
#4 A. Lange & Söhne
A. Lange & Söhne is a German luxury watch brand founded in 1845 by Ferdinand A. Lange. This is the only German luxury watch brand to make our list amongst the Swiss. A. Lange & Söhn start at $15,000 - $2,500,000. Yes, that's right, the most expensive A. Lange & Söhne watch on the market is the A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication. The A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication watch is so complex to manufacture that they only make one of these models per year.
#3 Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin is a Swiss luxury watch brand founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron. Vacheron Constantin watches can range from $18,000 - $11,000,000. In 2015, for the brand's 260th anniversary they revealed the most complicated watch ever made, reference 57260. The watch consists of 57 horological complications. Its price tag is not publicly disclosed. It is believed that the watch was auctioned off for over $10,000,000.
#2 F.P. Journe
F.P. Journe is a Swiss luxury watch brand founded in 1999 by François-Paul Journe. F.P. Journe watches can range from $25,000 - $2,000,000. F.P. Journe's watches cases, hands, and movements are all made of solid gold. Most popularly known for their F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu watch which consists of repeated layers of blue lacquer, e ach applied by hand and polished down to a mirror finish.
#1 Richard Mille
Richard Mille is a Swiss luxury watch brand founded in 2001 by Dominique Guenat and Richard Mille. Richard Mille watches range from $80,000 - $2,000,000. The components and structure of Richard Mille's handcrafted watches are what contribute to their hefty price tags. These components include carbon nanofiber and a g-force sensor. The most prestigious Richard Mille watch is known as the Richard Mille Tourbillon RM 56-02 Sapphire and is priced at an estimated $2,000,000.
One thing that all of these top most expensive watch brands have in common, they're all world-renowned for their men's watches. Although all of these top 5 brands manufacture a range of women's watches, none of their price tags nor complexities come close to the pricetag's of their men's watches. Which brings us to our next question: Why Are Men's Watches More Expensive Than Women's Watches?
The price difference between men's watches and women's watches are determined by these various factors but are not limited to:
Women's watches are more elegant as opposed to the bold designs of men's watches. The design of women's watches requires less material as opposed to men's watches which can become quite costly to manufacture.
Men's watch face sizes are typically bigger than women's watches which also means that the hands on men's watches tend to be more prominent as opposed to women's watches.
This comes down to preference but women commonly prefer wearing watches lighter in weight for everyday use. Whereas the weight of the watch for men is not really a determining factor.
We've seen more and more women purchasing men's watches because it is said that men's watches retain their value compared to women's watches. Other women just prefer the masculine bold designs that men's watches exhibit. We've also seen that a large number of men's luxury watch consumers consist of women who don't mind spending that kind of money on their significant others.
Although, we've come to the end of this blog post. The real debate takes place on the PriceScope forum. If you think we've missed out on some of the most expensive watch brands in the world, please share them in the comments section below.
Written by Bianca Mac Donald
