The Most Expensive Diamond-Set Watches
In a market largely dominated by Swiss and Chinese brands, it is to no one’s surprise that the revered Rolex retains its value incredibly well. Deemed one of the most prestigious watchmakers in the entire world, alongside a multitude of others, Rolex is accredited for some of the most recognizable and successful collections the industry has ever seen. With such an esteemed resume of Submariner, Daytona, Explorer, and Datejust models, who would’ve thought a more prestigious and niche classification was possible? Allow me to introduce the world’s most opulent diamond-set watches.
Graff Diamonds Hallucination — USD $55M
The Graff Diamonds Hallucination will not only tell you the time but how the ultra-wealthy spend their money. Worth a whopping USD $55M, this platinum bracelet is embellished with over 110 carats of colored diamonds in yellow, orange, green, blue, and pink — which is considered rare and more valuable than white diamonds.
Characterised by its stunning rainbow effect, this specific Graff is lionized for its mix of round cut, emerald marquise, pear, and heart-shaped diamonds, which differs from the standard baguette-style.
Graff Diamonds The Fascination — USD $40M
A true work of art, ‘The Fascination’ incorporates 152.96 carats of the very finest white diamonds. At its heart lies an exquisitely rare, 38.13 carat D Flawless pear-shaped diamond, cut and polished by Graff. Complete with an interchangeable element, this magnificent diamond can be worn as the centrepiece of a highly sculptural bracelet or placed into a bespoke shank and worn as a ring.
This Graff model — worth USD $40M, represents a highly-unique and transformable jewel that aims to perfectly epitomise the brand’s diamond expertise whilst operating at the very pinnacle of the luxury jewellery industry.
Chopard 201-Carat — USD $25M
Conceptualised in the early 2000s, this Chopard 201-Carat timepiece has redefined modern luxury, with an array of coloured diamonds in unusual hues and fancy shapes that add to its glamorous appeal and value. Entirely handmade, this timepiece features at least 874 high-grade diamonds including a heart-shaped pink diamond that weighs 15.37 carats, a 12.79-carat heart-shaped blue diamond, and a flawless heart-shaped D-colour diamond weighing 11.36 carats.
Additionally, when one adds pressure to the spring-loaded mechanism in the piece, the three heart-shaped stones open like flower petals to expose a pavé-set watch face, which contains three pear-shaped yellow diamonds worth a total of 8.45 carats. Independent from any ebauches or base movements for functionality, the Chopard 201-Carat timepiece was constructed in-house with incomparable attention to detail, worthy of the brand’s excellent reputation within the jewellery industry.
Jacob & Co. Billionaire — USD $18M
With a black mirror-polished upper cage, — a finishing technique that requires immense patience and dexterity — hand-bevelled and hand-polished edges, and calculated operation, the tourbillon is the only complication to live up to the brand’s breath-taking visual experience of its diamond-set exterior. Regarded Haute Horlogerie’s response to the high jewellery tour de force that surrounds it, the tourbillon encapsulates a balance wheel, hairspring, escape wheel, and a number of other crucially important, superbly finished components that are carefully assembled and fine-tuned to maintain accurate time throughout its extended, 72-hour power reserve.
Worth USD $18M, this timepiece showcases a uniquely skeletonised movement and magnificent architecture in the form of a web-like structure of hand-refined thin bridges, an exquisite 6-link diamond-set bracelet, and a grand total of 176.88 carats of 313 emerald-cut diamonds.
Hublot Big Bang — USD $5M
Set with over 1,282 diamonds, carefully curated to match the concept and design of Hublot’s iconic Big Bang watch, this one-of-a-kind magnum opus was gifted by pop superstar Beyonce to her husband Jay-Z for his 43rd birthday. Graded Top Wesslton in colour and A VVS in clarity, this timepiece which is powered by Hublot’s HUB 1100 automatic movement, not only boasts a 42-hour power supply and features a total of 65 jewels, but was crafted over a period of 14 months by 12 master cutters and five expert stone cutters.
When purchased at retail, most luxury timepieces, regardless of their brand, hold value and offer much investment potential in the second-hand market thanks to the exclusivity and reputation they represent. On the other hand, diamond watches — despite their opulent price tags — rarely offer much investment potential due to the steep price premiums that almost immediately taper off with use.
As a result, second-hand diamond-set watches offer some of the largest saving opportunities within the industry when compared to their original retail prices. Whether or not these watches are ultimately worth the investment, eventually boils down to one’s motivation in purchasing. Those looking to resell at a profit are better off purchasing more understated and widely appreciated or iconic timepieces over more unique designs.
