Most expensive wrist-watch sold at auction

Most expensive wrist-watch sold at auction
Who
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A
What
33,649,500 US dollar(s)
Where
Switzerland (Geneva)
When
09 November 2019

The most expensive wristwatch, and indeed most expensive watch overall, sold at auction is a one-off stainless-steel edition of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A, which achieved 31 million Swiss francs (£24,329,900; $33,649,500; €28,520,400) at the eighth Only Watch auction held at Christie's in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9 November 2019. As this was a charity event, there were no auction fees or buyer's premium.

In addition to its one-off steel casing, several other features made this watch unique, including golden opaline and ebony-black dials and an inscription on one of the dials of "The Only One".

Of the total CHF 38,593,000 accrued at the eighth Only Watch charity auction, 99% of the proceeds went to funding research into muscular dystrophy.

The previous most expensive wristwatch was a Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Daytona, aka the "Paul Newman" Rolex, which sold to a private telephone bidder for $17,752,500 (£13,520,300), including buyer's premium, on 26 October 2017 at Phillips Auctioneers in New York City, USA.