Records and rankings
The most expensive watches sold at auction of the 1970s
Hammer prices in USD at the rate of the sale day, across nine auction houses. Every entry links to its lot. Rare references show their price to Premium members.
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1
Rolex Oyster Cosmograph ref. 62651970 · Phillips · 12 May 2018USD 6,092,637 -
2
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 16751972 · Christie's · 6 Nov 2023USD 5,827,569 -
3
Patek Philippe Nautilus Platinum Jumbo ref. 3700/11978 · Phillips · 3 Nov 2023USD 3,230,310 -
4
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Paul Newman Lemon ref. 62641970 · Phillips · 9 Nov 2024USD 3,153,818 -
5
Patek Philippe ref. 24991971 · Sotheby's · 2 Oct 2018USD 3,034,803 -
6
Patek Philippe ref. 24991971 · Phillips · 12 Nov 2017USD 2,844,941 -
7
Patek Philippe The Blue Royale ref. 3448/1001973 · Phillips · 26 Nov 2021USD 2,273,785 -
8
Rolex Cosmograph ref. 62631974 · Phillips · 12 May 2018USD 1,982,993 -
9
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 16751972 · Phillips · 10 Dec 2019USD 1,952,000 -
10
Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 3448J1970 · Sotheby's · 16 Nov 2008USD 1,896,347
Most auctioned references
| Rolex 1675 | 1,105 |
| Rolex 1803 | 735 |
| Rolex 5513 | 703 |
| Rolex 1680 | 689 |
| Rolex 6263 | 614 |
Record by brand
| Patek Philippe | USD 19.9 M |
| Rolex | USD 17.8 M |
| Philippe Dufour | USD 6.5 M |
| F.P. Journe | USD 5.7 M |
| George Daniels | USD 5.2 M |
| Urban Jürgensen | USD 4.7 M |
| Richard Mille | USD 4.6 M |
| Audemars Piguet | USD 3.9 M |
Updated
Rankings refresh with every data sync; last update 2026-10-05. 20 lots with doubtful prices are excluded pending review.