The top 10 most expensive watches sold by Christie's in 2018, ranked

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christie's patek_philippe_an_extremely_fine_rare_and_historically_important_18k_g)Christie's

  • The 10 most expensive watches sold at Christie's this year ranged in price from $566,000 to $3.2 million.
  • The auction house also celebrated 25 consecutive years as the leading jewelry auction market in 2018.
  • Topping this list, a rare Patek Philippe wristwatch sold for a whopping $3,234,905 at Christie's.

In a time when smartphones reign supreme, it's fascinating to find that there are still people willing to pay a pretty penny for a good old-fashioned watch.

Whether they simply value the old way of telling time or are looking for a way to display their style on their wrist, watch buyers were willing to drop some serious cash with Christie's this year.

Read more: I went to NYC's biggest luxury watch show, and the most memorable part wasn't the $1.8 million diamond watch or the $182,000 piece they let me try on

In 2018, the auction house said it made $492.3 million in total jewelry sales ($484.5 million in live auction and $7.8 million online). The sales total earned Christie's its 25th consecutive year as the leading jewelry auction market. It also saw a new record being set with a bottle of Macallan 60 Year Old selling for a whopping $1.5 million (incidentally, that bottle broke the record set by another bottle of Macallan 60 Year Old, which had sold for $1.1 million just two months prior).

Here are the top 10 most expensive watches sold by Christie's in 2018, ranked from least to most expensive.

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10. Designed and signed by Richard Mille, this rare platinum and baguette-cut, diamond-set tourbillon wristwatch sold for a cool $566,014.

10. Designed and signed by Richard Mille, this rare platinum and baguette-cut, diamond-set tourbillon wristwatch sold for a cool $566,014.

Source: Christie's

9. A unique Patek Philippe chronograph wristwatch, 18k white gold and diamond-set with a degradé black dial, brought in $614,766.

9. A unique Patek Philippe chronograph wristwatch, 18k white gold and diamond-set with a degradé black dial, brought in $614,766.

Source: Christie's

8. This Patek Philippe 18K gold perpetual calendar chronograph watch with moon phases and a tachymeter scale sold for $668,862.

8. This Patek Philippe 18K gold perpetual calendar chronograph watch with moon phases and a tachymeter scale sold for $668,862.

Source: Christie's

7. Made in 1930, this 18K gold cushion-shaped Patek Philippe wristwatch sold for $708,500.

7. Made in 1930, this 18K gold cushion-shaped Patek Philippe wristwatch sold for $708,500.

Source: Christie's

6. A truly timeless design, this 1969 stainless steel chronograph Rolex wristwatch with a Paul Newman mark went for $732,500.

6. A truly timeless design, this 1969 stainless steel chronograph Rolex wristwatch with a Paul Newman mark went for $732,500.

Source: Christie's

5. Stacked with impressive features like a minute-repeating instantaneous perpetual calendar, leap year indication, day and night display modes, and moon phases, it's no wonder this platinum Patek Philippe auctioned for $753,277.

5. Stacked with impressive features like a minute-repeating instantaneous perpetual calendar, leap year indication, day and night display modes, and moon phases, it's no wonder this platinum Patek Philippe auctioned for $753,277.

Source: Christie's

4. A fine, 18K gold Patek Philippe perpetual chronograph wristwatch from 1944 auctioned for $912,500.

4. A fine, 18K gold Patek Philippe perpetual chronograph wristwatch from 1944 auctioned for $912,500.

3. This rare early stainless steel Rolex wristwatch, with a gilt explorer dial, automatic time, and center seconds, sold for $1,068,500.

3. This rare early stainless steel Rolex wristwatch, with a gilt explorer dial, automatic time, and center seconds, sold for $1,068,500.

Source: Christie's

2. An officially certified chronometer, 18K gold Rolex with a triple calendar, star dial, and moon phases, this watch proved to be a big ticket item when it brought in $1,572,500.

2. An officially certified chronometer, 18K gold Rolex with a triple calendar, star dial, and moon phases, this watch proved to be a big ticket item when it brought in $1,572,500.

Source: Christie's

1. The year's most expensive watch sale at Christie's, an 18K gold Patek Philippe chronograph watch, signed by Philippe and featuring a perpetual calendar and moon phases, went for a whopping $3,234,905.

1. The year's most expensive watch sale at Christie's, an 18K gold Patek Philippe chronograph watch, signed by Philippe and featuring a perpetual calendar and moon phases, went for a whopping $3,234,905.

Source: Christie's

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