The highest result in a published ranking of 2022 watch auctions was a 1957 Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 signed Gobbi Milano, at approximately US$7.72 million. George Daniels’s Spring Case Tourbillon followed at CHF4,083,500 (US$4,092,075 as reported by Phillips). These are exceptional, buyer-paid auction results—not typical watch prices or evidence of likely investment returns.
The top 20 at a glance
The ranking below follows the published compilation, which attributes its list to a Robb Report article. Its dollar conversions are approximate where indicated; they should not be read as precise, directly comparable values across currencies. The compilation says ten lots came from Christie’s and five each from Phillips and Sotheby’s. Nine lots exceeded US$3 million, and all but the twentieth exceeded US$2 million.
| Rank | Watch | Reported result | Auction house or sale context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patek Philippe Ref. 2499, Gobbi Milano-signed | About US$7,724,346 | As listed in the compilation; converted figure approximate |
| 2 | George Daniels Spring Case Tourbillon | CHF4,083,500 / US$4,092,075 | Phillips, Geneva, November 2022 |
| 3 | Richard Mille RM56-01 | About US$3,661,673 | Geneva sale, per the compilation |
| 4 | Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263, “Paul Newman” Oyster Lemon | About US$3,421,169 | As listed in the compilation; converted figure approximate |
| 5 | Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 “Pink on Pink” | CHF3,297,000 / US$3,333,926 | Phillips, Geneva, May 2022 |
| 11 | Patek Philippe Ref. 3974 | HK$19,610,000 / US$2,498,314 | Phillips, Hong Kong, May 2022 |
| 15 | Patek Philippe Ref. 5531R-012 | US$2,220,000 | Christie’s, New York, June 2022 |
| 17 | Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 5402 | About US$2.1 million | As listed in the compilation; converted figure approximate |
The entries shown are selected examples, not the full twenty. The compilation’s complete ranking is available at Robb Report’s list of the most expensive watches auctioned in 2022. The official records linked below independently confirm several cited results and descriptions, but not every entry in the compilation.
Why the top result stood apart
Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 signed Gobbi Milano
The top-ranked watch was a 1957 pink-gold second-series Ref. 2499 perpetual-calendar chronograph. The compilation describes it as one of nine examples of that variant and the only known example bearing the Gobbi Milano signature. That combination of a sought-after reference, rarity and unusual retailer signature helps explain why it drew attention. The reported 2007 sale provides a historical comparison, but it does not establish the watch’s investment return: condition, fees, sale terms and other differences matter.
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A singular independent maker: George Daniels
Spring Case Tourbillon
At Phillips in Geneva in November, Daniels’s unique yellow-gold wristwatch sold for CHF4,083,500. Phillips reported the result as US$4,092,075 and called it a record for a wristwatch by a British maker. Its defining feature is a movement case hinged inside an outer case: it springs open to reveal a dial on the reverse, making the watch wearable and displayable on two sides. See Phillips’s lot record and Phillips’s account of the Spring Case Tourbillon.
Daniels was not the only independent maker represented. Richard Mille’s RM56-01 ranked third, with the compilation highlighting its sapphire-and-titanium case, skeletonized tourbillon escapement, power-reserve indicator and torque indicator. F.P. Journe also appeared in the top 20, a reminder that this particular high-end ranking included independent makers alongside established maisons—not a measure of their share of the wider market.
Rank #2
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Signatures, rarity and collector associations
Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” Oyster Lemon
The fourth-ranked lot was an 18-karat yellow-gold Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263. The compilation calls it the earliest of three known examples with the Oyster Lemon dial color. Its rank illustrates how a rare dial variant and a collector-recognized nickname can distinguish one example from others sharing a reference.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 5402
The seventeenth-ranked Royal Oak was a steel example with a gold bezel. The compilation connects the reference to designer Gérald Genta. Here, the notable factors are a recognizable design lineage and an unusual material combination; the result should not be treated as a benchmark for every Royal Oak.
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Complications and craft in the Patek Philippe results
Ref. 1518 “Pink on Pink”
The fifth-ranked watch achieved CHF3,297,000, or US$3,333,926 in Phillips’s annual results. The result is listed in the house’s 2022 auction results.
Ref. 3974 in Hong Kong
Phillips reported HK$19,610,000 (US$2,498,314) for this Ref. 3974 at its May Hong Kong sale, describing the result as a reference record. The lot combined a yellow-gold case by Jean-Pierre Hagmann with a black lacquer dial and Calatrava Cross. See Phillips’s lot record.
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Ref. 5531R-012
At Christie’s New York in June, this rose-gold grand complication sold for US$2,220,000. Its miniature cloisonné enamel dial depicts the Lavaux vineyards; the watch also combines minute-repeater and world-time functions. Christie’s identifies the result in its June 2022 results release.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret reported auction prices
A headline auction result is usually not the hammer price alone. The ranking compilation says its figures aggregate the hammer price and buyer’s premium where charged. Sotheby’s likewise states that its published results include premiums and exclude applicable taxes and costs unless otherwise noted. A converted amount may also be rounded or approximate.
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When comparing two results, first check whether both figures include the buyer’s premium. Then compare the original sale currency, date and venue, as well as the lot’s condition, completeness, provenance and exact reference or variant. An estimate or hammer-only figure is not directly comparable with a buyer-paid realized price.
What this unusually expensive sample does—and does not—show
Across the listed lots, recurring distinctions include rarity, documented provenance, unusual signatures, condition, precious or technically demanding materials, complications, fine dial work and maker identity. Those are useful ways to understand why specific watches attracted attention, but the compilation does not establish how much each factor contributed to a final price.
The results are concentrated at three major auction houses: ten Christie’s lots and five apiece from Phillips and Sotheby’s, according to the compilation. Phillips separately reported more than US$227 million in watch-auction sales in 2022, calling it the department’s highest annual result and nearly 10% above 2021. That is a house-reported annual total, not a description of the prices in this ranking. The compilation also attributes US$626 million in combined 2022 watch sales to the three houses; that secondary-source figure is not independently reconciled here.
Most importantly, a top-20 list is an extreme, selected sample. It cannot serve as a general price guide, establish market-wide demand or show that buying a watch will produce a return. Past auction outcomes are specific to individual lots and sale conditions.
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