The highest documented Breitling sale in the sources available is the Top Time ref. 2002 used as the Geiger-counter watch in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. Breitling says the exact film watch sold at auction in 2013 for almost £104,000. That makes it a notable high-value sale, but the available records do not establish it as the definitive all-time record.
The results below are documented public auction figures, not a complete or fully comparable league table. Sale dates and currencies differ, and the sources do not consistently say whether prices include buyer’s premiums. They also do not identify the auction house or exact final price for the Thunderball watch.
Documented Breitling auction results, ranked by reported amount
This ordering follows the reported figures as published; it is not adjusted for currency, inflation, buyer’s premium, or differences between auction-house reporting. The first result is described only as “almost” £104,000, so the precise amount is not known.
| Rank | Watch and provenance | Reported result | Sale details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top Time ref. 2002, the Thunderball film prop | Almost £104,000 | Sold at auction in 2013; auction house and exact final figure not stated by Breitling. |
| 2 | Stainless-steel Duograph formerly owned by Formula 1 driver Jack Brabham | CHF 56,250 | Phillips’ START-STOP-RESET auction, 15 May 2016; result recorded in Phillips’ Breitling profile. |
| 3 | Limited-edition pink-gold automatic wristwatch; exact reference not stated in the cited page | HKD 87,500 | Sotheby’s auction in 2018; estimate HKD 22,000–32,000. See Sotheby’s Breitling page. |
| 4 | Navitimer ref. 806, circa 1959 | CHF 8,750 | Result listed by Phillips. |
The ordering is not a like-for-like valuation: these results use different currencies, dates and source reporting conventions. The available records do not establish a common basis for buyer’s premium, and no currency conversions have been made. The table therefore shows documented figures rather than relative modern values.
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#1 Best Overall
- Polished Stainless Steel Case and Bracelet, Case Diameter: 44mm
- Blue Dial with Index Hour Markers
- Breitling Caliber B20
- Self-winding Automatic Movement, COSC Chronometer Certified
- 200 Meters / 660 Feet Water-Resistant
What is the most expensive Breitling watch ever sold?
The strongest documented example here is the Top Time ref. 2002 made famous in Thunderball, for which Breitling reports an auction result of almost £104,000 in 2013. Breitling calls it “one of the most expensive vintage Breitling watches ever sold,” a meaningful description but not proof of a complete world-record ranking. The exact price and auction house are not identified on the brand’s page.
Why the Thunderball Top Time is exceptional
Breitling introduced the Top Time in 1964 as a sporty, contemporary chronograph aimed at younger buyers. In early 1964, Willy Breitling described the approach this way: “We are sweeping into the field of youth, and we are going to speak their language.” The ref. 2002 became a prop in the 1965 Bond film Thunderball, where Q modified it to include a Geiger counter. The auctioned watch’s film connection and unusual prop configuration distinguish it from an ordinary vintage Top Time.
Rank #2
- Breitling Avenger Chronograph Automatic Blue Dial Men's Watch A13317101C1X1
That history does not mean every Top Time ref. 2002 has comparable value. The cited result belongs to the specific screen-used watch and its provenance, not to the model reference generally.
What makes other Breitling models collectible?
Duograph: split-seconds chronograph and documented ownership
The Duograph is a split-seconds chronograph. Phillips’ CHF 56,250 result concerns a specific stainless-steel example formerly owned by Formula 1 driver Jack Brabham. Its documented ownership is part of that lot’s story; it should not be treated as provenance shared by Duographs as a category.
Rank #3
- Breitling Superocean 42mm Heritage B20 Automatic Blue Dial Watch UB2010161C1S1
Navitimer: aviation function and recognizable design
Phillips describes the Navitimer as a pilot’s wrist instrument with a circular slide rule. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association commissioned Navitimers in 1952 for pilots and AOPA members; the bezel could be used for calculations including fuel consumption, flight duration and distance. Phillips records CHF 8,750 for a circa-1959 ref. 806.
Cosmonaute: an interesting watch without a verified price here
Phillips describes a Navitimer Cosmonaute in a first-batch 1962 ref. 809 case with astronaut-estate provenance. The opened lot information does not provide a sale price, so it cannot be placed responsibly in a price ranking on this evidence.
Rank #4
- Breitling Superocean Heritage II Chronograph Automatic Blue Dial Men's Watch AB0162121C1S1
How to judge a claimed Breitling auction record
A headline price is only useful when the lot and the reporting basis are clear. For a reliable comparison, check the exact reference and configuration, the watch’s condition and originality, the provenance attached to that particular example, the sale date and currency, and whether the published figure is an estimate, hammer price or buyer-paid total. These records do not settle all of those points consistently, which is why they support a selection of documented results rather than a definitive all-time list.
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