Most Expensive Watch
You’ll find the most expensive, luxurious and classic watches here, including Hublot’s Classic Fusion Skeleton Tourbillon Black Ceramic, Zenith’s Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20, and Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Gyrotourbillon 1 timepiece, which sold at auction for $250,000.
The Hublot Classic Fusion Skeleton Tourbillon Black Ceramic is uncharacteristically slim and classic. The movement, caliber HUB 6010, is only 4mm thick, compared to, say, the 8.7mm thick chronograph movement, the HUB 4217, used in the King Power. The edgy black case, with its six H-shaped titanium screws, is pure Hublot, though. It’s made of high-tech polished ceramic – an alloy of pure zirconium oxide, which starts out white but is mixed with metal oxides to infuse the black color. The skeletonized tourbillon movement – the star of the show – is blackened, and was designed, developed and produced from start to finish in the workshops of the Hublot manufacture. The tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock is balanced by a lovely view of the large mainspring (120-hour power reserve) at 12 o’clock. This watch, at 45mm, is not particularly narrow, but it’s the thickness that counts when it comes to comfort on the wrist, and this slim, lightweight tourbillon could easily be worn by a woman – or by a man looking for something a little less bulky than a King Power.
Zenith’s Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 launched at BaselWorld 2012. This past January, Haute Time had the opportunity to see the newest additions to the Pilot Collection set to launch for BaselWorld 2013. The novelties include a Chronograph Annual Calendar, a GMT model and the Chronograph Tourbillon model. The new launches will be in a smaller size, 48mm, a significant difference from the The Pilot models launched in 2012 which measure 57.5mm. One of the favorites in the Pilot Collection is the Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Titanium. This piece is part of a Limited series of only 250 pieces and features a 57.5mm polished and satin finished Grade 5 Titanium case. The Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 in Titanium features a Calibre 5011K hand-wound movement with a 48 hour power reserve and is Chronometer Certified by the COSC.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Ref. 149.6.07.S., a Gyrotourbillon 1 timepiece (pictured), was a highly-sought after item. Only seventy-five pieces of this limited-edition model in platinum were ever created. From its transparent center the rhodium-plated Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 177 movement is visible, working at 216000 vibrations per hour, with 117 jewels, inclined lightweight two-cage multi-axis spherical tourbillo and two barrels with sapphire covers, making this an exceptional piece. The multi-tone grey-and-silver dial boasts a chapter ring for mean time, equation of time with radial white Arabic numerals, date sector with two retrograde hands, aperture view to the tourbillon, perpetual calendar with retrograde month indication and a power-reserve indication. Inside the 43mm-diameter case the dial is complemented by blued steel epée hands, an equation of time hand with gold sun tip and a blued steel seconds hand fixed to the top pivot of the tourbillon carriage. A black leather strap with Jaeger-LeCoultre platinum deployant clasp completes the look. This piece sold for HKD$1,940,000 (approximately US $250,116).
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