The 10 most expensive watches sold at Sotheby’s auctions during 2026

The 10 most expensive watches sold at Sotheby’s auctions in 2026 achieved about $10 million, in light of strong competition between collectors from around the world to acquire the rarest luxury watches from the most famous watchmaking houses.

The A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication watch, made around 1916, topped the list of best sellers, after it was sold for $2.04 million, followed by the Cartier London Crash watch made around 1987 at a price of $1.99 million, then the Patek Philippe Single Button Chronograph watch from 1924, which achieved $1.96 million.

The list witnessed a strong presence of international brands, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, and F.P. Journe, Cartier, and A. Lange & Söhne, with several watches sold worth over $1 million, including rare editions of the Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman,” Lange’s Tourbillon Pour le Mérite, and the Patek Philippe Ref. 605 HU, and F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Ruthenium.

The list also included the FP Journe Vagabondage watch of former NFL player Tom Brady, which was sold for $960,000, along with the Cartier Paris Skeleton watch made of yellow gold, which recorded $947.6,000.

The results of Sotheby’s auctions reflect the continued global demand for luxury and rare watches, amid an increasing demand by collectors and investors for historical pieces and limited-production editions.