Rare Watches: Explore the World's Most Exquisite Timepieces

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A clear indicator of the desirability of vintage watches today is how popular they are among celebrities as well as featuring in films and on TV. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio owns a classic Carrera 1887 Chronograph, a limited edition Aquaracer as well as a Raymond Weil watch. He also notably wore a gold Rolex GMT Master when portraying city hot shot Jordan Belfort in the Wolf of Wall Street. Since it was worn by astronauts while they were on the Apollo 13 mission, the design of the watch has only incrementally changed. It's remained virtually the same, allowing for modern technology to be added. It's called the watch that saved Apollo 13. This watch is a favourite with collectors due to it being one of the most complicated timepieces to exists. When investing in such an important piece, you're going to want to go to someone with experience. Watches of Wales has over twenty years of experience buying and selling watches, and they can get you exactly what you're looking for, because we know watches. Vacheron Constantin has been making watches since 1755, but mostly specialising in sports watches. In fact, this is the only model that they have ever offered that isn't a sports watch. It's a classic investment piece that you'll definitely want to consider.

However, not all vintage watches come with such staggering price tags. With a good eye and enough knowledge, a good vintage watch can be bought on any budget.

Estate timepieces are highly sought after by watch enthusiasts who look for evidence of important lineage in a timepiece. These watches are usually of a very high quality, were made as part of a limited-edition collection or have very specific and intricate designs.

original condition of the watch is what matters most. It's not a big deal if there are signs of wear and tear; what matters is if the watch has its original parts. Not even good looks can save a watch if many of its components have been replaced, such as the dial, hands, and crown. This watch already broke a world record as the most expensive watch ever after going on sale at Antiquorum’s Geneva auction in April 2002, where it went for 6.6 million Swiss francs. It was then hardly seen again until it arrived at Christie’s Hong Kong auction house in 2021, further adding to its enigmatic and unattainable air. Known as a ‘grail’ watch, highly covetable and superbly desirable, this Patek Philippe timepiece is one of the most mythical and legendary in the horological world—befitting of a brand that has created some of the best men’s watches of all time. There is yet another benefit to purchasing a vintage watch: Rather than being limited to current models, there is a much larger selection of timepieces to choose from. You may even find a watch you like better among the earlier versions than one from that manufacturer's current catalog. Sometimes, getting a brand new watch isn't as good of an investment as buying a used watch. Vintage and pre-owned watches often have a much higher value than brand new watches.Best for: Billionaire travelers and bling-hungry jetsetters, off on a tour of Europe. Manufacturing date: This one is crafted in rose gold with an elegant and highly distinctive guilloché patterned dial. One of the first Patek Philippe creations to incorporate the brand’s dual-crown system, you use one crown to wind the watch and the other to control the city disk for the 24-city timer. The combination of polished and brushed surfaces adds to the sophisticated aura of this one-of-a-kind timekeeper. Ah, yes, we couldn't make this list without putting Rolex on it. When you think high-end watches, Rolex is probably the first thing that pops into your head.

A commission for a private client, this Vacheron Constantin timepiece really is the most complicated watch in the world and includes 57 different complications, made up of 2826 individual components and 242 jewels. Ten of those complications were brand new horological inventions at the time of manufacture. Many of the world’s most expensive watches are one-offs—or at least incredibly rare. Like this Patek Philippe timepiece, the first and only titanium version of the Reference 5208 Triple Complication wristwatch. The brand very rarely uses titanium, immediately elevating this watch in the eyes of collectors. The timepiece also features a minute repeater, monopusher chronograph, and an instantaneous perpetual calendar. There has been a huge upsurge in vintage watch collecting over the past twenty years, a natural consequence perhaps of the mechanical watch revival that took place in the 1990s after the doom-laden era of the quartz crisis had receded.For a sportier and edgier watch, you can't go wrong with a classic design from Breitling. Our range of vintage Breitling watches includes iconic models such as their Navitimer model, designed for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, and their Cosmonaute model, which famously made its way into outer space in 1962. Today, the brand is known for its high-quality, reliable and intricate designs. If you don't have the time or you're simply not interested in immersing yourself deeply in the subject, then you're much better off depending on a serious dealer. A dealer can offer you a watch that they have inspected at a fair price and in some cases, even offer a warranty.