Top Luxury Watches
The
luxury fashion world entices women to dress from
top to bottom with top brands.
For women, watches are just one among many fashion items.It's different for men, who are confined to dark suits and shoes. The fashion accessory through which men can express their wealth and power is their watch. And while opinions vary, the top luxury watches include Vacheron Constantin, Piaget, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Blancpain, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Breitling and Rolex.
Two of today's best known watches belong to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Italy's Silvio Berlusconi. Putin's watch is a $60,000 Patek Philippe (right), which pales in comparison to Berlusconi's $540,000 Vacheron Constantin. Patek Philippe, Chopard, Vacheron Constantin and Blancpain all make watches that cost more than $1 million. They require intricate components and meticulous workmanship. Blancpain 1735, for example, has 750 components and require a year to assemble.
The most expensive watch in history resulted from a 20th century ego fest between Henry Graves, a banker, and James Packard, an industrialist. For over a decade, Graves and Packard commissioned custom watches that topped the last one commissioned and worn by the other. The watch that won this epic wrist race was the 1933 Patek Philippe, which required three years to design, five years to make and sold at a Sotheby's auction in 1999 for $11 million. So, which watch should you buy?