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The reason for writing is because of the Graff Diamonds Hallucination. A watch that has been offered for sale for several years, but still doesn't want to be sold. Is that because they don't want to sell the watch? That could well be. It turns out to be more of a statement than that they want to make quick money with it.
The Hallucination is made by Graff Diamonds, founded by Laurence Graff. The passion for diamonds started when Mr. Graff was 15 years old, as an apprentice in Hatton Garden - a famous jewelery district in London. Three years later, Laurence founded his own Victorian jewelery company. In addition to being an excellent repairman, Mr. Graff also developed into a successful businessman and built an empire in this way.
The watch, designed by Laurence Graff himself, is a sculptural masterpiece, as he describes it. Mr. Graff and his team of designers and gemstone experts have spent thousands of hours creating this masterpiece over the years. The watch is studded with 110 carats of rare diamonds in various cuts, which are then set in a platinum bracelet.
Whether the watch wins the beauty prize? Well, everyone has their own taste. But the way the stones are cut and set indicates the very highest class of expertise – which is representative of Graff Diamonds. A testament to what the brand can do in terms of skill and innovation is the inspiration behind the Hallucination.
Very nice, the story behind the watch, but how much does it cost?
The Hallucination appears every now and then at a fair, where it glitters and steals every woman's heart. It can then be yours for a whopping $55 million.
But actually, this is not entirely fair. It has a price tag of $55 million, but it hasn't been sold (yet). So what is the most expensive wristwatch in the world?
In recent years it was the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona of the American actor Paul Newman that was allowed to bear the name of 'most expensive watch in the world'. This most wanted watch was purchased in 1968 by Paul's wife, Joanne Woodward, for a paltry $300. 49 years later, the watch fetched $17.8 million at auction.
However, there is now another watch that holds sway. How could it be otherwise than it is a Patek Philippe, the Grandmaster Chime (ref. 6300A) to be exact. The Patek has two dials and a case that you can turn. The day and date are visible on both dials. The watch has a month indication, year indication and leap years are taken into account. The watch is equipped with a second time zone with day and night indicator. The dial of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime is made of rose gold and features gold numerals. The other dial is black and features 18-karat gold indices and numbers. The strap from the Swiss watch brand is made of crocodile leather.
The auction started and soon the 15, 20 and 25 million mark was passed, after which the pace gradually slowed down. In advance, the proceeds of the watch were estimated at about 2.5 million dollars, but that turned out to be many times more. When the hammer fell, the grandmaster's final amount was $31 million. It is a bit on the high side, but then you have two dials!
Would you like a nice watch, in line with a good investment? Then read this article, in which we talk about watches with the highest return on investment.
