The most expensive of our five luxury watches for men is the A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication, priced at almost €1.9 million (about $2.6 million) when it launched in 2013. The cheapest, the Rolex GMT-Master II, listed at about $11,800 in steel before Rolex pulled it in April 2026, and now trades second-hand for roughly double that. Here is the list, ranked by price tag.
| Rank | Watch | Price we can document |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication | Almost €1.9 million at the 2013 launch |
| 2 | Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic | $900,000 at launch, limited to 10 |
| 3 | AP Offshore Grande Complication | About $741,600 at launch |
| 4 | AP Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph | From CHF 36,800 (new titanium and ceramic) |
| 5 | Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” | About $11,800 last US list price |
This article started in 2014 as a list of 2014 launches. We checked each watch again for 2026: some were never resold publicly, one has just been discontinued, and one has set a record at auction. Where no public sale exists, we say so and treat the figure as a historical list price.
1. A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication
This is still the heavyweight. The Grande Complication arrived in 2013 at almost €1.9 million, roughly $2.6 million then, and it took close to a year to build each piece. Everything is hand finished and hand engraved, and the 1815-family version we looked at, reference 912.032, comes in a 50 mm gold case.
The brand’s auction record moved in 2026. A 1916 pink gold Grande Complication sold at Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2026 for 1.59 million Swiss francs, about $2.06 million, the highest price ever paid for a Lange at auction. It is an older and different watch, but it shows the name carries seven-figure weight. We ranked it first on the 2013 list price, and the auction result supports the level.
2. Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic
The Arena Metasonic is a grande sonnerie, a watch that chimes the hours and quarters on its own, and it was marketed as one of the most complex of its kind. Launched at $900,000 in 2009, it was limited to just 10 pieces, and the specs we have cite a 46 mm case with a mix of polished and satin-brushed surfaces and an ostrich leather strap. Read our full write-up on the Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic.
We found no public auction result for this watch, so $900,000 is a launch price, not a market value. Treat it as a collector’s ticket that rarely changes hands.
3. AP Offshore Grande Complication
Audemars Piguet’s Offshore Grande Complication appeared in 2013 as a three-piece run in titanium with ceramic bezel, crown and pushers, in a 44 mm case. The reported launch price was $741,600, and the build took hundreds of hours. Dealers now list titanium examples at around $900,000, but those are asking prices, not sales. You can read the full story in our full write-up of this watch.
It ranks third because both its launch price and its asking price sit below the Genta and the Lange.
4. AP Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph
The old list used a $407,900 Offshore tourbillon chronograph in pink gold. That model is no longer a current product, so we replaced it with the Offshore most buyers can actually walk into a boutique for. The newer 43 mm editions in titanium and black ceramic were announced at CHF 36,800, and a ceramic version with a blue dial was announced at CHF 50,900. In steel, the 26420 reference is listed at roughly $47,300 in US sources, though prices vary by source, so check the official list.
See how it compares with the brand’s priciest pieces in our ranking of the most expensive Audemars Piguet watches.
5. Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi”
Our old number four was the 2014 Pepsi, the red and blue Cerachrom bezel on a GMT-Master II. It has now ended: Rolex removed the steel reference 126710BLRO and the white gold 126719BLRO from its catalogue at Watches and Wonders on 14 April 2026, and no Pepsi is in current production. The last US list price for the steel version was about $11,800.
That makes the Pepsi a pre-owned story. A dealer reports a median sold price of $24,595 for the twelve months to the end of July 2026, with most sales between $20,995 and $26,595. A watch that cost $11,800 now sells for roughly double. We kept the 2014 launch in the story through our article on the new Rolex watches 2014 collection.
How to pick a luxury watch at each price
Under $15,000, a steel sports watch from a major brand is the safest buy, and the secondary market sets the price. Between $30,000 and $60,000 you are paying for finishing, case work and a name like Audemars Piguet. Above $700,000, you are buying a complication that took hundreds of hours to build, usually in a run of a handful of pieces. For a wider look, see the best looking watches for men, plus our ranking of the bestselling watches in the world.
FAQ
What is the most expensive luxury watch for men on this list?
The A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication, which launched in 2013 at almost €1.9 million, about $2.6 million. A 1916 Lange Grande Complication also set the brand’s auction record at about $2.06 million in May 2026.
Is the Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi still available?
Not new. Rolex removed the steel and white gold Pepsi references from its catalogue in April 2026, so buyers now find it pre-owned. A dealer reports a median sold price near $24,595.
How much does an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore cost?
Newer 43 mm titanium and black ceramic editions were announced at CHF 36,800, and the steel 26420 is listed at roughly $47,300 in US sources. Grand complication versions run to several hundred thousand dollars.
Can you buy the Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic today?
We found no public auction result for it. It launched at $900,000 in 2009 and was limited to 10 pieces, so it rarely appears for sale.
How did you rank these watches?
We ranked them by the price we could document: launch prices, official prices where available, and dated sale results. Where no public sale exists, we say so and treat the number as a historical list price.
Last updated: October 2026.
