The most expensive Audemars Piguet ever sold at auction is the 1914 “Grosse Pièce” pocket watch, which fetched about $7.7 million at Sotheby’s New York in December 2025. The buyer was Audemars Piguet itself, which bid against collectors to bring the watch home. Below are the ten highest verified AP prices as of October 2026, from that pocket watch down to a one-of-a-kind Royal Oak at around $1 million.
| Rank | Watch | Price | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grosse Pièce pocket watch No. 16869 | About $7.7 million | December 2025 | Sotheby’s, New York |
| 2 | Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Black Suit Spider-Man,” unique | About $6.2 million (reports vary) | May 2023 | Charity sale, Dubai |
| 3 | Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon “Black Panther,” unique | About $5.2 million (reports vary) | April 2021 | Charity sale, Los Angeles |
| 4 | Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Only Watch, Ref. 15202XT | About $3.4 million | November 2021 | Christie’s, Geneva |
| 5 | Coussin Tortue monopusher chronograph | EUR 2.33 million | May 2026 | Christie’s |
| 6 | Gérald Genta’s Royal Oak “Jumbo,” Ref. 5402 | About $2.1 million (CHF 2.1 million) | May 2022 | Sotheby’s, Geneva |
| 7 | Triple Calendar Chronograph with Moonphase, Ref. 5503 | EUR 1.19 million | May 2026 | Phillips, Geneva |
| 8 | Royal Oak Grand Complication, Ref. 26605CE | About $1.13 million | June 2022 | Sotheby’s |
| 9 | Royal Oak “No. A2,” Ref. 5402ST | EUR 1.01 million | Date not confirmed | Phillips |
| 10 | Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “No. 1,” Ref. 25654PT | EUR 975,000 | 2022 | Phillips |
1. Grosse Pièce No. 16869: about $7.7 million
This yellow gold pocket watch shows the night sky over London, with 315 stars and 18 constellations, and carries 19 complications. A London retailer commissioned it in 1914 for an American client, who received it in 1921. It was estimated at around $1 million and then sold for roughly seven times that top figure after a roughly ten-minute fight between four bidders. Audemars Piguet bought it back. It ties with the 1899 Universelle as the most complicated pocket watch the maker has built. The price is hammer plus premium as reported by the auction house.
2. “Black Suit Spider-Man” Concept: about $6.2 million
Marvel’s retail edition of this collaboration was 250 pieces at CHF 195,000. The one-off white gold version with glow-in-the-dark parts was auctioned at a private event in Dubai in May 2023 for charity. Most reports give $6.2 million, one watch site gives about CHF 5.25 million, and a third quotes $8.5 million, which looks like the combined total of three lots. We use the $6.2 million figure.
3. “Black Panther” Concept: about $5.2 million
A unique white gold version of the Black Panther Flying Tourbillon, engraved with Wakanda symbols, sold at an April 2021 charity event in Los Angeles. The published record list shows $5.2 million, while another watch site gives about CHF 4.4 million. We rank it at the higher figure but flag the gap.
4. “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Only Watch: about $3.4 million
Made for the Only Watch charity sale in Geneva in 2021, this ref. 15202XT used the last of the old calibre 2121 movement and a bezel made from palladium-based bulk metallic glass. Christie’s sold it for about $3.4 million.
5. Coussin Tortue monopusher chronograph: EUR 2.33 million
One of the first three Coussin Tortue chronographs, in a platinum case. The result was EUR 2,330,597 including premium at Christie’s in May 2026, the biggest AP auction result of 2026 that we found. We list the euro figure rather than convert it.
6. Gérald Genta’s Royal Oak “Jumbo” 5402: about $2.1 million
The Royal Oak’s designer owned this watch, circa 1978, in steel and yellow gold, possibly unique. The hammer came down in Geneva in May 2022 at CHF 2.107 million, which was about $2.1 million then and has also been quoted at $2.6 million in a later table.
7. Triple Calendar Chronograph with Moonphase 5503: EUR 1.19 million
A 1942 wristwatch, one of five made, in a 36 mm case of steel and pink gold. It sold at Phillips in Geneva on 10 May 2026 for EUR 1,192,580 including premium.
8. Grand Complication 26605CE: about $1.13 million
Black ceramic case, with a perpetual calendar, minute repeater and split-seconds chronograph, which sold at Sotheby’s in June 2022 for $1.134 million.
9. The “No. A2”: EUR 1.01 million
Only the second Royal Oak ever produced, and the earliest example to reach an international auction. It sold at Phillips for EUR 1,009,913. We could not confirm the sale date.
10. Perpetual Calendar “No. 1”: EUR 975,000
Platinum, numbered 1 and distributed by Asprey London, sold in Phillips’s Royal Oak 50th sale in 2022 for EUR 975,279.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
- December 2025: the Grosse Pièce set the AP auction record.
- April 2026: “The Roast,” a white gold flying tourbillon Royal Oak made for Tom Brady, sold at Sotheby’s for $621,000.
- May 2026: the Coussin Tortue chronograph and the Ref. 5503 each topped EUR 1 million within two days of each other in Geneva.
What drives these prices
- One of one. The top three are one-offs, and several others are unique or near it.
- Complications. A watch with 19 functions costs a lot to make and cannot be copied.
- The maker as buyer. When AP bids on its own history, other bidders have to outspend a company with a museum to fill.
- Charity. Marvel pieces and Only Watch lots sell for what the room will pay, not for what the watch costs.
FAQ
What is the most expensive Audemars Piguet ever sold?
The Grosse Pièce pocket watch No. 16869, sold at Sotheby’s New York in December 2025 for roughly $7.7 million.
What is the most expensive Royal Oak?
The unique Black Suit Spider-Man Royal Oak Concept at about $6.2 million, followed by the Black Panther unique piece at about $5.2 million.
Who bought the Grosse Pièce?
Audemars Piguet itself. The company announced the purchase after the sale.
What is the cheapest watch on this list?
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “No. 1,” at about EUR 975,000.
How much does a standard Royal Oak cost?
Far less than these. A stainless steel skeletonized Royal Oak sold for $143,500 at an auction in summer 2026.
Which Audemars Piguet watches rose most at auction?
Unique pieces and vintage first-series Royal Oaks, which can sell for several times their estimates.
How we put this list together
We ranked watches by verified auction price, including the buyer’s premium where stated, and compiled results from auction houses into an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate, euro and franc prices are not always converted, and values change over time.
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Last updated: October 2026.
