Most expensive women's watches
(Part 2)

Very often, thinking about big money, I imagine what can be bought for one million dollars. For example, a million dollars can be spent on the purchase of a powerful car that is rather a luxury than a usual vehicle. Or the fans of breakneck speed will be able to get the world-famous motorcycle Harley Davidson for a million. A more practical man, of course, will spend a million on the property and buy a luxury home or apartment, or perhaps invest his money in a business. As for women, particularly capricious ladies will not miss a chance to buy some unique item of clothing from the famous fashion designers of the world. Also, one of the most expensive perfumes by DKNY called “Golden Delicious”, which bottle is decorated with 2 909 precious stones, costs just 1 million dollars. Wrist watch from the world famous brands is one of the modern world things, which can cost a fortune. Sometimes the price of a wristwatch runs far beyond the limit of one million dollars. Interestingly, the most expensive women's wristwatch is not only behind the most expensive men's models a single step, but even wins. All true lovers of fine watchmaking know that the most expensive wristwatch in the world is precisely the female model – the jewelry ladies watch with diamonds by Chopard of $ 25 million cost. None male model has not nearly come to this "critical point". That is why in this article, we decided to pay special attention to the most expensive women's wristwatches in the world, the prices on which are sometimes shocking by their unreality.

The most expensive time for women

All well-known watch companies in the world do not limit their creativity only by male watch models, but also do their best to please the most capricious and demanding clients - beautiful women. Men, in their turn, trying to please the ladies of their hearts, "lay themselves out" and give them surprisingly expensive gifts. I guess all dedicated romantics still believe it is impossible to buy such great feelings, like love, affection and sympathy, for any money. And I would agree with the opinion that the cheapest way to please a woman is to give her expensive gifts.
Often the most expensive women's watches are an adornment, while the men’s models are highly functional accessories. However, the watch trends of recent years put men’s and women’s models on one line, proving that the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity, just as men, are in need of complex models of watches, which are not limited by simple functions and wound by "primitive" quartz movements. Speaking of quartz, the women's quartz watches can’t be often called "primitive". For example, in the global watch market you can find women's watches with quartz movements, which price jumped $ 1 million mark (“Piaget Limelight” collection includes women's models, which cost more than $ 3 million, and the price of women's watch from Cartier, made in the form of phoenix, is about 2 million 700 thousand dollars). In addition, constantly growing diameter of female watch case obliges the watch companies to focus on the aesthetic aspects and work hard on the decoration of rather large female models. Despite the fact the women's watches have become much like men’s models in their functions and design solutions, the diamonds and other precious stones, which are unchangeable attributes of the most expensive ladies' watches, have not been canceled. Today, almost 60 years later, the words of incomparable Marilyn Monroe on the "girl's best friends" have not lost their relevance, so the modern watch market presents a wide range of jewelry watch models, many of which are characterized by chic "decor" and complicated watch mechanics. And the prices of such watches can sometimes lead any man, who has decided to buy a luxury women's watch to please his lady, to a heart attack. The well-known watch companies have proven that women's watches are not only beautiful, but complicated too. And tourbillon, perpetual calendar, GMT, repeater, chronograph, split-chronograph, Moon phases, etc., which were unchanged attributes of exclusively men’s models in the recent past, now take their "legal" place on fine ladies’ wrists.
It turns out that it is not so easy to please a modern woman, sophisticated and fastidious, educated, informed, and spoilt with a great choice. Women, experts in subtleties of watchmaking, actively compete with men for the right to be the true connoisseurs of contemporary Haute Horlogerie. Among the most famous watchmakers of the world there are the representatives of the fair sex: Eva Leube, Saskia Maaike Bouvier, Valerie Urshenbaher, and others. The most expensive women's watches are the pride of many famous women. One of the first women, who have ordered a complicated and expensive watch from the Swiss company “Breguet”, was Queen Marie Antoinette, whose name for many years headed the list of the most famous owners of Swiss watches Breguet. Also, a woman with a delicate taste, the British Queen Elizabeth, ordered the watch “Breguet Sympathique”.
The owner of the most expensive watch from Chopard is Portuguese actress Maria de Medeiros, the wrist of whom is adorned with “Chopard Ice Cube” for 1 million 259 thousand dollars. The American top model Naomi Campbell is an ardent fan of watches by Frank Muller, and Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova and top model Cindy Crawford prefer women's watches from Omega. British singer Victoria Beckham, as well as her famous husband, wears a gold wrist watch Rolex, and beautiful Princess Diana received a precious gift to the wedding - the most expensive wrist watch “Lady Kalla”, incrusted with diamonds, from the company Vacheron Constantin. At that time, in 1981, that model was the most expensive women's wrist watch ever made by the Swiss company Vacheron Constantin. Queen Elizabeth II wore a gold wristwatch with an ultra-thin movement 101 of the company “Jaeger LeCoultre” at an important day, the day of her coronation in 1953. The ladies watches Patek Philippe were luxurious accessories of great physicist Marie Curie, English novelist Charlotte Bronte, author of the novel "Jane Eyre", and famous jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. The Swiss women's watches from Tag Heuer are preferred by well-known American actresses Uma Thurman and Cameron Diaz.
In the first part of our article about the most expensive wristwatches we spoke about appearance of female models and reviewed the most expensive watches for beautiful ladies that had been released several years ago. The Swiss watch companies are not going to stop there, producing more and more expensive women's watches. They go on to conquer the hearts of representatives of the beautiful half of humanity and empty the wallets of wealthy men, who want to please their ladies. Woman, being a rather capricious client, is also the most grateful buyer. She knows how to appreciate what she has and genuinely enjoy the beautiful works of art and keenly feel all the beauty around her. The watches measure the precious time, and the most expensive time belongs to woman. So today we’ll look at exclusive women's watch novelties, the prices of which are beyond the limit of one million dollars.

Ladies watch of Vacheron Constantin from the line “Lady Kalla” – “girl’s best friends”

Among the world's most expensive watches for fascinating women there are models from the famous Swiss company Vacheron Constantin in the line “Lady Kalla”. All female models in this collection are incrusted with precious stones, which sometimes exceed in number all currently existing standards for jewelry.
First of all, it should be noted that all women's watches, united in the precious family “Kalla”, have a common "ancestor" - the most expensive vintage ladies wristwatch with diamond "feathering" called “Vacheron Constantin Kallista”, which was designed by the company in 1979 and issued in one copy. That model has become the most expensive women's wristwatch that time, as in far 1979 the watch “Vacheron Constantin Kallista” in yellow gold, encrusted with 118 diamonds of "emerald" cut and 141 diamonds of classic round cut, was bought by an anonymous client for $ 5 million. The total weight of gemstones is 146.08 carats. The most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Kallista” has been designed by famous painter and sculptor Raymond Moretti, a close friend of writer Jean Cocteau and artist Pablo Picasso. According to some sources, the manufacture of unique female model took the masters of the company about 5 years. The high price of women's watch “Vacheron Constantin Kallista” is increased even more by a unique movement, which, according to some sources, represents an ultra-thin caliber 1003 of manual winding with a diameter of about 21 mm and a thickness of only 1.6 mm. Some experts argue that the price of the vintage model has increased more than twice to date, and makes up now about 11 million dollars. However, the anonymous buyer, who purchased the women's watch “Vacheron Constantin Kallista” in 1979, did not confirm the spent $ 5 million, but preferred to hide the real cost of his precious purchase, creating intrigue. Therefore, we can only guess the present value of this model. The most interesting thing in this unique watch is that each gem, inserted into the case and bracelet, has a special certificate of GIA (Gemmological International Association), confirming its high quality and purest characteristics. It is the most expensive watch “Vacheron Constantin Kallista” of 1979 that became a "starting point" for the watchmakers of Vacheron Constantin, who later created a whole line of precious female models under the name “Lady Kalla” from the legendary collection “Vacheron Constantin Metiers d'Arts”. Typically, that collection included the most expensive women's watches, issued in strictly limited series or single copies. The name of the collection comes from the name of watch-"ancestor." Thus, “Kallista” is translated from Greek as "the most beautiful", and precious stones in ancient Greek myths were tears of the gods. Therefore, the collection “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla”, which includes the most expensive ladies watches with diamonds, has a divine connotation and some mythological roots.
One of the most famous and most expensive representatives of the watch line “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla” was the aforementioned women's watch, created by the Swiss company specifically to Princess Diana after her wedding with Prince Charles in 1981. The pinnacle of success of the collection “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla” was the year of 2001, when the model from that watch family won Grand Prix d'Horlogerie in Geneva. That was the women's watch “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla” (reference 17701/710G-7393), which was at inaccessible peak of perfection. It is "cut" from a single white gold ingot and encrusted with 108 diamonds of beautiful emerald cut. The total weight of precious stones reaches approximately 25.20 carats, the power reserve of ultra-thin movement 1005 of manual winding - about 35 hours. The size of miniature watch case is 19.64x30.86 mm. The estimated cost of this incredibly expensive women watch is 700 thousand dollars. The main feature of almost all models from the line “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla” is the crown that does not violate the overall harmonious composition, as most often it is skillfully hidden on the diamond case.
The prices on the most expensive women's wristwatches from the collection “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla” are incredibly high and vary from 300 thousand to 1 million 300 thousand dollars. And when you consider the estimated cost of vintage female model “Vacheron Constantin Kallista” at $ 11 million, the head starts to spin at all.

One of the greatest merits of the Swiss watch company Vacheron Constantin in the field of jewelry art is improvement of gems faceting methods. The Swiss manufacture Vacheron Constantin is one of the first companies that released women's jewelry watches, incrusted with diamonds of unique “flame” cut. Indeed, the stones with a similar cut and asymmetric contours resemble small flames. This is a brand new complicated method of precious stones processing, which creates a perfect play of light and unique brilliance of diamonds. The “flame”-cut gems decorate the most expensive female watches “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame” (reference 17620/S11G-9478), “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame” (reference 17621/000G-9478), and the model “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Haute Couture a Secret” (reference 17625/S12G-9479). The first most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame” (reference 17620/S11G-9478) is a wonderful combination of jewelry and watchmaking, it is equipped with manufactory caliber 1005 of manual winding, assembled from 89 parts on 17 stones, and providing an indication of hours and minutes by means of two tiny hands. The power reserve makes up 35 hours. The case in white gold of 18 carats is 26 mm x 38 mm. The entire surface of the model, including bracelet and dial, is encrusted with precious stones of “flame” cut: 60 transparent diamonds weighing approximately 2 carats adorn the dial, 120 stones weighing 24.5 carats are shining on the bracelet, and the case is decorated with 20 diamonds weighing 10 carats. Thus, the most expensive women's watches, provided with 200 shining diamonds weighing 38.67 carats totally, can be bought for a record amount - about 1 million 10 thousand dollars. In the "piggy bank" of Vacheron Constantin there is also a similar model called “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame” (reference 17621/000G-9478), encrusted with 92 diamonds weighing 12.76 carats and equipped with an exquisite satin strap. The price of this watch is, of course, a bit lower - 335 thousand dollars. And one more female wristwatch awarded with the title of "the most expensive", is a model of white gold “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Haute Couture a Secret” (reference 17625/S12G-9479), which at first glance seems to be a bracelet, and the dial is hidden under the case, studded with diamonds. This watch also gets energy from caliber 1005, and the case of white gold makes up 26.5 mm x 40 mm. The gold bracelet is incrusted with diamonds of “flame”-cut in an amount of 242 of 15.15-carat weight, 54 round diamonds weighing 0.18 carats and 30 stones of “flame”- cut weighing 17.65 carats are shining on the case. This priceless diamond miracle from Vacheron Constantin can be purchased for approximately 980 thousand dollars.

Among the grandiose works by Vacheron Constantin from the jewelry line “Kalla” you can also find an amazing ladies watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Lune” (reference 83640/X01G-9306), released in 2008, which, in addition to hours and minutes, can show the power reserve and Moon phases thanks to its hand-wound caliber 1410, built in the gold case. Despite the astronomical complication, this women's model of white gold is also a unique jewelry item thanks to a luxurious incrustation with sparkling baguette and round diamonds. The approximate price of women's watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Lune” (reference 83640/X01G-9306) - 800 thousand dollars.

In 2009, the Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin manufactured and released its next most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse” from the collection “Metiers d'Art”. Any woman, no doubt, would fall in love with elegant diamonds adorning this Swiss watch, which in 2009 won its first prize as the best jewelry model at the Vogue Jewels Awards 2009. This exquisite ladies watch is made of pure white gold of 18 carats, and all surfaces of bracelet, case and dial are studded with sparkling diamonds. According to the Swiss manufacturer, this model has become a precious gift not only for beautiful women. Vacheron Constantin released two models of watches with a similar design and specification, but with cases of different size. Thus, the first wristwatch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse” (reference 81750/S01G-9198) has a barrel-shaped case (36 mm x 45 mm x 11 mm), and the miniature model “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse small model” (reference 81650/T01G-9169) has a case of the same shape (28.9 mm x 36.4 mm). Therefore, the men, who are fans of brilliant light, will like the larger watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse”. However, it seems to me that this model, thanks to an elegant form of the case, is more suitable for the female wrist. Both versions of “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse” are powered by the movement of hand-wound caliber 1400, which provides a 40-hour power reserve. The caliber is made up of 98 parts, including 20 stones; it has a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and has functions of indicating hours and minutes with two central hands. The caliber 1400 has passed a strict certification Hallmark of Geneva and is considered to be one of the finest Swiss watch movements in the world. One can buy the most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse” (reference 81750/S01G-9198) for 1 million 300 thousand dollars. Such sky-high price is due primarily to the presence of precious stones: the watch case is decorated with 180 baguette-cut diamonds weighing 10.6 carats, and the rest 655 baguette-cut stones weighing approximately 42.1 carats are located on the watch bracelet and dial. The women's watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse small model” (reference 81650/T01G-9169) with a smaller case stores 601 diamonds weighing approximately 39.08 carats. Therefore, the price of "modest" model is about 960 thousand dollars. Each of the above two models for a million dollars is, of course, an indicator of high status of the wealthy men, who could buy the most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse” for his beautiful lady. The Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin also offered its customers "simpler" options of this watch: women's watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse” (reference 81750/000G-9198) with a diamond dial and leather strap for $ 400 thousand dollars; and “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Duchesse small model” (reference 81650/000G-9169) with a satin strap for 310 thousand dollars.

Confidently going through the history of the famous line “Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla”, consisting of the most expensive women's watches, we are gradually getting to 2011. At the end of last year, the famous Swiss company pleased its buyers with a unique jewelry model of “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Haute Couture à Pampilles” (reference 17626/S13G-9479). First, this unsurpassed "friend" of every girl is a gorgeous diamond bracelet, which will surely attract the attention of everyone around to the wrist of the owner of the new jewelry watch from Vacheron Constantin. Indeed, a charming beauty! The most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Haute Couture à Pampilles” is made in the form of a precious flower, the heart of which is a miniature oval-shaped dial, hidden under the case in the best traditions of "secret watch" from Vacheron Constantin. The model’s name speaks about its splendor and originality in terms of design: from French “Haute Couture à Pampilles” can be literally translated as "Patterns of Haute Couture." Highly qualified specialists of Vacheron Constantin used all their incredible imagination, to show the world an unrivaled talent in the field of watchmaking, as well as in jewelry. Watchmakers and jewelers should be not just talented artists, but rather resourceful alchemists to create an incredible piece of art out of soulless material and give it eternal life. The Vacheron Constantin masters breathed life in that women's watch stone by stone that does not depend on time and continues to move forward, against all the odds. The new women's watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Haute Couture à Pampilles” (reference 17626/S13G-9479) demonstrates its magic, invincible force of beauty and craftsmanship. Any woman with this watch will feel herself a faithful companion of beauty and a friend of unfading nature in all its perfection and glory.
In addition, a key characteristic of absolutely all women's watches from the legendary collection “Vacheron Constantin Kalla” is technical perfection. Especially for this model, the Swiss watch manufacture Vacheron Constantin has chosen a flat caliber 1005 of manual winding, which thickness does not exceed 3.6 mm. This caliber, based on the historical baguette movement of Vacheron Constantin, has a crown on the back side, so it is hidden from the eyes and does not violate the general harmony of the precious work. The Swiss movement 1005 is made up of 89 parts on 17 artificial rubies. The balance, working at a frequency of 19,800 vibrations per hour, provides a power reserve of approximately 35 hours.
According to the representatives of Vacheron Constantin, the experienced professionals worked in several fields, so the most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Haute Couture à Pampilles” has features of two unique styles: Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Interestingly, these styles are very different from each other. Art Deco is characterized by chic, abundance of luxury items and high functionality, while Art Nouveau is attracted more by natural lines and shapes. It’s amazing how harmoniously two styles merge! The case of women's watch is made of 18 carat white gold, it has a rather large size - 40 mm x 56 mm at a thickness of 10 mm. The case, covering the "secret" dial with two small hands, is decorated with 58 diamonds of “flame” cut weighing 18.9 carats, and 54 brilliant-cut diamonds of 0.18 carats. The dial, hidden at the sparkling flower, is decorated with 130 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 0.32 carats. An elegant bracelet of 18-carat white gold is completely encrusted with diamonds, including 29 stones of “flame” cut (4 carats) and 39 diamonds of "Princess" cut (a profile faceting, which has recently become quite popular), weighing 8.2 carats. The golden clasp is also studded with purest gems. Thus, the charming scattering of 310 gems weighs 31 carats.
The most expensive female watch “Vacheron Constantin Kalla Haute Couture à Pampilles” (reference 17626/S13G-9479) became another excellent example of subtle fusion of high jewelry and watch arts. You can buy this watch for an approximate amount of 800 thousand dollars. Thus, this is one more watch from the legend of horology Vacheron Constantin, the cost of which crawled up to a million dollars. And, admittedly, this model is worth it.

Women's watch Hublot Big Bang. Price evolution

The fans of Haute Horlogerie, carefully watching the latest trends and novelties at the watch market, are likely wonder why I've never told about the most expensive wristwatches for beautiful ladies from the Swiss company “Hublot”. So, the time has come. The Swiss watch manufactory “Hublot” is one of the companies, which pays special attention to the fair sex. According to various studies, the production of women's wristwatches of "luxury" class has now grown at 30% compared to 2009. And such qualities as feminine beauty and charm are not the only reason. In an interview to the question "What does attract you in the production of expensive women's watches?" CEO of the watch company “Hublot” Jean-Claude Biver said: "Women are buying more than men, women are buying more often than men and women are very influential over men, so you have three good reasons to work on this population." I believe this is a right and quite winning position, especially that positive results of this activity can be seen on a vivid example. Hublot has made incredible works of horlogerie, which are both the most expensive wristwatches ever produced by a Swiss company and the most expensive women's watches presented by Hublot for the history of its productive activities. Professionalism of the manufactory specialists is growing by leaps and bounds, and along with it, the prices on women's watches are growing exponentially. I offer our esteemed readers to follow a unique evolution of prices on Hublot women’s watches from the world-famous collection “Big Bang” within the 2010-2012 period.
First of all, I consider it my duty to warn the reader about the possibility of being thrown into shock from what he’ll read or see on the photo. The most expensive female watches “Hublot Big Bang” are models of incredible beauty, which can blind an unprepared audience with their brilliance and luxury, and splendor of shining diamonds, the number of which actually anticipates all expectations. So I suggest you stop imagining and take a look at the feminine wristwatch, presented below. Let the time sail forward, absorbing you into its endless stream while you admire the wristwatches by Hublot. And, believe me, you can do it forever!

Evolution of prices on Hublot watches for women started progressing from 2010, but then nothing promised such a rapid flow of the process. At the international fair Basel World 2010, the Swiss watch company Hublot introduced the audience the women's watch “Hublot Big Bang One Million Dollar Lady 38 mm”, which led both sexes to indescribable delight. The women were shocked by incredible diamond luxury of that watch, while the men were most likely to be shocked with the price of this model, which was a million dollars, according to the name. The most expensive female watch “Hublot Big Bang One Million Dollar Lady 38 mm” of white 18-karat gold has a round case with a "feminine" diameter of 38 mm, the dial and bracelet are completely covered with about 880 baguette-cut diamonds weighing over 48 carats. The gems were inserted by experienced jewelers into the surface of the watch with the help of special technology based on the complex process of creating an "invisible fixing." Such principle of incrustation creates an impression of lightness and weightlessness, and each diamond is as if living its own and separate precious life. At a luxurious dial, devoid of Hublot’s favorite additional counters and indexes, there are only three central hands and the company’s logo. All other roles are given to precious stones, which by their presence exclude the possibility of other "actors", typical to ordinary wristwatches. As the production of such model is an incredibly complex process, the most expensive female watch “Hublot Big Bang One Million Dollar Lady 38 mm” will be produced only by individual order, therefore, it’s not easy to buy the women's watch from Hublot, even if an extra million dollars lying around in your pocket.
In October 2010, at the gala event Premier Middle East Watches, which was held at Ritz Carlton in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the most expensive female watch “Hublot Big Bang One Million Dollar Lady 38 mm” was awarded with the honorary title of “Best High Jewelry Watch of 2010”). And this elegant model certainly deserves this award. About 800 guests from around the world attended the ceremony, and the representative of the company Hublot in the Middle East received an invaluable prize from Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa himself. So, this is the first step in the evolution of prices on women's watches of Hublot.

Step Two. Entering 2011, the Swiss watchmaker Hublot expanded its collection “Big Bang” with a new model, which was presented to the charmed guests of the exhibition Basel World 2011. This is the most expensive female watch “Hublot 2 Million Euro Big Bang” with reference 305.WX.0099.WX.9904, about which so much was already written and said that I might not be able to surprise our informed readers with something radically new. In terms of evolution, observed in the prices on the women's watches from Hublot, this model deserves special attention. As you noticed, in a short period from 2010 to 2011, the price of the most expensive ladies watch by Hublot markedly increased from $ 1 million to 2 million 800 thousand dollars. This giant leap is due to a higher level of model performance. The most expensive female watch “Hublot 2 Million Euro Big Bang” (305.WX.0099.WX.9904) is made of irreplaceable 18-carat white gold and traditionally encrusted with baguette diamonds, which number reaches 637, and also one extraordinarily beautiful gem located on the crown is cut in the form of "Rose". 72 diamonds weighing 20.85 carats adorn the golden case, another 72 stones of 11.14 carats – the bezel, 24 stones plus diamond "rose" of a total 1.02-carat weight are located on the crown, and the dial is made of 150 palladium, encrusted with 116 diamonds of 8.87 carats. The bracelet with a gold folding clasp is provided with 353 stones weighing 102.62 carats. According to the company, 45 skilled jewelers have worked over incrustation, inserting by hand each of 637 baguette diamonds weighing in total more than 141 carats. It took the masters 13,000 hours to cut the stones, and then another 2000 hours to decorate the women's watch with them. The diamonds are very carefully selected, each stone is thoroughly inspected to ensure that the result would be a perfect and whole image of the jewelry model. All the stones that adorn the watch “Hublot 2 Million Euro Big Bang” are from one diamond mines. The jewelers had to choose suitable diamonds out of uncut stones weighing over 1500 carats. At the initial stage, the stones weighing 270 carats were selected, of which, according to experts, only half proved to be suitable for a wristwatch of that level.
The case of new watch “Hublot 2 Million Euro Big Bang”, which is closed on both sides with anti-glare sapphire crystal, has grown to 44 mm. Inside the watch, the Swiss movement HUB6003 with manual winding, tourbillon module and 120-hour power reserve is working. On the dial, at “12 o'clock”, a small counter with two skeletonized hour and minute hands is placed. At “6” hours, the tourbillon is constantly working. On the sides of dial there are two decorative elements, repeating the image of Vendome Column in Paris. This stunning women's watch, which can be bought for 2 million 800 thousand dollars, has become a priority for the most of beautiful ladies and their gentlemen, who want to please them. Thanks to some reliable sources, it became known that the most expensive female watch “Hublot 2 Million Euro Big Bang” barely had time to take part in the exhibition, as its production had been completed only the day before the opening of Basel World 2011.

Obviously, almost three million dollars seemed a small amount for the company Hublot, which would not be able to fully appreciate the talents of artists and precious materials used in the production of another jewelry masterpiece. A year later, at the Basel World Exhibition 2012, the Swiss watchmaker Hublot has surprised everybody with its new most expensive women's wristwatch from the line “Big Bang” – this is the model “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” (reference 306.WX.0099.WX.9904), which the manufacturer offered its customers to buy for as many as five million dollars. The company made a stunning jump, beating its last year record! When you mention the price of this model, all connoisseurs of horlogerie are looking forward to learning what exactly caused the manufacturer to raise the price so high. Let's find out.
I must say that if you have already started looking for some supernatural, previously unknown complications in this model, your efforts will not succeed. “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” does not even have a simple tourbillon, but the diamonds are more than enough. The new women's watch by Hublot demonstrates the great love that the manufacturer has for gems throughout its history. It’s not possible to explain such a high attention of Hublot to diamonds with something else. The total number of precious stones in this model reaches 1282, of which the most interesting and valuable are 6 unique large diamonds of “emerald” cut on the bracelet, each of which weighs about 3 carats. It is easy to guess that these super-gems played the main role in such a drastic rise of the cost. The most expensive female watch “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” differs from all jewelry models on the world market with an interesting design approach. Typically, at creation of jewelry watches the masters are doing everything possible to focus the audience's attention to the design and technical construction, emphasizing the beauty of each pre-selected gemstone. The experts select specific, individual places and positions on the surface of the watch for incrusted stones. As for the model “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang”, jewelers first designed the outlook of the watch, then found suitable diamonds that looks perfect on the complex constructions of case, dial and bracelet. At last the jewelers chose the stones of ideal sizes.
As the previous expensive novelties at the Basel exhibition, the women's watch “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” has a traditional Big Bang round case of 44-mm diameter, made of 18-carat white gold. The company’s representatives report that 17 experienced jewelers have worked for 14 months, adorning the women's watch with diamonds, the total weight of which is more than 140 carats. It took 12 months only for cutting of stones, in which 12 experienced professionals were involved. The masters had to spend more than a year to make an expensive watch, as the selection of stones was performed at the highest level: the diamonds were transported to the laboratory of Hublot from all over the world, and every stone always underwent a special procedure, based on a selection of diamonds, matching each other in color. Simply put, all the stones were to be not only equally perfect in quality, but also shine in the same way. All processes for the selection of the stones were under the strict guidance of a jeweler from New York who had over 40 years of experience in that field. Just to get the above mentioned six large diamonds for the bracelet, the company Hublot had to spend about a year. Each stone has passed a special certification GIA, confirming its authenticity and the highest quality. Let us turn to details and figures: the gold case sparkles with 302 baguette diamonds weighing 27 carats, the crown is adorned with 12 baguette diamonds of 0.67 carats and one stone of "rose" cut weighing 1.06 carats, which has already become a tradition for women's watches of the line “Big Bang”, the dial made of 150 palladium is encrusted with 179 baguette cut diamonds of 8.75 carats, and the bracelet carries a precious "cargo" of 782 baguette diamonds of 45 carats and 6 square stones of 18 carats. Truly impressive!
The technical side of the model might fade against dazzling brilliance of the stones. Of course, this shouldn’t happen. The movement of women's watch “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” is an automatic caliber HUB1100 with a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The diameter of caliber - 25.6 mm, the thickness - 3.6 mm. The movement consisting of 63 parts, 25 of which are artificial rubies, provides with life for 42 hours. The front side of the case is closed with a sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating, on which the logo of the company Hublot is metalized. The back case made of white gold is also adorned with a large logo of the Swiss manufacture.
If you have suddenly thought that the high price of $ 5 million will make the customers refuse to buy “Hublot watches 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” (306.WX.0099.WX.9904), you are mistaken. At the Basel World Exhibition 2012, several connoisseurs of luxury decided to buy “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” and left their orders at the company’s representatives. Of course, the names of customers are kept in secret, but it seems that they are billionaires, who want to supplement their collections with this incredibly expensive wristwatch. Moreover, we know that the most expensive female watch “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang”, which won the guests at the Basel World 2012, is already sold out. “The Hour Glass” from Singapore became the lucky buyer, which literally snatched out the model almost from the stand of Hublot at the Basel World 2012. First, however, the most expensive women's watch will have to appear before the public in Hublot boutique in Marina Bay Sands, and only after that it will go to its first owners. The Swiss watch company Hublot is proud to announce that women's watch “Hublot 5 Million Dollar Big Bang” is the most expensive model of Hublot from both material and spiritual points. So much effort and patience is put into it, that even five million dollars is a negligible amount for such a valuable model of perfection.

Thus, the evolution of prices for the most expensive female watches “Hublot Big Bang” is obvious. The Swiss company Hublot always comes to the forefront in the global market, introducing its new models and conquering the whole watch world again and again. We can only guess how much another women's watch will cost at the next Basel fair. Perhaps, with such a rapid pace Hublot will soon catch up and even surpass the most expensive ladies watch Chopard for $ 25 million issued in 2008. But this is only my suppositions, and the CEO of Hublot, Jean-Claude Biver, says that his company is unlikely to be able to create a watch that will be more expensive than the version of 2012. Beaver recognized that it would be very difficult, as the surface of the watch is limited by its square. I think that today this is not a problem for such talents, as the masters of Hublot. In the end, they can catch up the moment, because the current fashion in women's watches dictates large cases. Here is a place for additional diamonds or something even more grandiose. Perhaps, enigmatic Jean-Claude Biver simply created an intrigue: everybody will calm down, put up with the idea that there won’t be more expensive watches, but for the next Basel World they will get a huge surprise from Hublot. Also, Beaver has added that any whim of the client is law, and if the buyer asks for a watch for $ 100 million, the company will be obliged to make it, even if the model will be very heavy and cumbersome. Well, the time will tell.

Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set – “double excellence”

The Swiss watch and jewelry company Chopard has become famous in the world of haute horlogerie for its unrivaled creations: wrist watches and jewelry, which are considered to be “luxury” products. In addition, the Swiss company Chopard is a record-holder in the watchmaking world, since in 2008 the manufactory released a women's watch, valued at 25 million dollars, which are the most expensive watch ever created by watch companies to date. This watch can be more accurately called jewelry, and a huge number of diamonds of different colors, weighing 201 carats, are cleverly disguised as a Swiss watch. The tiny dial drowns in a sea of glittering gems that stud the case and the bracelet.
At the watch fair Basel World 2012, the Swiss watchmaker Chopard presented a new women's most expensive watch called “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” (Reference / 384250-1002 /), which, unlike the above model, has a full right to be called both complicated wristwatch and amazing jewelry. The company itself called its new masterpiece "double excellence", as creating the women's watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set”, the company demonstrated its incredible capabilities in the field of fine watchmaking, as well as in the jewelry industry. Indeed, the watch companies all over the world can learn from magnificent Chopard, which throughout its history has repeatedly entered the list of leaders at the global watch market.
In early 2012, the company Chopard has made a great start and proudly presented an exquisite result of two main trends of its activity - watch and jewelry arts. According to the Swiss watchmaker Chopard, creating a new item, the manufactory wasn’t intended to create a watch or jewelry in the usual sense. The specialists have decided to combine their two main types of activity, which brought the company such an excellent reputation in the watchmaking world. A stunning incrustation with precious stones is a demonstration of unmatched craftsmanship in jewelry art, and the unique caliber LUC 02-14-L, designed entirely by hand, is equipped with tourbillon, one of the most expensive and sophisticated horological complications. Thus, the result is a unique fusion of high jewelry art and watchmaking, which has set new standards in creating complicated watches for the beautiful ladies. The high precise Swiss movement with a tourbillon module, COCS certified (official Swiss chronometer testing institute) and provided with a quality assessment Poinçon de Geneve, is put in the case of “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set”, made of white 18-karat gold. The case, as well as the dial, is completely sputtered with diamonds. According to the company, the best team of highly qualified jewelers worked on incrustation.
The dial of women's watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” (reference / 384250-1002 /) is encrusted with diamonds by “snow-setting” technique, while the outer ring of the dial is decorated with baguette-cut diamonds. The “snow-setting” finishing lies in the fact that the craftsmen do everything by hand. If the master makes a single mistake, then, unfortunately, the whole time-consuming work can be spoiled.
The jeweler sets stones next to each other, side by side, and the stones inserted into the surface of the dial have different sizes. It turns out that the entire surface is covered with diamonds, and the overall image reminds of the snowy plain. This type of incrustation requires high attention to every tiny detail and unsurpassed skills of jeweler. The choice of precious stones is also important. Despite the fact that the diameters of diamonds must be different, their suitable sizes are one of the most difficult tasks, because an amazing "snow" effect requires every stone seamlessly transforming into the next one. In addition, the golden crown of women's watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” is decorated with briolette and baguette diamonds. I think, there is no need to explain the common features of baguette cut. But the briolette-cut diamond is a pear-shape stone with triangular facets on the surface. This type of cut is also called "drop". The power reserve indicator at "12 o'clock" is studded with bright amethysts, and the oval cabochons and baguette diamonds gently "hug" bezel, staples and bracelet itself.
Finally, the tourbillon is situated on the diamond dial at "6" hours, surrounded by amethysts, the bridges of which represent the main motive of the legendary collection “Chopard Imperiale”. The tourbillon carriage is mounted with four screws, the heads of which are decorated with charming amethysts.
The Swiss movement L.U.C. 02-14-L with manual winding has four winding barrels. The patented technology Quattro® provides a power reserve of more than 9 days (approximately 216 hours) when the spring is fully wound. Moreover, the most expensive female watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” meets all quality standards, that’s why it got the title of chronometer and underwent COSC certification.
Turning to the additional technical features of women's watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set”, it is worth noting the following. The diameter of a fairly large gold case is 42 mm, its thickness - 12.4 mm. The water resistance - 30 meters. The back and front cases are protected with sapphire crystals with antiglare coating. The high precise Swiss caliber LUC 02-14-L, operating at 33 stones, has a diameter of 29.7 mm and a thickness of 6.1 mm. The balance frequency reaches 28,800 vibrations per hour. The bridges of the movement are decorated with a unique and beautiful pattern “Cotes de Geneve”. On the "snowy" diamond dial the hours and minutes are counted by two rhodium-plated central skeletonized hands, and the power reserve indicator and small seconds hand, which found its permanent "shelter" on the tourbillon carriage, are metalized.
We have to admit that the new women's most expensive watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” (reference / 384250-1002 /) is an example of true excellence. If you look at this model with your own eyes, you will not be able to resist enthusiastic praise of one of the leading jewelers of the world - Chopard. To date, the manufactory keeps some information about its new female model in secret. So, we do not know the exact number of these watches, which the company intends to display for sale. In addition, the Chopard leadership chose not to say the price of its new precious model, maybe, not to immediately plunge its fans into shock. However, many observers of the watch market argue that the most expensive female watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” will beat the record cost of the 2008 model and become an active leader in the global watch market. According to some sources, the most expensive female watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” (reference / 384250-1002 /) costs $ 25 million. It is predicted that this figure, "very familiar" for many fans and admirers of the Swiss company, might be somewhat higher. However, no one knows for sure. Thus, the new women's most expensive watch “Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set” is shrouded in mystery, it has its own specific feature, as each representative of the fair sex, able to charm everyone around with her enigmatic nature and special beauty, as well as to engage the enthusiastic men's views.

Summarizing all the aforesaid, one can conclude that the price of women's watches is most often directly proportional to the quantity of precious stones. Of course, diamonds and other stones raise the cost of models several times, as the production of watches, encrusted with precious stones, is the most time-consuming and expensive process. However, sometimes the watch companies, which have a comparatively little experience in incrustation of watches with precious stones, go too far, and their models are not quite acceptable, unable to satisfy sophisticated tastes of beautiful women. Therefore, diamonds are costly and decorative elements that must be used carefully. This is a wonderful way to decorate watches, but their excessive use can lead to a real tragedy and spoil the whole effect. As they say, everything is good within reasonable limits. Women's watches, as well as any article of clothing or accessory, are influenced by rapidly changing fashion. After reading the advice of the world's fashion designers, I decided to inform modern ladies about the latest watch fashion trends. The main trends in women's watch market in 2012 will be the following: case enlargement, which began several years ago; preferred form of the case - round, but the square, rectangular or asymmetric shapes also do not lose their relevance. By the way, with the diameter of case the thickness of bracelet or strap significantly increases. In 2012, the world designers advise women to focus on bright colors. For example, the Swiss watch company Hublot was in a “bright mood”, presenting, in addition to the most expensive model for $ 5 million, a multi-colored women's watch from its line “Big Bang Tutti Frutti”, encrusted with always popular diamonds, at the Basel World 2012. According to designers, the sport chronograph must be in the collection of any modern lady, but the classics should not be forgotten either. The one-colored women's wristwatches in white or black - choice of practical and fashionable women in 2012. Also, don’t forget that 2012 is the Year of the Black Water Dragon on the eastern calendar, so the women's watches with images of mythical creature are a worthy choice. The world watch market is literally flooded with wrist models with a dragon theme in connection with the coming of 2012.
The world watch companies will undoubtedly continue to please the ladies with their new watches, making women a little bit happier. And the men, who can buy the most expensive watches for their ladies, of course, will not go unnoticed by the women. The representatives of the fair sex, who were lucky enough to wear the most expensive watches on their charming wrists, have become even brighter, more beautiful and lit up the world around us with their smiles. The great French military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, once said that wealth is not to possess the treasure, but to be able to use it. Therefore, dear men, if you are able to spend an extra million dollars from your home "piggy bank" to make your woman happy, please, use this chance. And she, in her turn, will do everything to make you happy.