Higher, faster, further: Homo sapiens have been striving for peak performance since time immemorial. Whether in technology or science, in sports or in business, the need for optimization and the desire for a little more of everything seem endless. Human curiosity and a fascination for the unknown drive us as a species. And so future generations may soon be flying to Mars or moving around in entirely artificial, AI-controlled dream worlds. What applies to these areas of life has also long since arrived in the watch industry. Major luxury brands in particular are competing for innovative technologies, fine materials, or the most unique design possible for their sophisticated timepieces. The research, development, and human resources required to achieve this consequently contribute to certain watches becoming increasingly expensive. You could as a result say that a high watch price is an achievement in itself. In this article, we’re presenting four luxury watches available on Chrono24 that boast impressive top performances (as of the end of May 2025).
The Flattest – Richard Mille RM UP-01 “Ferrari”
At 1.65 mm and 1.70 mm (respectively), the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing (prototype) and the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Mark II are considered the world’s thinnest watches. However, as none of these models were listed on the Chrono24 marketplace at press time, we’re presenting the third-place watch with an ultra-thin design. The Richard Mille RM UP-01 was launched in 2022 and was the world’s thinnest mechanical wristwatch at the time of its presentation, with a height of only 1.75 mm. The case of this model is made of titanium, and designed for maximum stability despite its extremely thin construction. Inside, you’ll find the manual-winding caliber RMUP-01. Richard Mille developed the movement, which is only 1.18 mm thick, together with Audemars Piguet. The power reserve is a remarkable 45 hours, and it can withstand extreme accelerations of up to 5,000 Gs. As the Richard Mille RMUP-01 does not have a crown, the movement is wound and set using two small wheels integrated into the case. The watchmaker developed the display format specifically for this watch. The time is displayed via two small hands, which are located on a tiny dial on the upper surface of the watch face. The fact that Richard Mille dedicated the watch to the Ferrari car brand can be recognized by the Ferrari logo on the bottom right. At the end of May 2025, there were six RM UP-01s on the Chrono24 marketplace. Prices start at around $1.2 million.
The Most Curious – The Konstantin Chaykin Joker
Curious, irritating and beautiful at the same time – the Konstantin Chaykin Joker Classic. There are several watches on the market with idiosyncratic, even curious designs, but the Russian manufacturer Konstantin Chaykin stands out the most with its quirky timepieces. Certain models from the brand are also known as Wristmonsters or Wristmons, because they take on the faces of characters from the world of film and fantasy in an inimitable way. In addition to Dracula, Minions, the Minotaur, and a Halloween pumpkin, Konstantin Chaykin has also dedicated a series of curious watches to the Joker, the villain known from the Batman film series. The way these models work is both clever and ingenious. The time for hours and minutes is displayed via two disks located at the 2 and 10 – the eyes of the Joker. Behind the clown’s mouth at the bottom of the dial is a moon phase display that can be recognized as a tongue. And since a clown usually has two ears, Konstantin Chaykin has placed a crown at 3 and 9 o’clock. The watchmaker uses in-house calibers for its watches. The Joker Classic, for example, uses the K.18-18 caliber. It is based on a movement from the Swiss manufacturer La Joux-Perret, and is elaborately adapted to the requirements of the Joker watch by Konstantin Chaykin. It has a power reserve of approximately 68 hours. The price for the Joker Classic is around $40,000, making this watch the bargain in our list.
The Most Magnificent – The Rolex Daytona Rainbow Ref. 116595RBOW
While diamonds have been used in the watch industry for ages, it has been the last two decades in particular that have seen luxury watch manufacturers outdo each other in the refinement of their timepieces. Unforgettable highlights of this development include the Graff Diamonds Hallucination, or the Chopard 201 Carat Watch, which are ultimately not so much watches, but in my opinion instead a tastefully questionable agglomeration of countless diamonds, in the middle of which there happens to be a quartz watch. These “watches,” which cost millions, are hard to find on the market. For this list, we’ve therefore selected a piece of jewelry from the Geneva-based industry giant Rolex. The pavé version of the Rolex Daytona Rainbow Ref. 116595RBOW is probably the finest watch you will find from Rolex. The 40-mm case and bracelet of this model are made from 18-karat rose gold, Rolex’s proprietary Everose. The diamonds used are hand-picked and have the highest purity available – flawless FI. The bezel of the Rolex Daytona Rainbow features a total of 36 baguette-cut diamonds, yellow, green, blue, purple, and red. Eleven baguette-cut diamonds serve as hour markers, which harmonize exactly in color to the stones opposite them on the bezel. The dial itself is also set with countless small diamond chips. A further 56 diamonds are set on the horns and the crown guard. On the pavé model, the middle links of the bracelet are also adorned with numerous brilliant-cut diamonds. The tried-and-tested in-house movement 4130 ticks inside this luxury Daytona. The automatic movement has 44 jewels and offers a power reserve of 72 hours. You’ll need around $900,000 for the Daytona Rainbow Pavé (ref. 116595RBOW).
The Most Complicated – The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300GR-001
The last luxury timepiece on this list impresses with two top performances. Not only is it by far the most expensive watch you can buy on Chrono24 – with a total of 20 complications, the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime (ref. 6300GR-001) is also one of the most complicated wristwatches on the market in 2025. The Grandmaster Chime owes its name to its various percussion mechanisms. In addition to a small sonnerie, this unique watch is equipped with a minute repeater, a date repeater, and an alarm. These fascinating complications in and of themselves are complemented by a perpetual calendar, a moon phase display, a second time zone, and a number of other functions. To display all these complications, the Grandmaster Chime has two dials, one on the front and another on the back. Patek Philippe patented a mechanism specifically for this watch that allows the dial to be changed from back to front and back again. The in-house movement 300 GS AL ticks away inside this 47.7 mm watch, whose case is made of 18-karat white and rose gold. The hand-wound movement consists of 1,366 components and has seven patents. With a balance frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour (A/h), the 300 GS AL offers a power reserve of 72 hours. Once the striking mechanism is fully wound, it has a separate power reserve of around 30 hours. If you have fallen under the spell of the Grandmaster Chime and would like to get your hands on one, you can do so without further ado. On Chrono24, unworn examples are offered for around $7 million, with some dealers asking over $7.4 million.
