8 Most Expensive Clocks To Ever Sell at Auction

Since ancient times, humans have sought to measure and understand time. Early methods included simple sundials and candle-based systems, before timekeeping gradually evolved into an artistic and technical discipline.

Some elaborate antique clocks and watches rival even the finest paintings in beauty. But beauty often comes at a price. Read on to discover some of the most expensive clocks ever sold at auction.

The Rothschild Fabergé Egg Clock

Commissioned in 1902 by Charlotte Béatrice Ephrussi as an engagement gift for Germaine de Rothschild, this clock is the most expensive ever sold at auction.

Created by the House of Fabergé, the masterpiece follows the firm’s tradition of elaborate gilt eggs, favored by royalty. Only three known Fabergé eggs combine both a clock and an automaton.

The clock adopts Fabergé’s iconic ovoid form, finished in translucent pink enamel over a guilloché moiré ground. This engraving technique creates undulating, overlapping lines that mimic the shimmer of moiré silk. The hinged openwork panel conceals a diamond-set gold cockerel automaton that flaps and crows when activated.

Previously unrecorded on the market, the Rothschild Fabergé Egg appeared at Christie’s in 2007, offered by direct descent from Germaine de Rothschild. It sold for a jaw-dropping $18,573,940. Today, nearly two decades later, its value would exceed $36,000,000.

Qianlong Period, Qing Dynasty Ormolu Table Clocks

In the 17th and 18th centuries, cultural exchange between China and Europe flourished. The Wanli Emperor, who ruled from 1572 to 1620, had a fascination with horology and received many elaborate clocks as gifts from visiting European missionaries. This exchange set the tone for international gifting through the following Qing dynasty and led to the production of clocks that merged European and Chinese aesthetic principles.

Skilled artisans made these clocks with exquisite enamel and ormolu craftsmanship, combining European painting techniques with traditional Chinese porcelain methods. They often featured date indicators and automatons, further advancing clockmaking innovation.

Two examples of these clocks from the Qianlong Period (1736–1795) set record prices at Poly International Auction Co. in Beijing. The first, sold in 2010, reached $7,396,622. The second fetched an astonishing $12,068,832 one year later.

Patek Philippe, Complicated Desk Clock

Inspired by a design presented to James Ward Packard in 1923, this complicated desk clock is housed in a sleek sterling silver case with gold-plated vermeil decorative motifs and American walnut inlays. Along with basic timekeeping functionalities, this clock has a perpetual calendar with week numbers, moon phases, and a 31-day power reserve. Its dial conceals a complex movement, composed of over 900 parts and designed specifically for this piece.

Created by Swiss watch and clockmakers Patek Philippe, the clock reflects the brand’s renowned precision and uncompromising attention to detail. Experts check each timepiece for accuracy and operability, and many of their products have set records for auction prices. This clock sold for $10,415,524 in 2021, making it the third most expensive clock sold at auction.

Cartier Parrot Mantel Clock

The vibrant natural world of Africa greatly inspired Cartier’s work, and African animal motifs appeared often, including in their now-iconic panther emblem. This magnificent mantel clock captures that fascination in dramatic form, centering a lifelike parrot cast in 18K gold with outstretched wings perched on a delicate gold perch.

The jeweled bird appears poised mid-landing, its wings spread in motion and its surface glittering with 249.9 carats of gemstones. It is set with more than 1,000 diamonds and rubies, along with hundreds of emeralds and sapphires.

The timepiece is a pendule à cercle tournant, or “rotating circle clock,” in which a revolving band at the base displays the time. The form originated in Napoleonic France and is associated with Abraham-Louis Breguet, one of history’s most influential clockmakers.

Made circa 1991, the clock reinterprets this historic French form with modern opulence, pairing a restrained Neoclassical mechanism with lavish gem-setting. The masterpiece fetched $7,222,635 at auction in 2017.

The Duc d'Orléans Breguet Sympathique

An exceptional example of the innovative and rare pendule sympathique clock model, this timepiece was commissioned by Prince Ferdinand Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, after whom it is named. d’Orléans was no stranger to Breguet’s work as the d’Orléans family had been patrons since he began his practice.

Sympathique refers to a clock that is accompanied by a co-regulated watch. Breguet developed the groundbreaking mechanism in the late 18th century, and its complexity meant that making just one could take up to 20 years.

Although this clock was not completed until 13 years after Breguet’s death, it is likely that he worked on it prior to his passing, underscoring the extraordinary complexity of its construction. The design showed Breguet’s unparalleled craftsmanship and technical genius, and helped solidify his reputation as one of the most trusted clockmakers in the world, which endures today.

Artisans fabricated this particular example—one of only 12 known Breguet sympathique clocks—to complement the Duc d’Orléans’ luxury apartments at the Pavillon de Marsan in Paris. It features the most elaborate case of any other known sympathique clock, its surface veneered with red tortoiseshell and inlaid with gilt-brass and pewter details.

The Duc d'Orléans Breguet Sympathique clock sold for $6,802,500 in 2021.

F.P. Journe Multi-function Clock

Another pendule sympathique clock, this model was inspired by Breguet’s original, but was even more ambitious. Nearly two centuries after the sympathique’s debut at the 1798 Exhibition of French Industrial Products, François Paul Journe, a French watchmaker, was so fascinated with Breguet’s innovation that he endeavored to modernize the sympathique form.

This updated version boasted an 8-day power reserve, surpassing Breguet’s model, which required daily winding. The master clock is housed in a gilt base with 18K gold panels and has indicators for moonphase, equation of time, temperature, month, day and date.

Although Journe was commissioned to make 20, only the very first clock was made in gold—the rest were in brass. This magnificent Sympathique sold at Phillips for $6,616,586 in 2025.

Cartier Portico Mystery Clock

Combining elements of high jewelry, architecture and engineering, Cartier’s Mystery Clocks are iconic in the world of horology. Clockmaker Maurice Coüet developed the form based on an original design by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, a French watchmaker and illusionist whose name later inspired Harry Houdini’s stage name.

The “mystery” of these clocks lies in the placement of their hands. Mounted on concealed transparent discs, the hands appear to float freely in space. The mechanism was so magical that even Cartier’s salespeople could not explain it when the model debuted in 1912.

The portico model was particularly distinctive, even within the wider Mystery Clock series. Cartier made only six, and the form, inspired by Asian architecture, emulated East Asian temple gateways. The timepiece was modified to be suspended from the top of the portico rather than rising from the base.

This particular portico clock features squared columns of rose marble with black enamel and carved lines—traditional Chinese symbols of protection. Above the dial, the Chinese word for longevity, set in rose-cut diamonds, reinforces this East Asian aesthetic.

After nearly four decades in a private collection, the clock appeared at a Phillips auction in 2025 and sold for $4,725,961.

If you are looking to establish your place in the antique clock market, discover M.S. Rau’s exceptional collection of museum-quality clocks and watches.

Works Cited

Baker, Logan. “In-Depth: Examining the Cartier Portico Mystery Clock No. 3.” Phillips, May 2025.

Crown & Caliber. “Sotheby’s Sells Two of the Most Expensive Clocks in the World.” Crown & Caliber, April 18, 2013.

Tsui, Denise. “At the Convergence of China and Europe: Learning about the World through Clocks and Art.” Sotheby's, April 15, 2025.