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The Captivating World of Rare Watches

By Karlton Miko Tyack Updated May 14, 2024

There’s no bigger flex than wearing a rare watch. Let’s explore some of the most record-breaking and historically interesting hard-to-find timepieces.

Source: Reddit

The old economic adage is that scarcity heightens value. This is certainly true in the watch world, and boy, do brands know it. Few things can drive sales, like creating limited editions, especially when they’re collaborations.

Personally, the rare watches that interest me most are the ones that are rare incidentally. What’s the story there? Why can’t we find any? Is there a mystery to be solved? 

I’ve worked in art and luxury my whole adult life. As such, I’ve had the privilege of being in the same room as some extraordinary treasures. Occasionally, I get to even interact with a few. 

Between that and my lifelong obsession with horology, nothing gets me going more than the topic of rare watches.

So, let’s talk about them. Let’s explore how models become so scarce, what some of these models are, and why rarity captivates collectors so much.

Table of Contents

  • Ways a Rare Watch Becomes Rare
  • 5 Rare Watches I Love
  • The 4 Rarest Watches in the World
  • FAQ
  • Conclusion: Just a Flex?

Ways a Rare Watch Becomes Rare

As mentioned, the easiest way for a watch model to become rare is if the brand decides it should be rare. 

Watchmakers often do limited edition sublines of popular models for anniversaries and other special occasions. Perhaps it’s the 120th anniversary of a tentpole design. The brand may produce 120 remixed or especially embossed versions of that watch.

The second way a watch can become rare, which I find to be the most interesting, is when a run features a mess up or defect. Think of missing text or using a material that turns out not to be that great, so it deteriorates in a way that gives it a weird or unique look.

As long as it’s a defect that doesn’t hurt the watch beyond aesthetics, I tend to love it. 

The only exception I have is slightly misaligned applications. If it’s majorly misaligned, that’s interesting. It’s slightly misaligned, not so much. Think about how exact Rolex is with their applications. A rare instance of a slightly misaligned application on a Rolex, in my opinion, would just make it look fake.

The third way watches become rare is if a specific reference has a short run. Many classic models that have been around for a long time will usually have a short-run reference. Perhaps it was a transitional reference, or maybe a small visual change was highly unpopular at the time.

The fourth reason is that the model may have never been sold commercially. Remember that watches used to be real-deal tools. Governments may have commissioned a specific model just for their defense departments.

A fifth vague reason is that a particular model may simply be a mystery. Maybe the brand is now defunct, and there’s very little literature on it. 

For this watch to matter, though, it must have a following. Maybe an important historical figure is wearing it in a painting, and it’s hard to ID. It could be that the brand itself is suspiciously mum about a rare model, stirring intrigue in the watch community.

I love this reason because I’m deeply fond of the stories and lore around watches.

So, let’s get to some of my favorites.

5 Rare Watches I Love

Here are a few mysteries and gems I’m obsessed with.

Jimmy Stewart’s Tissot Rear Window Watch

I was captivated by the simple, straightforward, and classic watch Jimmy Stewart wore in Rear Window. For a long time, it was dubbed Stewart’s referenceless Tissot.

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It’s a mystery I’ve only solved recently. Supposedly, it’s a Tissot 6440-3. Imagine the feeling I had when I stumbled across this information! Men on watch forums claim they’ve been “searching for years” or “assumed it was made just for the movie.”

It plays a prominent role in the film, and Stewart never takes it off. 

The best part is that it’s not even that expensive. If you can find it, that is. Certain Visodates and Seastars have a similar look. But as a watch nerd, they just aren’t the same to me.

Rolex Domino’s Pizza Watch

For the record, this isn’t a watch I’d ever wear. And when it comes to rare watches, it isn’t the rarest. If you search enough times, you may be able to find one on the Chrono24s or eBays of the world.

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I just find the high-low aesthetic of these kinds of logo dials hilarious and possibly offensive. It’s amusing that one of Rolex’s most enduring partnerships is with a pizza chain whose success depended on hungry, broke college kids.

But the story is pretty cool.

During the quartz crisis, many Swiss heritage brands used quartz for business purposes. Instead of surrendering to this movement, Rolex simply ceded some territory. They did this by going the corporate gift, logo dial route. 

So, Domino’s owner, Tom Monaghan, gifted franchisees with this branded Rolex if they met sales goals. 

Rolex Zerographe 3346

Reference 3346 should really be in the next section (the rarest watches in the world). It’s essentially a prototype of the first watch ever to have a rotating bezel.

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Even more, it’s Rolex’s first in-house chronograph movement, featuring a basic 17-jewel manual-wind construction. Prior, they used Valjoux movements.

It’s so rare that Rolex almost never mentions it in histories and literature, which makes it anyone’s grail.

I love it, though, because it’s so odd-looking. Rolex is so by-the-book. They’re a brand that has a specific aesthetic associated with them, and this isn’t it. Still, the Mercedes hands are there as your Northstar to avoid complete confusion.

Cartier Cheich

Another piece that would qualify as a world rarity, the Cartier Cheich is supposedly limited to a run of four — yes, four. That makes it even rarer than the Crash, which is also worth noting. Cartier reissued the Crash with a run of 67.

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The case is designed to look like the head cloth worn by desert explorers. 

The Cheich was a prize for those who could accomplish the Cartier Challenge, a partnership between Cartier and the Paris-Dakar Rally.

In 1985, Gaston Rahier, a BMX motorcyclist, achieved the impossible feat. He rode from Paris across the Sahara Desert to Senegal within three weeks — twice — in the same vehicle.

Thierry Sabine, the founder of the Paris-Dakar Rally, was gifted the second Cheich. The other two are in Cartier’s archives, and they have zero intentions of ever being sold.

Spider Dial Submariner

Rolex transitioned into glossy dials in the ‘80s. Unfortunately, they prematurely released new Submariners at the time before the lacquer formula was perfected.

The result? The dials of several 5513 Submariners started to crack, creating a spider-web-like texture.

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Some call this a defect, while others refer to it as a happy accident. Either way, it’s a selling point for many would-be collectors.

The 4 Rarest Watches in the World

There isn’t actually one rarest watch in the world. Even mystery one-offs aren’t the only members of their category. However, in addition to the Cheich and the Zerographe above, here are some of the world’s rarest timepieces.

Rolex Split-Seconds Chronograph 4113

Only 12 of the 4113 were made, making it truly one of the rarest watches in the world. Rolex produced them as gifts to racecar drivers, and only eight have ever come to light.

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With its science dial and thin bezel, this certainly isn’t your typical Rolex.

It would easily go over a million at auction. But I doubt any hardcore Rolex collector would ever sell a 4113 if they ever got their hands on one.

Vacheron Constantin Chronometer Royal 4907

Simple and straightforward, the Vacheron Constantin 4907 combines a few important elements of the rarity formula.

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First of all, it’s a mystery. No one knows how many of these have actually been produced.

Second, only one model has ever surfaced on auction.

That being the case, there are certainly some secretive watch collectors out there who may have one. Or perhaps there are people out there who simply don’t know what they have.

Patek Philippe 1518

The steel version of 1518 went for $11million at auction. This Moonphase watch was made only for the Italian market. That being the case, it was made for only four Italians.

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Yup, here’s another watch that’s part of a quadruplet. 

It’s also historically important, as it’s credited with being the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch ever.

Rolex Stelline

I bet many of you didn’t even know that Rolex made a moon phase watch.

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Well, they only made two, and the Stelline is one of them. Between its star indices and gold case, it looks more like something out of Patek’s or, dare I say, Orient’s archives.

But that’s what makes it special.

There’s also a diamond-encrusted version called the Bao Dai, named after the last Vietnamese emperor who requested it.

FAQ

TLDR? Well, here’s the question that is asked the most when it comes to rare watches.

What Is the Rarest Watch in the World?

Some of the rarest watches in the world include the Rolex Zerographe 3346, the Cartier Cheich, the Rolex 4113 Split-Seconds Chronograph, and the Patek Philippe 1518.

Conclusion: Just a Flex?

I think rare watches are about more than just bragging rights. As you can see, they represent stories in the brand’s history and, often, in the greater history of watches.

In fact, I think it’s funny how mess-ups often result in scarce models. Then, in turn, that very mess-up turns into a major flex.

But again, these rare watches aren’t always the most expensive. My Rear Window Tissot (which I’m forever refreshing eBay for) is a great example.

What are some of your favorite rare watches? Do you own any? Let us know in the comments!

Categories: Watch Guides

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Karlton Miko Tyack

About Karlton Miko Tyack

A lifelong watch enthusiast, Karlton has worked with quality timepieces of all price points and calibers, vintage and contemporary. He was born in LA, studied art history in Boston, and is a lover of rugby, football, and optimism.

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