- An Audemars Piguet pocket watch has gone under the hammer in New York, selling for a staggering USD$7.7 million.
- The S. Smith & Son Astronomical Watch, otherwise known as the ‘Grosse Pièce’ was commissioned in 1914 and completed in 1921.
- Offered as part of the landmark Olmsted Complications Collection presented by auction house Sotheby’s New York, the timepiece was purchased by Audemars Piguet itself, which reclaimed the legendary watch to add to its archives.
- Crafted from 18-carat yellow gold, the ultra-complicated pocket watch is widely regarded as the most comprehensive astronomical timepiece ever created by Audemars Piguet.
- The $7.7 million sales result now makes the ‘Grosse Pièce’ the most expensive Audemars Piguet watch ever to go under the hammer.
A historic pocket watch produced by Swiss maison Audemars Piguet has gone under the hammer in New York, selling for a staggering USD$7.7 million. The ‘Grosse Pièce’ No. 16869 shattered the conservative $500,000 to $1,000,000 price estimates en route to securing the title of most expensive Audemars Piguet watch ever sold at auction. So, what makes this 100-year-old marvel so valuable?
What is the Audemars Piguet Grosse Pièce?
The S. Smith & Son Astronomical Watch, otherwise known as the ‘Grosse Pièce’ is widely regarded as the most comprehensive astronomical timepiece ever created by the legendary watchmaker. Commissioned in 1914 and completed in 1921, the pocket watch is the only Audemars Piguet watch to feature an astronomical star chart depicting 18 constellations. Furthermore, the ‘Grosse Pièce’ is the only known Audemars Piguet pocket watch from this period to include a tourbillon; making it one of the more spectacular feats of 20th-century horology.
It depicts the night sky over London, complete with 315 stars, alongside sidereal time, a perpetual calendar, moon phases and the equation of time. This is also complemented by the inclusion of a minute repeater, grande and petite sonnerie and chronograph functionality.
With a whopping 19 complications, the ‘Grosse Pièce’ ties the legendary Audemars Piguet ‘Universelle’ of 1899 as the maison’s most complicated pocket watch ever. Like the ‘Universelle’, the ‘Grosse Pièce’ is a true grail watch and, according to Audemars Piguet, a living testament to the établissage system of the Vallée de Joux; a movement that brought specialised artisans together under the shared mission of unparalleled craftsmanship.
Olmsted Complications Collection
Offered as part of the landmark Olmsted Complications Collection presented by auction house Sotheby’s New York, the timepiece was largely overlooked by press publications and watch enthusiasts. Partly because it’s hardly ever seen the light of day, but also because the collection played host to a series of never-before-seen double-movement Patek Philippe watches commissioned by industrialist and philanthropist John Motley Morehead.
Those extraordinary watches did sell, landing back in the hands of the Patek Philippe Museum, but failed to spark the same frenzied bidding war that the Audemars Piguet ‘Grosse Pièce’ did. Over the course of 10 minutes, four determined collectors threw everything in the ring, far outstripping the pre-sale expectations and shattering records in the process. In the end, it was Audemars Piguet itself that won out.
The Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer secured the timepiece with a winning bid of $6.3 million at hammer and $7,736,000 all-in. And it couldn’t come at a better time. With 2025 marking the maison’s 150th anniversary, it feels entirely fitting that one of Audemars Piguet’s most significant watches should land back where it traditionally belongs.
“The reappearance of the Grosse Pièce at Sotheby’s marks a historic moment for collectors and enthusiasts,” Audemars Piguet said in a statement. “That this should happen in our 150th anniversary year makes it all the more extraordinary. We are delighted to welcome this important timepiece into the AP Heritage Collection, where it will be preserved, studied and shared for generations to come.”
Most Expensive Audemars Piguet Watch Ever Auctioned
For auction house Sotheby’s, the sale was historic in more ways than one. The most complicated known pocket watch by Audemars Piguet still in private hands now becomes the most valuable timepiece by Audemars Piguet ever sold at auction. It also represents the fourth highest price ever achieved for a watch at the famed auction house. According to Daryn Schnipper, Sotheby’s chairman emeritus—international watch division, the result was nothing short of ‘extraordinary’.
“The extraordinary success of the Olmsted Complications Collection is a testament not only to Robert Olmsted’s singular vision but also to the enduring global appetite for historically important horology,“ Schnipper said in a statement. “Today’s results underscore the lasting impact on the scholarship and evolution of complicated watchmaking, and a flourishing renaissance in collecting pocket watches.“
“In particular, the record-breaking result achieved by Audemars Piguet’s ‘Grosse Pièce’ is nothing short of extraordinary,“ he continued. “Now recognised as the most valuable Audemars Piguet timepiece ever sold at auction—and the fourth highest priced ever attained for a watch at Sotheby’s—it stands as a powerful reminder of the significance of this collection and the extraordinary heights that important horology can reach.“
The Audemars Piguet ‘Grosse Pièce’ was officially sold at Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in New York on 8 December 2025, as part of the landmark Olmsted Complications Collection. According to the watchmaker and now proud owner, the pocketwatch will embark on a multi-year world tour, appearing at select AP Houses and special events before being exhibited at the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus.
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