Watches as investments?
Discussion
So I've been toying with getting a nice watch (to wear). I went on a bit of a YouTube rampage and came across TGE TV's video on 'Rolexs that make you money' and I was somewhat intrigued. I know some special watches can be worth quite a bit but I didn't know regular Rolexs do that too. I guess they're not likely to lose money if you keep them all nice and unworn with certificates, receipts e.t.c. but to purposely buy them to speculate? I was unaware of this. Does anyone here do that? Is it really a sensible place to put your money?
DJMC is correct. You could make some money over time but it’s very few models that do this and in recent years it has been due to price rises and currency fluctuations.
Just a point about TGE, he also has an interest in a used watch dealer and just happens to have one of those models in stock...
Just a point about TGE, he also has an interest in a used watch dealer and just happens to have one of those models in stock...
The most appreciating watch class over the past 5 years has been vintage chronograph. But good vintage...
Lemania SAAF 2012 - £2k, now £10k
Omega 376.0822 2012 - £4k, now £7k
Heuer Bund 2012 - £2k, now £4k
Zenith A277 2012 - £2k, now £8k
Zenith Cairelli 2012 £2k, now £7k
Universal Geneve were a few k, now double that for starters.
Heuer early manuals were about 2k, now the sky's the limit.
Outliers like Yema - peanuts yesterday, then for no reason they are £3-4k.
Favourites like the Speedmaster 321 cal - phew - wish I'd bought a PAF one when offered at £5k...
Find the next to be appreciated by a bigger audience that are currently undervalued; Movado, Timor, Torneau, Longines, Minerva, Enicar, Croton, Gallet/Excelsior Park etc etc perhaps, certain Zenith AXXX series are under-priced I think, likewise some of the IWC GST series remains to be fully appreciated I think.
Movements? I would stick to chronographs so 321/L27, Lemania 15T, Zenith 3019, Longines 13ZN, Pierce, Martel, EP, Minerva, Angelus are the classics that will only increase I think and a Valjoux in anything interesting of course.
Or you could buy a Sub...
Lemania SAAF 2012 - £2k, now £10k
Omega 376.0822 2012 - £4k, now £7k
Heuer Bund 2012 - £2k, now £4k
Zenith A277 2012 - £2k, now £8k
Zenith Cairelli 2012 £2k, now £7k
Universal Geneve were a few k, now double that for starters.
Heuer early manuals were about 2k, now the sky's the limit.
Outliers like Yema - peanuts yesterday, then for no reason they are £3-4k.
Favourites like the Speedmaster 321 cal - phew - wish I'd bought a PAF one when offered at £5k...
Find the next to be appreciated by a bigger audience that are currently undervalued; Movado, Timor, Torneau, Longines, Minerva, Enicar, Croton, Gallet/Excelsior Park etc etc perhaps, certain Zenith AXXX series are under-priced I think, likewise some of the IWC GST series remains to be fully appreciated I think.
Movements? I would stick to chronographs so 321/L27, Lemania 15T, Zenith 3019, Longines 13ZN, Pierce, Martel, EP, Minerva, Angelus are the classics that will only increase I think and a Valjoux in anything interesting of course.
Or you could buy a Sub...
andy_s said:
The most appreciating watch class over the past 5 years has been vintage chronograph. But good vintage...
Lemania SAAF 2012 - £2k, now £10k
Omega 376.0822 2012 - £4k, now £7k
Heuer Bund 2012 - £2k, now £4k
Zenith A277 2012 - £2k, now £8k
Zenith Cairelli 2012 £2k, now £7k
Universal Geneve were a few k, now double that for starters.
Heuer early manuals were about 2k, now the sky's the limit.
Outliers like Yema - peanuts yesterday, then for no reason they are £3-4k.
Favourites like the Speedmaster 321 cal - phew - wish I'd bought a PAF one when offered at £5k...
Find the next to be appreciated by a bigger audience that are currently undervalued; Movado, Timor, Torneau, Longines, Minerva, Enicar, Croton, Gallet/Excelsior Park etc etc perhaps, certain Zenith AXXX series are under-priced I think, likewise some of the IWC GST series remains to be fully appreciated I think.
Movements? I would stick to chronographs so 321/L27, Lemania 15T, Zenith 3019, Longines 13ZN, Pierce, Martel, EP, Minerva, Angelus are the classics that will only increase I think and a Valjoux in anything interesting of course.
Or you could buy a Sub...
To have all this ^ knowledge takes time. To speculate and stand any chance of making money at it takes this knowledge.Lemania SAAF 2012 - £2k, now £10k
Omega 376.0822 2012 - £4k, now £7k
Heuer Bund 2012 - £2k, now £4k
Zenith A277 2012 - £2k, now £8k
Zenith Cairelli 2012 £2k, now £7k
Universal Geneve were a few k, now double that for starters.
Heuer early manuals were about 2k, now the sky's the limit.
Outliers like Yema - peanuts yesterday, then for no reason they are £3-4k.
Favourites like the Speedmaster 321 cal - phew - wish I'd bought a PAF one when offered at £5k...
Find the next to be appreciated by a bigger audience that are currently undervalued; Movado, Timor, Torneau, Longines, Minerva, Enicar, Croton, Gallet/Excelsior Park etc etc perhaps, certain Zenith AXXX series are under-priced I think, likewise some of the IWC GST series remains to be fully appreciated I think.
Movements? I would stick to chronographs so 321/L27, Lemania 15T, Zenith 3019, Longines 13ZN, Pierce, Martel, EP, Minerva, Angelus are the classics that will only increase I think and a Valjoux in anything interesting of course.
Or you could buy a Sub...
Time is money.
So unless you have nothing better to do than research watches and keep a continuous eye on values, you're best to buy something well known as popular like a Sub, if you like it, and hope to break even as its RRP increases.
Personally, having bought and sold a Sub within 4 weeks, I realised that what I like is more important than what others lead me to believe I should be wearing. I ditched mine for a DJ41, lost a few £000's as I walked out the door, but couldn't be happier with it.
Covered about a million times before
I love Heuer Autavia's & I bought several before the 40th Anniversary. They are all worth way more than I paid for them (up to 4x) which I was not expecting, but equally, I've lost money on plenty of other watches.
I buy the watches I like, but generally know how to avoid big losses these days (like not buying a brand new JLC & selling it less than a year later).
DJMC said:
To have all this ^ knowledge takes time. To speculate and stand any chance of making money at it takes this knowledge.
Time is money.
So unless you have nothing better to do than research watches and keep a continuous eye on values, you're best to buy something well known as popular like a Sub, if you like it, and hope to break even as its RRP increases.
This.Time is money.
So unless you have nothing better to do than research watches and keep a continuous eye on values, you're best to buy something well known as popular like a Sub, if you like it, and hope to break even as its RRP increases.
I love Heuer Autavia's & I bought several before the 40th Anniversary. They are all worth way more than I paid for them (up to 4x) which I was not expecting, but equally, I've lost money on plenty of other watches.
I buy the watches I like, but generally know how to avoid big losses these days (like not buying a brand new JLC & selling it less than a year later).
Thermobaric said:
Ha. I was looking at Subs. Common perhaps but I've always loved them and I don't care what other people think heh.
Ok, my Sub storyEarlier this year I HAD to have a pre ceramic no date Sub, I decided that it would be the watch I'd keep if I sold all others, I wanted a 2011/12 and looked at lots that were meant to be MINT at around the £6k mark but under a loupe they weren't all that so I decided to buy an unworn stickered 2011 watch for £6900 (yeah, I know but it's what I REALLY wanted and intend to keep)
That watch had become more popular due to the ceramic successor not less so the appreciation is a bit skewed, I think that watch would have been £2,500k new in 2011?
I wonder how much a DJ36 16233 was in 1993?
I bought my 1993 model used in 2002 for £2,000 and p/ex'd it a few months back for £3,000.
As Don suggests, the increasing RRP of all Rolexes may well cause even a bought new model to be worth used what was paid for it, or more.
My 1996 16610 Sub Date cost me £5,000 from a specialist and four weeks later sold for £5,000 as a p/ex.
I bought my 1993 model used in 2002 for £2,000 and p/ex'd it a few months back for £3,000.
As Don suggests, the increasing RRP of all Rolexes may well cause even a bought new model to be worth used what was paid for it, or more.
My 1996 16610 Sub Date cost me £5,000 from a specialist and four weeks later sold for £5,000 as a p/ex.
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