As a collector, one of the most important things to consider when looking at pre-owned luxury watches, aside from their condition, is whether their value will hold, or, better yet, increase over time. For this to be the case, brand, make, and scarcity usually take precedence over everything else. Because there’s only so many functional product benefits that can be fitted in a luxury watch at a given time, its worth, beyond a certain price tag, is mostly given by intangibles such as perceived value. A successful collector is one who makes acquisitions informed by an analysis of perceived value over time and extrapolates the latter in an attempt to make certain future predictions about the brands and models of luxury watches available for purchase.
When it comes to perceived value growth, Rolex is one of the most iconic and fruitful examples. Collectors who bought their models in the early 60s and 70s can easily boast a six-fold increase in the value of their investment, at the very least. Some series, in particular, have acquired staggeringly more cost than others due to memorable auctions. Rolex’s perceived value increased exponentially as a result of the fame that was brought to them by stars and other personalities. Take, for instance, the Submariner worn by Steve McQueen’s, which sold for an impressive $234,000 in 2009 or the one worn by Sir Roger Moore, which was auctioned for no less than $365,000 in 2015. The incredibly rare 1942 Antimagnetique sold for no less than $2,5 million in 2016, whereas Paul Newman’s Cosmograph Daytona already made Rolex history in 2017, when it was sold for a whopping $17.8 million. The case for acquiring a pre-owned Rolex as a collector is obvious beyond a reasonable doubt.
However, there are several other brands and models worth considering, mainly due to the popularity they enjoy with large segments of the demographics. The Tudor brand, a more affordable alternative to Rolex that is produced by the same manufacturer, holds several highly-appreciated models, such as the Heritage Black Bay, the Ranger, and the Pelagos. On the one hand, these won’t cash in as much as a pre-owned Rolex, but, on the other hand, they will most definitely have a faster turnaround than a Rolex. This means that luxury watch collectors will find it quite easy to market and sell good condition Tudors in a relatively short amount of time. You can browse an impressive assortment of such esteemed timepieces on https://watchesofwales.co.uk.
Needless to say that any Rolex that’s been worn by a famous person, such as Hollywood stars, presidents, or members of royal families will attract enough interest and bids to set up an auction just for them. Yet this does not mean that regular models will not be profitable. On the contrary, the more public interest and exclusivity associated with certain
series, such as the Daytona or Submariner, the more perceived value customers associate with it. Aside from Rolex and Tudor, Audemars Piguet, Omega, but also Vacheron and Constantin are worth collectors’ attention. They may not be as present in the auction and media spotlight as Rolex, but they are certainly preferred by significant portions of the luxury watch demographic.