Which Watch Brands Hold Their Value the Best?
Luxury watches have turned into potential gold mines for savvy buyers. Some brands keep or even increase their worth over the years. If you’re thinking watches might be a good investment or just want to spend your money wisely, you need to know which brands tend to keep their value.
If you’re looking to either sell your watch or are looking to invest in a used watch, give our team a call at 630-448-8849. We will give you an honest and accurate evaluation of the watch’s worth.
Top Luxury Watch Brands Known for Value Retention
Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet lead the pack for value retention. They’ve built sterling reputations through quality, scarcity, and steady collector demand.
Rolex, established in 1905, maintains a tight grip on production. Models such as the Submariner, Daytona, and GMT-Master II command crazy prices. Steel Daytonas fetch double retail — when you can find them. Rolex prices jumped 20% yearly from 2018-2023, beating the S&P 500. Their slow, thoughtful design evolution creates timeless appeal that outlasts passing fads.
Patek Philippe, family-run since 1839, makes intricate watches in tiny batches. Their Nautilus and Aquanaut timepieces purchased from 2017-2022 have the potential to return a staggering 207%. The blue Nautilus 5711 became so coveted that Patek killed it despite an eight-year wait list, sending prices through the roof. Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak could achieve similar results through its iconic octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet, designed by Gerald Genta in 1972. The luxury watch market should hit $49.8 billion in 2024, with these three brands grabbing an outsized share.
Midrange Watch Brands With Remarkable Value Retention
Don’t ignore midrange watch brands with fantastic value retention. Omega, Tudor, and TAG Heuer strike a balance of quality, prestige, and price that won’t bankrupt you.
Omega, of moon landing and 007 fame, offers solid investment potential under $5,000. Look for the Speedmaster Moonwatch and vintage Constellations. Tudor, Rolex’s corporate sibling, shows steady growth, mainly through their Black Bay lineup. Some Tudor pieces jumped 30%-40% in just a few years on the secondary market. TAG Heuer’s racing DNA creates lasting value, with their Carrera and Monaco collections attracting enthusiasts and holding their prices well when sold. These brands let you dip into watch investing without exorbitant costs.
Affordable Watches That Hold Value
Even budget-friendly watches can be solid investments. Brands such as Seiko, Timex, and Swatch have impressed with value retention through limited editions, collaborations, or discontinued models that develop cult followings. You don’t need to drop thousands to see your collection grow in value.
Seiko’s discontinued models have seen remarkable price increases. The SKX007, originally $200 retail, now sells for $400-$600 on the secondary market, with collectors reporting 10%-15% annual appreciation. Some vintage Seiko divers from the 1970s now fetch four to five times their original prices. Timex’s Marlin Hand-Wound watch, priced at $199 new, reaches $250-$300 in resale value.
Swatch made headlines with its Omega collaboration. The Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch, retailing at just $260, quickly climbed to $500-$700 after release. The frenzy around these colorful watches proved that clever marketing and artificial scarcity work wonders for value creation. These examples show how even value watch brands can become significant investments over time, especially when they tap into nostalgia or create buzz through innovative partnerships.
Making Smarter Investments in Watches
If you want to invest wisely in watches, do your research. Look at brand reputation, limited runs, and overall condition, and don’t forget that paperwork and original boxes add big bucks at selling time. Remember to only buy from proven sellers.
To ensure optimal resale value, service your watches regularly, clean them professionally, and store them properly. Missed maintenance on a luxury watch can reduce its value by 20%. And think twice before modifying anything — changes usually hurt resale value, not help it.
Watches make decent investments even when the markets wobble. Preowned luxury watches should hit $45 billion by 2030, over half the new watch market, with over 40% of buyers classifying themselves as collectors or investors. A survey found that 44% of buyers use watches to diversify assets, while 28% see watches as a way to fight inflation. Buy what makes you smile when you check the time, and treat any value bump as a nice extra.
The Future of Watch Investments: Trends and Predictions
Watch investing shifts with tech advances, social platforms, and buyer tastes. Despite early panic about smartwatches killing traditional timepieces, mechanical watches are thriving. Analysts who once wrote obituaries for mechanical timepieces now watch in awe as young collectors fall for watches that never need charging.
It’s an exciting time in the world of luxury watches. British watchmaking has rebounded, with Bremont leading the charge. Watch faces are shrinking after years of dinner-plate sizes, and titanium is gaining fans for its feather-light feel. The first quarter of 2024 showed steady prices, growing vintage values, and hot models appreciating, all signs of post-pandemic stability. Independent makers, such as F.P. Journe and H. Moser, boast growing wait lists despite shaky economics.
Social media has transformed how we discover and collect watches, bringing younger, more diverse enthusiasts into the fold, including women. Instagram watch stars spark trends that sweep through the industry overnight. Phillips watch auction bidders increased by 70% from 2019 to 2023, and the average buyer’s age dropped from 57 to 50, bringing fresh eyes that will shape tomorrow’s valuable pieces. This shift hints that watches with compelling stories might beat traditional investments.
Navigating the Watch Investment Landscape
If you’re considering jumping into watch investments, it takes equal parts passion, knowledge, and careful thinking. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet have knocked it out of the park with value retention, but the watch market varies in ways nobody can predict. Midrange options, such as Omega and Tudor, and even some wallet-friendly picks such as Seiko, can surprise you with how well certain models hold their value. Timing matters — buying just before a model is discontinued can sometimes lead to quick value jumps.
Networking with other collectors can give you insider tips on what might blow up next. Watch forums, Instagram accounts, and local meetups often buzz with rumors months before prices shift. Many collectors who scored big on watches such as the Rolex Daytona or Patek Nautilus heard whispers of incoming shortages long before mainstream media caught on.
The best approach is to buy watches that make your heart beat faster when you look at them. Let potential value growth be the reward and not the motivation. Stay plugged into market trends, care for your watches like the precision instruments they are, and always buy from dealers with sterling reputations.
Explore the World of Luxury Watches in Westmont
If you’re looking to turn your luxury watches or jewelry into cash, our team at Americash can provide expert appraisals and competitive offers. Whether you’ve got a safe full of Pateks or you’re just starting with your first good watch, the world of timepiece investing offers endless possibilities if you’re willing to learn the ropes. Just remember that the best investment is always in something you’d be happy to keep forever, even if its value never budged a penny.
Silver and Gold Round Watch by Leef Parks is licensed with Pexels License
Tags: Rolex, Used Watches, Value, Watches
