Can a watch be a good investment?
Let us not beat about the bush, we are all busy people. We will begin this article with the conclusion. Chrono Hunter is pleased to advise you that yes, a watch CAN be a good investment.
In fact, there has never been a better time than now to put your money on your wrist. From the vintage market to the procurement of the hard-to-find limited-release fayre of the top Swiss manufacturers, if you buy the right watch at the right time, you will be able to sell it for at least as much as you paid when the time comes to move on. And in our opinion, free time is profit – if you’ve worn a timepiece for a few years and recouped your initial investment, you have won. The pleasure you have enjoyed by wearing it is return on your outlay. But make the right purchase and this pleasure will be further increased by the addition of some extra cash, or maybe a lot of extra cash.
Each spring, at Baselworld, the world’s greatest celebration of horological ingenuity, the finest manufacturers compete to catch the eye with a standout watch. This may be a totally new design or an upgrade or new version of an old classic.
At the Baselworld 2018, Rolex’s GMT Master II with a “Pepsi” bezel and presidential strap caused arguably the biggest stir. It was an updated version of a much-loved classic. If you managed to bag an early place on the waiting list, as soon as you got your hands on it you would have had the option of selling it on to someone slower off the mark for thousands more. The same applies to Omega’s Seamaster 1948 Small Seconds. Produced to celebrate the anniversary of the model, it was limited to just 1948 pieces and is wonderfully elegant. Anyone laying hands on one of these would have queues of people willing to pay them plenty more than the list price.
It is also possible to make a profit by playing the waiting game. Smaller manufacturers than Rolex and Omega, ones at the top of the tree such as Patek Philippe and Jaeger-LeCoultre cannot (or do not want to) manufacture their watches fast enough to keep the public satisfied. If you do the waiting and keep your watch boxed and unused, it should not be difficult to find someone more impetuous than yourself who has decided they need that model immediately and has no qualms about paying a premium. Patek’s Nautilus and Jaeger’s Polaris models often go for way above their recommended retail prices.
The world of vintage watches is more complicated but can be more rewarding. The market is more fractured with auction sites and large dealerships competing for your money. You will be safer buying through Chrono Hunter, we can source a reputable watch dealer that employs people whose jobs are specifically to know the value of watches.
But it is worth keeping your eye out. You may not come by Paul Newman’s Rolex or Elvis Presley’s Omega, but the odd gem does slip through the net. If you see a 1953 Rolex Sub going for anything less than five figures and you are convinced it is genuine, beg or borrow (Chrono Hunter would of course not advise stealing) to buy it. You will be handsomely rewarded.
So in conclusion the right watch at the right price can in fact be a fantastic investment, although we would like to round this Chronicle up by saying that although not all watches are investments if you enjoy wearing it and it brings some joy to your life thats all that really matters.