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What About Market for New Watches? Next Three Years?
In Response To: Is the Sports Watch / Chronograph market skyrocketing? ()


I will respond on the vintage front later, but let me add some questions about the current market for new watches. Pick up a current watch magazine, and -- compared with what you would have seen three to five years ago (or maybe 10 to 20 years ago) -- consider how many very expensive watches you see offered. Older brands moving up market, new brands that have come out of nowhere, large and small, plain and fancy, all shapes and sizes . . . the common denominator is the high prices.

I don't have an explanation, but only the observation . . . there's a lot of money in the world right now . . . I'm not sure whether it is from real estate, hedge funds, private equity, the Russian mafia, drug money, oil money, war lords, credit cards, sub-prime lenders or what, but a lot of the money seems to be going into luxury goods (and some very common goods, styling themselves as "luxury goods").

But let's forget about the new watches, and go back to vintage . . . and let's not worry too much about what has happened over the last three years. Who can tell me what will happen to vintage watches over the next three years ? ? ?

Jeff

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

: I post this question b/c I have been out of the hobby since about
: 2005.

: I revisited a prior passion; vintage and exotic cars: that hobby
: garnered most of my attention and money!

: Prior to that I purchased a vintage chronograph / dive watch about
: once a month, with a collection of 40+ and turnover/sales 6-8
: watches per yr over a 5yr period.

: I post some non-Heuer trends; as many collect other Swiss or
: Professional/tool watches.

: However, in my 3 yr. absence i have seen the following:

: -1000%+ Price increase of the Omega Plo Prof (post
: Omegamania/auction shenanigans)
: -50-300+% increase in Heuer Chronos (ie, that Heuer 100 Chrono for
: $4k)
: -70s Longines chronographs going from $750 to $1500-2000
: -Tudor Subs going from $1000 to $2-3000
: -Tudor Pre-Tiger Chronographs going from $1500 to $3-4000
: -Aquastar Dive Watches $500 to $1500+
: -Obscure names: Nivada/Bucherer w.Lemania/Valjoux chronos going
: from $350 to $700-1500
: -The Hamilton Count-Down go from $500 to $2200
: -Doxa dive watches up 100-200+%
: -Poor mans Heuers: going from $300 to 800

: Now, I did see the same happen in the 2002-2003 recession; when
: collectors seemed oblivious to the economy.

: So whats driving this? The strong Euro? Collectors using
: ebay/web/forums; re-issue retro/fad more?

: As an aside, you would all be suprised how many of your watches
: once sold could allow you to afford a nice sports car!

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