Investing in Watches: Why should you and How to do it

Investing in luxury watches can be a great way to preserve and increase your wealth. Fine watches are relatively portable, easily liquidated and have a long history of appreciation. Generally, luxury watch components are made of high quality materials and put together with precision craftsmanship. And, depending on the make and model, a watch can be a piece of timeless history. Furthermore, many luxury watches don’t need to be placed in a safety deposit box and offer the ability to be enjoyed and worn.

There are some watches that hold strong value due to their limited production availability.

Five rules to invest

1. Research the brand and model. Before investing in a luxury watch, it is important to have a firm understanding of what kind of brand and model you are considering. Research different brands, models, and price points to make sure that you are getting the highest quality watch with the features you want.

2. Educate yourself on watch values. To get the most out of your investment, it is a good idea to learn the current market values of luxury watches so you know whether or not you are getting a good deal. You can do this by researching online or talking to a watch expert.

3. Be aware of counterfeits. Counterfeit luxury watches can be difficult to spot, so it is imperative that you do your research prior to purchase. Consider buying from a reputable source, such as an authorized retailer or a trusted online platform.

4. Invest in a quality piece. If you want a watch to hold its value and possibly increase in value over time, make sure you invest in a quality piece from a trusted brand. Make sure to factor in the cost of repairs when thinking about the total cost of the watch.

5. Follow watch trends. Keeping track of trends in the watch industry is a great way to stay informed of changes that could affect the value of your watch. You can do this by following luxury watch brands or magazines specialized in watch topics.

The most exclusive watches in the world

The most exclusive watches in the world are:

The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010

Meet The World’s Most Expensive Watch: $31 Million Patek Philippe sets World record at Only Watch Auction.

The Grandmaster Chime is part of the manufacture’s regular collection in white gold since 2016 and with 20 complications the most complex wristwatch of Patek Philippe. Amongst the complications are an alarm that strikes the preprogrammed alarm time and a date repeater that sounds the date on demand – two patented world premières. The grande complication has a reversing case mechanism with two different dials in rose gold with guilloched hobnail pattern ‘Clous de Paris’ and a dial in black ebony.

The Graff Diamonds Hallucination

The sense of unreality was probably the result of one really expensive quartz watch – the Graff Diamonds Hallucination, priced at fifty-five million dollars ($55 million), undoubtedly, the most valuable watch ever created. The incredible worth stems from 110 carats of really rare and really big colored diamonds set into a bracelet of platinum. Some of the rare diamond colors are Fancy Vivid Yellow, Fancy Intense Pink, Fancy Intense Blue, Fancy Light Pink, Fancy Light Grey Blue, Fancy Intense Blue, Fancy Green and Fancy Orange. In addition, many different cuts are used, such as heart shape, pear shape, marquise, emerald, radiant, and round.

The Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch

This Billionaire timepiece was created in 2015 through a collaboration with his company SARL and Flavio Briatore. Mayweather’s watch features 260 emerald-cut diamonds, an 18-carat white gold case, and a diamond-encrusted bracelet. Price: $18 Million

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon

With the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie, Audemars Piguet’s put together a genuinely fascinating fusion of some of its newest visions of watch design, and some of its most historically – well, resonant – areas of technical mastery.

The Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile

Named after the location of Vacheron Constantin’s workshop in the 18th and 19th centuries – Tour de l’Ile literally translates as “tower on the island” – the wristwatch is powered by the 834-component cal. 2750. It features a minute repeater, perpetual calendar with moon phase, star chart, celestial annual calendar, tourbillon, sunrise and sunset times, equation of time, power reserve indicator, second time zone with day and night display.

The best luxury watches to invest for less than 50,000 dollars

1. Rolex Air-King
2. Omega Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph
3. Breitling Navitimer
4. Omega Seamaster 300M
5. Patek Philippe Aquanaut
6. Hublot Big Bang
7. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
8. Tag Heuer Aquaracer
9. Tudor Black Bay Chronograph
10. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

The best country to shop for luxury watches

The best country to shop for luxury watches is Switzerland. Swiss watches are renowned for their quality and precision craftsmanship. Switzerland offers a wide selection of watch brands from upscale, luxury makers like Patek Philippe and Rolex to more moderately priced brands like Tissot and Alpina.

How can you buy second hand luxury watches

You can buy second hand luxury watches from a variety of retailers, including online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon, luxury watch dealers or pre-owned specialists such as Watchfinder, Chrono24, and WatchCrop, and physical retailers such as pawn shops, antiques stores, and second-hand stores. You may also be able to purchase second hand luxury watches from auction houses, and even directly from individuals who are selling their own personal watches.

These are are the best online marketplaces for luxury watches:

1. Chrono24
2. Jomashop
3. Watchshopping.com
4. Watchfinder.co.uk
5. Luxury Bazaar
6. Bob’s Watches
7. The RealReal
8. Timepeaks
9. Watchboss
10. Tourneau

Ukranian-Russian conflict and luxury watches

Russian citizens are investing in luxury watches as a hedge against political and economic instability brought on by the ongoing Ukranian-Russian conflict. Despite the conflict, Russians remain confident in their economy and are looking for ways to preserve their wealth. Luxury watches are a tangible asset that can easily be transported, stored and are known for holding their value over the long-term even despite economic turbulence.

Russia was only the 17th largest market for Swiss watch exports last year, but how to manage business and client relations during such a sensitive time was high on the priority list.

Sanctions against Russia and a ban on exports of luxury goods mean brands can no longer ship timepieces to Russia and all the big labels have closed directly operated stores.

Russians account for around 2% to 3% of global luxury spending, or around 7 billion euros ($7.75 billion), dwarfed by the U.S. and China, according to Claudia D’Arpizio, senior partner and head of fashion and luxury at consultancy Bain. “These are loyal customers that buy every year and that I think have strong relationships with some of these brands on a personal level,” she noted.

Several executives said they were seeing booming demand in Dubai as the United Arab Emirates as well as Turkey see money flowing in from wealthy Russians seeking a financial haven.