November 15 2019
The ownership experience that comes with buying a luxury watch is one to be savoured and enjoyed. With this guide we intend to furnish you with all the information you need to make sure that experience is as good as it can possibly be.
Getting Started:
Investment
First and foremost, you should purchase the watch you want, but if you can secure your investment at the same time, why not? It’s one of the great advantages of buying pre-owned and to avoid the pitfalls of brand new depreciation. Depreciation slows with time, and can completely reverse and come back the other way. It is not uncommon for a pre-owned watch, particularly from brands such as Rolex and Cartier, to be sold for more than it was bought for.
Budget
While a good vintage luxury watch starts at around $500, there is no upper limit, so it’s good to set your sights on a particular budget and stick with it. The most popular watches sit at around the $800 – $5,000 mark, where you’ll find fantastic options from Rolex, Omega and Cartier. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t great options for less, Longines, TAG Heuer, Movado and Tudor included.
Why Pre-Owned?
A new watch will always suffer a hit of depreciation in the transition to pre-owned. Buying pre-owned leapfrogs that financial penalty, and can even propagate a positive investment. On top of that is the immediate benefit of choice. Having the option to browse and compare with discontinued and vintage models, as well as with other brands that wouldn’t normally be found together, makes it easier to decide which watch is right for you.