By chance, an exclusive timepiece catches your eye and you snap it up for very little money. A few years later, it exceeds every expectation: the bargain has turned into a costly rarity. Success stories like these about watches that hold their value sometimes take a bit of luck in addition to know-how. As long as you keep that in mind, timelessly fascinating luxury watches remain an attractive way to put your savings to good use.
Watches as an investment? Worthwhile, as long as you stay realistic
Choose the right timepieces, and you can invest in watches that hold their value and see substantial appreciation. They are the insider tip among investments – especially in times of crisis. Right away, you'll find a list revealing which models from Rolex, Omega, Breitling & Co. are guaranteed to be and remain in demand. Promises carved in stone like these are about as credible as the prophecies of a fortune teller at a county fair. Just look at some vintage watches that were praised to the skies, bought at outrageous prices and soon afterward struck by losses in value.
Anyone who concludes from this that buying luxury watches isn't worth it misses reality just as badly as the inflated visions of the future put forward by self-important financial experts. What matters instead is taking a rational look at what investing in watches that hold their value actually means. When personal preferences are combined with objective considerations in choosing a model, most masterpieces will live up to expectations – whether they come from Audemars Piguet, Chopard, Junghans or another renowned manufacture.
Works of art for moments of joy that are priceless
The Queen of Naples longed for a piece of jewelry that would elegantly tell her the time right on her wrist. In 1810, Abraham-Louis Breguet fulfilled her wish with the first wristwatch. More than 200 years have passed since then, bringing forth countless technical achievements. The smartphone offers constant access to the time, based on highly precise atomic clocks. Even so, luxury watches with manual winding or automatic movements have lost none of their fascination. That's because they are works of art, crafted by hand with remarkable sophistication. Observations like these suggest that manufacture watches will keep their ability to inspire and will never suffer a complete loss of value.
If you hoard your savings in a zero-interest bank account for decades, you are bound to be disappointed. With wristwatches of timeless appeal, on the other hand, chances are good that inflation will affect their tangible value less in the long run than the bills stuffed in your mattress. Even if no buyer turns up later, you can at least count on this: the price of new luxury watches has risen significantly due to higher material and labor costs, which argues against buying one. Fortunately, a favorite piece is resting in your safe, and you can now proudly wear it on special occasions. When that moment comes, you have already acquired a watch that holds its value and gained a great deal – haven't you?
A dream watch with the potential to appreciate
This line of thinking suggests investing in watches whose increase in value is guaranteed in an emotional sense. That's why smart watch enthusiasts focus on manufactures and collections that speak to their heart. This ensures that you will enjoy these masterpieces. Only after this all-important decision of the heart is it worth weighing up which models appear to hold their value. Looking at tips from watch experts can be inspiring, provided you don't overrate them. After all, every prediction about a loss or gain in value remains speculative.
Experience shows: a pioneer is ahead of its time, attracts little interest and is comparatively affordable. Later, changing tastes draw attention to the underrated model, which ideally gets thrust into the spotlight by a spectacular event or a famous wearer. The sports watches Cosmograph Daytona by Rolex and Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet are prime examples of appreciation that watch lovers would hardly have expected decades ago. At the same time, they make clear that the tide can turn once the hype dies down a little. This applies especially to investors who suddenly have to sell because of a financial crisis and cannot give their investment watches the time they need to deliver attractive returns.
Bold speculation or proven investment – a question of personality and budget
Color, material, diameter – the yellow Spirit of Big Bang by Hublot with its rubber strap and 45 mm case is a rebel on the luxury watch scene. Putting one in your safe takes courage. According to the manufacturer's suggested retail price, the eccentric automatic watch breaks the €100,000 mark. Naturally, the number of prospective buyers who can and want to pay the hefty price plus inflation at resale is limited. The risk of taking a loss seems high. The opposite is conceivable, too: a well-heeled watch enthusiast dreams of this strictly limited Hublot and is willing to spend three times its original retail price.
If speculation like this isn't for you, you'll lean toward proven watch investments. The Omega Speedmaster has secured a permanent place in horological history as the first wristwatch on the moon. Humans will never stop exploring the universe. With every high-profile space mission, watch lovers are bound to remember the Moonwatch and want to treat themselves to one. That's why the Omega icon is considered to hold its value – and depending on your budget, you can land it in the classic version for around €5,000 or as an unusual edition for €50,000. Which model will hold, lose or gain value remains to be seen. In terms of adjusted profit, the classic can come out on top just as well as the special edition.
Small investment, big impact – stylistically, emotionally or financially
Max Bill was a creative all-rounder inspired by the Bauhaus era. The Weimar art school – founded by Walter Gropius – gave rise to a design style that inspired at its debut, still captivates today and will probably never look dated. Among the most significant works of the award-winning Swiss designer are the dials that define the Junghans collection bearing his name. These so-called architect's watches are affordable compared with timepieces from popular luxury brands such as Rolex, Chopard, Breguet or Breitling.
The artist's birthday, the founding year of the Bauhaus school or milestones in watchmaking history: in the coming decades, many occasions may fuel the dream of owning an automatic watch in Bauhaus design. You can use these opportunities to sell the watch without a loss in value. But the chances are just as good that you won't want to part with this Black Forest design classic, which is and will remain a stylish statement on the wrist, regardless of the era. Can we guarantee watches that hold their value? No, of course not. But Uhrinstinkt gives you other guarantees with every watch – regarding authenticity and functionality, for example.
