I have been told that Rolex have shot up in value over the past couple of years.
Does the forum think that Omegas are a good investment and will only go up in time?

 

you might want to do a search, as there have been several threads with the same basic question over the last few months.

You cannot paint all Omegas with the same brush. The vast majority will not appreciate. Things like vintage Speedys, Seamasters and Connies can and do appreciate, but no one knows for how long.

If there were truly investments, the Wall Street types would have snapped them all all up and locked them away. So if you get a couple/ few that go up in value, be happy. but mainly just buy watches (vintage or new) that you like and will ear/ enjoy.

 

Watches are like cars for investments.... There are some blue chip watches and cars, like certain Rolex Subs and 57 chevies... Both markets are tied to whims of the investors and the global economy. If any of us could predict what will go up in price, we would be doing it (which we are not,) and 2 would not be telling anyone else.

Rolex 1531... 15 years ago was not worth that much money, 10 years ago they shot up to the $30k+ levels and are back to under 20k now.

That being said any new watch is going to loose value right off the bat like a new car, some watches tend to hold value better some do not. In general terms the more classically styled from top tier well known watch makers will hold value better in the long run. Less known names or non traditional looking watches tend to loose more value.

Keep in mind Rolex and Patek watches tend not to function price wise as other brands as both have large non watch collectors buying into the brands. A well purchased vintage submariner is about as close to a stable investment in a watch as you will be able to find. Even that does not guarantee that it will go up in the short or long term.

 

Well, not unless you got on that Skipper thing, the return on investment was pretty much....INSTANT!

 

Well, seeing that my collection went from Roelx to Omega heavy, with my Omega having had much greater increases in value compared to the Rolex, I think it is safe to say that Omega can be a strong investment.

The gains are all on paper of course, and could be erased in a swift change in the market.

Who knows, I think Omega has a lot of room left as many collectors are flocking to the fold.

 

I think in the last 6 months we have already seen major Omega appreciation. It seems like overnight some models have done some catching up. Limited edition Speedmasters and specific vintage models have been skyrocketing. Long term it is hard to say, but there is definitely still more room. I'm fearful of a market-wide bubble burst even though I know it is extremely unlikely. But how certain prices can sustain themselves is hard to fathom... (not specific to Omega)

 

LE's in high demand check back in 2 years...

 

It's always a bit of a punt, but I felt that certain vintage Rolex's (datejusts and gmts) were good value a couple of years ago. I regret not picking up a 5513 at that time too as prices have shot up about 20 to 30%. Omega is a bit different as they have so many models. I'd advice someone to stick to vintage tritium Speedmasters if you want to the best investment potential.

 

It also depends whether you pay full retail for them in the first place. I've just recently bought a 57 Speedmaster broad arrow from a U.K. retailer and it was as new and still had the box and papers, protective wrapping etc on the front, back and bracelet. It came from an AD in Italy and still had the price tag on it - €7,400 which converts to over £6.5k ! Only difference was that just over two months of the warranty had already expired but it still has 3 years 10 months left. Had I have bought it from a boutique or AD I would have paid £6k for it and it would now effectively be secondhand. I doubt very much whether it will ever increase in price but if I had to sell it, buying it the way I did, I saved £1,250 on the retail price so at the very least, that's £1,250 that I'm never going to lose and I'm 20% up already!

 

Every time I look at my wrist, the 'return' hits me in the back of my eye-sockets...so in a sense, yes, better than money IMHO. But if you are asking 'can I make money with them' well nobody can predict the future with any guarantees.

 

Watches, like cars, are a TERRIBLE investment. Collect them because you like them. When you sell them rest assured they will have some cash value. Some might increase, some might decrease. If you cant swing the crazy price of admission into the red hot categories then there are plenty of other ponds to fish in in. As said, there is a lot of good reading on this topic here. Speaking personally, thinking about this hobby as an investment is a major downer. Do your research,set your budgets, pick your targets and start casting.

 

Classic cars are the strongest long term investment, on the Market……fact proven …( I own a '67 Series 1.5, Jaguar E type, 4.2 l, 2+2, in Old English White, red leather interior )

The second strongest investment is classic vintage watches………but not all, and not consistently……it is a calculated lottery

Heeding Larry S's advice ……buy what you like……spend what you can afford……and roll the dice,… as to whether you generate a return………but frankly don't worry about it !…enjoy the ownership

Good luck

 

No.

 

If you stick to the Iconic models (Submariners, GMTs, Speedmasters) then your money is pretty safe and history shows that they only go up in value. The earlier models are the most valuable, the further away you get from the original design the less desirable the watches become to collectors.

 

No... certain models over certain periods yes. tell the Austin Healy guys it was a good investment now when they bought 10 years ago.... or hemi cudas 8 years ago.. 65 mustang 15 years ago... the over priced non original Vw vans 5 years ago. Like watches tied to collector whims and the global markets.

 

I agree, more or less, with this.

As an over-arching statement, if mechanical watches remain a hobby as popular as it is now, even with no growth, certain rare desirable watches will continue to appreciate.

Why? Because, as of right now, you can't produce more 1563 Pateks, 2915 Speedmasters, J-C Killy Rolex or Newman dial Daytonas. Furthermore, as they break down (as mechanicals items do), are damaged or lost, the supply of good examples (and original parts) will continue to diminish, making the ever lessening number of great examples ever more rare. You often hear "condition, condition, condition" as a mantra on this board and it's likely to become truer.

This has been seen in the car market - the most diserable models in the best and most original condition have steadily increased in value because you can't replicate true originality and condition.

There are changing fashions - some brands and models come in and out of favour, but certain brands and models have, essentially, always been in favour (Ferrari, Bugatti.... Rolex, Patek... 911s and Speedmasters). As a rule, the best and most consistent gains have happened at the top of the market (brand power crossed with rarity), with negative or disparate gains most other places.

The only threat to this is technology - if 3D printing or some other technology allows us to perfectly replicate the look and feel of original pieces, than the gig is up for vintage watches.

Will this happen - probably. When? Who knows, but my uneducated guess is not all that soon...

 

Purchased retail new Omegas have been a very poor investment with the exception of a handful Speedmaster LEs. As others have mentioned, purchasing pre-owned will reduce some of the dramatic initial depreciation.

 

Some watches appreciate very well for some time periods. Others appreciate until they reach a plateau and then just stay there. Others never go up at all, or drop gradually. If you get a nice example, the best you can say is it will probably always have some value even if the country's economy goes to hell.

Meantime, if you're thinking of them as an investment, you'll be paying for servicing, shipping, currency exchanges. If you add those up throughout the life of the investment you might not be happy with the results. If you're primarily interested in an investment, consult a financial advisor who you pay through fees (not commission).

But if you love the chase, learn all about a few watch references, learn them so well you can tell what to grab at an estate sale, what's real and what's not, what are original parts, what are service replacements, and what are incorrect replacements. Also the market for good replacement parts - which are cheap, which are expensive, and which are unobtainable. Stick to the models you know well. See if you can find a good watchmaker who doesn't charge a whole lot (good luck), or learn watchmaking yourself. No guarantees you'll make money, but at least it should be fun.

 

If you are patient, and buy the right watches, I think you might be able to make a little money. I think watches owned by historical figures or astronauts would be considered a decent investment. Better than Beanie Babies, worse than stocks.