I found the post rather interesting and not too much cliché as I'd have expected before I read through.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...ll-dealers-shaping-the-vintage-watch-business

Bloomberg talking about the vintage watches, is it a good or a bad sign? What do you guys think?

 

I think for a lot of people, the idea of spending even say, a 1000 usd on a watch is beyond comprehension so, multiplying that by even 2 or 3 is not even a consideration for many people. If a non watch guy reads the Bloomberg article and starts looking at prices I think they might just read it out of curiosity and move on.
Those looking to invest might think it’s a good way of diversification. This is a bad thing for collectors as prices get pushed up for desirable models. Even in the past few years watches that were selling for the low thousands are now beyond the budget of many.
In short though,the article is out there already and the market will do what it will do no matter what you and I think. Personally, I hope prices remain sensible, it’s a boring hobby if you don t have actual vintage watches to wear and admire. ( What’s a post about vintage watches without a picture?)

 

Good news for investors, bad news for collectors and watch lovers. People who couldn't tell a watch from a coffee machine but with lots of money to invest pushing prices up and off reach from the guy who just wants to enjoy his hobby.

 

Related: https://omegaforums.net/threads/has...y-“jumped-the-shark”-with-this-article.84344/
Both good and bad I think. More interesting pieces will surface but I think honest finds will decrease, with more pieces ending up being dealer-prepped.
Kind of ironic when they mentioned Watchfinder they skipped out conspicuously on Watchrecon.

 

Great article and it further drives the point home that vintage watches is a minefield. When dealers are openly admitting to making multiple millions in revenue at some point someone is going to be stuck holding the bag.

Also when you have this amount of money at stake, you are bound to have some very unscrupulous dealers willing to do anything to a watch to make top dollar. Add to that the more mainstream this hobby goes, the higher the prices will go, until...pop!

 

I believe every collector and watch lover is also somehow happy to see his collection keeping the value or even increasing, in time. Isn't saying "bad news for collectors and watch lovers" kind of considering the situation from only one perspective?

I would agree with your statement if you were naming only the new collectors and watch lovers, entering the niche and willing to enjoy the hobby... Since the entry ticket to the "fancy and famous" pieces is getting very expensive, especially if you can't sell anything else to afford bying.

 

Yes, it is indeed. It is from my perspective, which is likely this:

Of course in theory you could be able to keep a balance between what you spend and what you get, regardless of the price level, but obviously the more expensive the goods (or the bigger the bubble) the more exclusive the market becomes (any market) , which obviously affects the average player's ability to keep on playing. Top (richer) players need not worry though.

 

Only great point (to me) of this article is the following quote :

"...the world’s supply of vintage watches is limited. These watches become older and rarer with each day..."

 

You'd like to get yourself something but hundreds or thousands of other collectors do the same. The prices increase because those who can afford keep paying the askings, even among collectors! It's the snake that bites its own tail. The whole thing gets stirred by medias featuring mostly same things again and again, increasing mass knowledge, mass interest and mass demand.

Maybe out of interest but I'd like to say that there's still A LOT to explore - at decent prices - in this vintage watches world. But yeah, that part of the hobby is not documented. There is no 'Moonwatch Only' available and, being afraid of potential noob taxes, the average investor/hobbyist will rather stick to (what he perceives to be) lower risk moves.

 

A price increase is only good if you ever plan to make an exit. Regardless if you like it or not it is expected. Great vintage watches are still too cheap.

 

Nah, who is actually reading or interested in Bloomberg?
That might as well be the guys and girls on the OF.

So far: nothing new therewith.....

 

It is a double edged sword because as prices go up it becomes harder to justify the outlay and galling that you did not buy more earlier on. On the other hand the fact that my watches have gone up in value means my wife does not object to me buying more since she foolishly thinks I know what I am doing

 

This has been happening for years with 'investment' in vintage guitars. Investors only go for what they are advised to go for at the high end. Then they never get played again. The market is good until it isnt, then you never get your return if you sell to a player. It's not what looks good it's what sounds good!! I could populate my house with diverse playable ones for the price of one so called investment - not that I don't desire one.
New into the vintage watch sphere, but I'm a wearer and a player.