FOiS: Pricing Predictions

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Annapolis

·May 27, 2021

Sort of a crystal ball question here, I guess. Like others, I find myself wishing I'd pulled the trigger on one of these a while ago. (As recently as a few weeks ago, they were selling for $3700 at trusted sellers; now you're hard-pressed to find them under $5250.)

Just wondering: is there any reason to think their prices will go down over the next couple years?---any precedent for that with other Speedy LE models, perhaps? Or are these presumably going to stay where they are or even appreciate? Wondering, for the sake of my FOiS FOMO, whether now is the time—too late, obviously, but better than what’s to come...

 

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texasmade

·May 27, 2021

I was thinking about selling mine about 6 months ago but never got around to doing anything with it. Now I'm glad I hung on to it. Give it another 6 months and it might go up another $2k.

 

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Annapolis

·May 27, 2021

texasmade

I was thinking about selling mine about 6 months ago but never got around to doing anything with it. Now I'm glad I hung on to it. Give it another 6 months and it might go up another $2k.

Just don't think about it. Just sell it to me now for that November price. Nobody else has to know... 😀

 

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nicolamilton

·May 28, 2021

I've never seen prices dropping with these models, but the opposite.
Today is your best choice if you desperately want one, but I wouldn't pay around 5500€ (as seen on Chrono24), as it isn't worth that price in my opinion.
But its recent discontinuation and similarity with the "Ed White", specially with a flat link bracelet (and swapping pro hands option) will only make prices increase.

Edited: May 28, 2021

 

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dstfno

·May 28, 2021

There's now a tendency in many markets to overinflate prices. Every reason is being used to overhype goods and ask premiums for them, hoping that some desperate soul will be prepared to pay it.

There have been more than enough FOIS watches produced to accommodate all demand that exists for these pieces. Yet, the fact that it has been discontinued will now be used to drive up the price. Expect many ads offering these watches at solid markups, but with few interested buyers.

 

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Annapolis

·May 28, 2021

With a bit of persistence and some awareness of where to look (beyond the big resellers, grays and C24), I’m beginning to see the truth of what you just said. The $5000+ folks are mostly sitting on their watches (holding their collective breath for a supermotivated buyer with money to burn), and the sellers who actually want to move their watches are listing theirs for closer to $4200. —Which is still nuts for a steel watch on a leather strap from a company that probably produces half a million watches per year. —But we’re all tired of that point.

 

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STANDY

·May 28, 2021·schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector

I can’t see it trading like a LE as they made so many.
It’s just enjoying the discontinued bump at the moment.

Cant see it going up like a LE but can’t see it going down from $4200

 

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Bp1000

·May 28, 2021

Marginal gains at best.

The A11 still doesn’t move that quickly and it’s only 20% above list.

I think the listings are the same as the Tudor chrono guys who are just seeing if they get bites. It’s an artificially inflated market.

 

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gbesq

·May 28, 2021

Bp1000

Marginal gains at best.

The A11 still doesn’t move that quickly and it’s only 20% above list.

I think the listings are the same as the Tudor chrono guys who are just seeing if they get bites. It’s an artificially inflated market.

Agreed. Some of the current asking prices are comparable to what some some vintage Speedmaster Professionals and Constellations are going for. The FOIS is a nice watch, but it's not that nice.

 

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Redwes25

·May 28, 2021

I would sell now if I owned one and was interested in selling. Wait a year or 2 if wanted to buy one.

 

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scapa

·May 28, 2021

STANDY

I can’t see it trading like a LE as they made so many.
It’s just enjoying the discontinued bump at the moment.

Cant see it going up like a LE but can’t see it going down from $4200[/QUOTE]

I think this is likely. It's a great piece, with all kinds of flexibility for strapping and even modding, and for whatever reason both of mine seem to exhibit better fit n' finish and accuracy than any of the Speedy Pros I owned and sold, although that is likely to be simple luck of the draw. Also, given the recent groundswell of love from the collecting community the FOIS seems like it's well en route to cementing its status as a beloved 1861 variant, especially since the EW321 is both difficult to source and many times more expensive. Yeah, they made more than 15,000 of 'em -- but OTOH, they only made 15,000 of 'em.

So, agree that they're not going to continue going up, but I think the floor is now the floor, especially given how strong the interest still seems to be across forums in these watches. Of course, if and when we see a 3861-based "EW-lite," the FOIS may lose some of its lustre -- until then it is likely to be a sought-after piece, at around MSRP.

Edited: May 28, 2021

 

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w@tcher

·May 28, 2021

Having in mind that the Tintin now costs about 14-16k euros in chrono24, i believe the Fois should cost at least 7-8k euros.

It's really beautiful and differs than any other Speedy.

Just my personal opinion ...

 

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Donn Chambers

·May 28, 2021

Certainly hope these predictions turn out. While I am happy with mine at the moment, I have flipped 3 Speedmasters in the past, so I can never say this one is a permanent member of the collection. Would be nice if I actually made money on a sale for once. 😀

 

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texasmade

·May 28, 2021

w@tcher

Having in mind that the Tintin now costs about 14-16k euros in chrono24, i believe the Fois should cost at least 7-8k euros.

I agree! The FOIS should at least be 7-8k euros so $10,000 USD. The sooner everyone realizes that the better.

 

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·May 28, 2021·schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector

w@tcher

Having in mind that the Tintin now costs about 14-16k euros in chrono24

Just my personal opinion ...

Priced on Chrono24 doesn’t mean sold for that price.
No one is getting or paying $15k US for a Tintin

 

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jjjones

·May 28, 2021

I feel that its strongest selling point is the alpha hands. No other speedy (contemporary) has these hands and I think this contributes to its desirability especially since its discontinued now.

 

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w@tcher

·May 29, 2021

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Priced on Chrono24 doesn’t mean sold for that price.
No one is getting or paying $15k US for a Tintin

I agree.

My point is that since a used Tintin costs 300% more than a used Fois, the Fois still seems cheap to me. It seems more special and different Speedy model in the pre-moon case with Alpha hands.

Edited: May 29, 2021