Not sure if this should be in modern or vintage but I came across an old price list this afternoon from Dec 2001. It may surprise one or two of you how far the prices for some of the big sellers have crept up in the intervening years. A brand new Bond SMP full size Auto for £1050 anyone? Or perhaps a 3570.50 Speedy for £1375? I would for sure. Bear in mind that these prices include UK VAT at 20% and as such discounts of 15-25% were routinely available on these prices in places like Singapore or Hong Kong back then...
Talk about inflation... well, let's see what happens now when the luxury watch market collapses under the weight of reduced demand and a glut of stock surplus from overproduction.
Ex-VAT and in Swiss Franc terms the price has only risen 1% per year. Swiss Franc in Dec 2001 averaged 2.388 per GBP, now the pound sterling only buys CHF1.21.
That a fact? Interesting, puts the jump into perspective, though until last December it was more like like 1.55:1 so I think the jump is probably a few % more per year than that over the time frame you suggest when you take the recent fluctuations out of the equation. Most of the Swiss stuff is still priced in GBP at pre Brexit levels and there will be no doubt changes at some point, Rolex having already jumped after all with a 10% correction, it doesn't really make sense to have a market 20% cheaper than its neighbours. Nevertheless you make a valid point which I had overlooked which is that a strong Swiss Franc does make Omegas seem more expensive even if the company aren't gouging (as much as I thought at least)
I have spotted a flaw with the currency exchange argument. The rate may have indeed have been 2.5:1 when the price list was issued in 2001 but it was 1.5:1 all the way from late 2008 when a SMP cost £1300 until last December so there is no obvious currency relate excuse for the price to have doubled by 2015 really is there? That is more like a 20%pa increase give or take over the 7 years (simple without compounding).