Speedy inflation

Strangedream · Nov 13, 2019

I always loved nice watches and Speedies in particular. Only now I can finally afford to start a small collection on the cheaper side. The other day I was looking for a Cal. 321 Ref. 105.012 classic Moon watch and to my surprise the price of these skyrocketed over the last couple years. Other sought-after references are also much pricier now.

Why the surge in price now? Would this have anything to do about the emergence of smartwatches and how more people are turning to classic mechanical watches that pack a lot of history?

Wivac · Nov 13, 2019

Nothing more than 2.5 PSI or you risk the seals.

Bugbait · Nov 13, 2019

Proliferation of "keeping up with the Jones" due to the expanse of social media (i.e. Instagram) backed by the ever growing consumer credit bubble maybe?

Coupled with the recent 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

Yak1 · Nov 13, 2019

Strangedream
I always loved nice watches and Speedies in particular. Only now I can finally afford to start a small collection on the cheaper side. The other day I was looking for a Cal. 321 Ref. 105.012 classic Moon watch and to my surprise the price of these skyrocketed over the last couple years. Other sought-after references are also much pricier now.

Why the surge in price now? Would this have anything to do about the emergence of smartwatches and how more people are turning to classic mechanical watches that pack a lot of history?

that’s a great chart. I second cheap money, people with cash chasing potential “investments”, as well as a return to something more tangible. Personally I switched over to mechanical watches about 9 years ago because I got tired of having so many things to charge and have always been fascinated by mechanical watches. I started with a Tudor Pelagos, but eventually caught the vintage bug (seikos and omegas) thanks to a good friend.

STANDY · Nov 13, 2019

It’s all Fratello,s fault #speedytuesday

😁😁

Strangedream · Nov 13, 2019

Yak1
that’s a great chart. I second cheap money, people with cash chasing potential “investments”, as well as a return to something more tangible. Personally I switched over to mechanical watches about 9 years ago because I got tired of having so many things to charge and have always been fascinated by mechanical watches. I started with a Tudor Pelagos, but eventually caught the vintage bug (seikos and omegas) thanks to a good friend.

Makes sense, but cheap money has been around since the early 2010's. I don't intend to resell my watches unless I'm in a dire financial pickle so the way I see it it's definitely not an investment for me. I can relate to your experience, I recently ditched my Apple Watch for a Zenith El Primero. Wearing a mechanical watch gives me so much greater satisfaction than strapping a tiny computer to my wrist.

LeonDeBayonne · Nov 13, 2019

A few factors fueled the rise in prices: appetite for real assets as a hedge to zero rate policy, more buyers coming from Asia, new media (Instagram / FB), merchants' / auction houses' / brands' de-facto collusion to entertain the rise (front-running is tolerated in the real asset world). Watch collecting today has little to do with what it was 10 years ago. It's different and it has little to do with connected watches or whatever inventions.

STANDY · Nov 13, 2019

LeonDeBayonne
Watch collecting today has little to do with what it was 10 years ago.

Pretty much the same for me as it was 10 years ago.
I look for them, I buy them. ( not as many due to the prices )

There has been changes
A lot more pseudo dealers
A lot more buy to flip to fund their hobby
A lot more people that think watches are a investment
But there has always been the above three around even 10 years ago

Instagram, media and social media has Increased popularity and it’s the increased popularity which has meant more competition and this has lead to higher prices

many · Nov 13, 2019

It'd be interesting to see this graph overlayed against other watches. I suspect it's not just the Speedmaster that is spiking in value.

Eve · Nov 13, 2019

Strangedream
I always loved nice watches and Speedies in particular. Only now I can finally afford to start a small collection on the cheaper side. The other day I was looking for a Cal. 321 Ref. 105.012 classic Moon watch and to my surprise the price of these skyrocketed over the last couple years. Other sought-after references are also much pricier now.

Why the surge in price now? Would this have anything to do about the emergence of smartwatches and how more people are turning to classic mechanical watches that pack a lot of history?

I dont know how long this platform exists, but i find it interseting that up to the end of 2015 there is hardly any deviation from the mean/median value. So probably there were only few pieces listed for sell in the first place. And now the quality might play a big role, therefore the huge price variations.

Strangedream · Nov 13, 2019

many
It'd be interesting to see this graph overlayed against other watches. I suspect it's not just the Speedmaster that is spiking in value.

This trend is mostly noticeable for famous references like Nautilus 5711, or Royal Oak 14790ST. Less famous models are still hit by the inflation but not as much.

alam · Nov 13, 2019

Dennis's theory placed part of the blame on the many OCD lunatics chasing every variant of Speedmaster vintage models they could score..

😀

BlackTalon · Nov 13, 2019

Strangedream
I always loved nice watches and Speedies in particular...

Did you mislabel the initial graph? Shouldn't it be "Number of Speedmaster Limited Editions Introduced Each Year"?

Duckie · Nov 13, 2019

alam
Dennis's theory placed part of the blame on the many OCD lunatics chasing every variant of Speedmaster vintage models they could score..

😀

Surely it can't be a manifestation of OCD?

If so, then these OCD types would be sitting on the floor rocking back and forth in the corner of their bedrooms due to all the daily variances and inconsistencies in time keeping between the watches and the clock on their connected device.

tyrantlizardrex · Nov 13, 2019

Money laundering...

scv55 · Nov 13, 2019

It's pretty crazy...happy I bought mine some time ago!

dc_boffin · Nov 13, 2019

Bugbait
Proliferation of "keeping up with the Jones" due to the expanse of social media (i.e. Instagram) backed by the ever growing consumer credit bubble maybe?

Coupled with the recent 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

"Cheap" money over the past few years, a healthy (growing) economy, and the omnipresence of social media = price inflation. The same thing has happened to vintage cars, guitars, and tube stereos.

snunez · Nov 14, 2019

How are you making those plots? And where does the data come from? I can think of a few similar analysis I'd like to run.

alam · Nov 14, 2019

D Duckie
.... would be sitting on the floor rocking back and forth in the corner of their bedrooms due to all the daily variances and inconsistencies in time keeping between the watches and the clock on their connected device.

They don't have time for that - all energy is focused on ensuring the correct hands, bezel, pushers, dials, fonts are correct and original to each variant 😎

Fabrice M · Nov 24, 2019

Watches are never good investments.

Speedy inflation

Strangedream

Wivac

Bugbait

Yak1

STANDY

Strangedream

LeonDeBayonne

STANDY

many

Eve

Strangedream

alam

BlackTalon

Duckie

tyrantlizardrex

scv55

dc_boffin

snunez

alam

Fabrice M

Similar threads

Photo And Video Report: Speedy Tuesday Event In Hong Kong

Speedy Pro vs Reduced thickness?

Sign Up For The January 2026 Speedy Tuesday Event In Hong Kong

Sedna two-tone 3861 Speedy with Salmon Panda dial?

Speedy Tuesday or Ultraman ...

Is this normal? - Speedy 3869