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Trilogy watches or vintage, what's a better investment?

  1. Don Bocadillo Mar 23, 2017

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    Hi all, naturally I'm getting swept up buy the trilogy excitement and have the local Omega boutique on speed dial. Now is the time for a thoughtful pause to consider my options. I was thinking about getting a speedy and a seamaster but after chatting to a few fellow affecionados I'm considering holding off and saving my cash for vintage purchases. What's your feeling on the trilogy watches vs. vintage vis a vis best investment and enjoyment value?
     
    blacktiger likes this.
  2. Horologyhusky Mar 23, 2017

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    vintage of course...
     
    sensui, oddboy, ock2915 and 2 others like this.
  3. Don Bocadillo Mar 23, 2017

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    Would the general consensus be that the trilogy watches will be available for less than retail in the near future?
     
  4. Vulffi Mar 23, 2017

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    Vintage :)
     
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  5. Horologyhusky Mar 23, 2017

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    More than 4k pieces + higher RRP than silver snoopy. I believe it will fall below RRP. But who knows, when it comes to "vintage" people tend to pay a lot.
     
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  6. Don Bocadillo Mar 23, 2017

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    Well the good news is I got the mrs. All into the trilogy and now deflected her attention to vintage so shouldn't get any grief when I make my next purchase :cool:
     
  7. alfanator Mar 23, 2017

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    I think that the 2915T (tribute) will hold its value, and even appreciate over time. The delta between a vintage one and the tribute is vast. And even if you want to afford a vintage 2915, it is still hard to source.

    As for the SM and RM, the delta between tribute and vintage is not that great. I suspect that the tributes will force some downward pressure on the vintage SM and RM prices as demand falls.

    Good investments? Get some BERK, Amazon, Apple, Google, Tencent and Facebook.

    I am just glad that this hobby involves enjoying things that generally hold their value, and sometimes appreciate.
     
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  8. Taddyangle Convicted Invicta Wearer Mar 23, 2017

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    Very rare for a modern watch to hold its value. So rare. I'd bet red in Vegas before I'd bet on any modern watch to hold its value.

    For me it's a balance between modern and vintage. I don't buy as an investment, but I do buy knowing historically I sell/flip 50% of my watches. With that said, I have never sold a Speedmaster and all of my Speedmasters are worth more than purchase price. With the exception of the new one I purchased at the OB.

    So after writing this out, I think I will only buy vintage Speedmasters moving forward.

    I wish I would have figured this out 4 years ago.
     
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  9. Spy You know my name. Mar 23, 2017

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    Is not BERK a little too high to invest in right now, or has the stock split? It was over $128K the last time I checked. Tencent? Oh yes!
     
  10. Spy You know my name. Mar 23, 2017

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    My 2254 has held its value and exceeded it. But as others have said, watches are a good investment for YOU. If you want to invest for a monetary return, select another hobby.
     
    josephgsy likes this.
  11. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Mar 23, 2017

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    Like buying a boat, like @Trev did. They're great investments. :coffee:
     
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  12. Davidt Mar 23, 2017

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    I hate these kinds of threads.

    Don't concern yourself with investment value.

    Buy the watch(es) you like.

    If they appreciate over time and you decide to sell, awesome. Just don't bother second guessing it and dont bank on it. Assume you'll lose around 50% on everything you buy and anything better is a bonus.
     
  13. Don Bocadillo Mar 23, 2017

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    To quantify 'investment' I think in this case breaking even would be the goal anything else would be a bonus...
     
  14. Spy You know my name. Mar 23, 2017

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    A while ago I was reading a RobbReport story about yacht's and it brought out that 20% of the cost of the ship is spent on annual upkeep and dockage.

    Roman Abramovich must spend the GPA of a country for his. He has a yacht collection that numbers some of our watch collections.
     
  15. Don Bocadillo Mar 23, 2017

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    Being reasonably new to the watch game it's great to get an understanding of the dyanamics of the market. It's not all too different from the vintage high end audio market that is another longstanding hobby of mine where indeed vintage bought well outperforms new drastically. My goal with these hobbys is where possible not to lose money, granted there's something to be said for the convenience of buying a brand new tube amplifier with a fulll factory warranty that loses 20% of its value when you leave the store over a vintage unit that needs expensive maintenance but accrues in value.....
     
    Edited Mar 23, 2017
  16. OMGRLX a RolexBear in disguise Mar 23, 2017

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    Couple of decades from now the Trilogy will be vintage. ;)
    Personally, almost always, I'd go vintage. But, that's just me.
     
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  17. Davidt Mar 23, 2017

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    Vintage should be a better investment, but what if the arse falls out of the vintage watch market/bubble (delete depending on your point of view) and your left with a Speedy you paid 20k for which is now selling at 12k?

    Unlikely but certainly possible.

    Buying vintage or modern, assuming or needing to break even is a mistake IMO. For most this is a hobby and I wouldn't like to have that niggling issue in the back of my mind that if the market drops it might cause me a problem.
     
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  18. demchocholips Mar 23, 2017

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    It's hard to compare vintage to modern from the investment perspective. So much of a vintage watch's value is dependent on condition and originality. Even if you put in a reasonable amount of due diligence, these things are rarely guaranteed before the purchase. There's certainly a bit of risk with investing in vintage watches.
     
  19. gemini4 Hoarder Of Speed et alia Mar 23, 2017

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    I'll go with Trilogy
    2913, 2914, 2915 :D
     
  20. 2nastie Mar 23, 2017

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    Real deal or recreation/re-issueof the watch... I'll go with the real deal any day of the week for an "investment."

    At prices these will retail for at MSRP, you can get a decent vintage speedy and half decent example with a 321 movement.

    Vintage is always better, imo.
     
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