Fast fashion and Tiktok trends rule today. You get something new, and before months have passed you feel totally dated. But luxury watches don’t play by that same rulebook.
I remember my dad showing me his 1970s Omega when I was a child. More than half a century later, it’s still as stylish as it was when he bought it. Some things last beyond fleeting fashions. A carefully chosen watch won’t just stand the test of time and changing fashion trends, but gets even more desirable with age.
The watch market has been transformed beyond all recognition over the last couple of decades. Websites like Chrono24 have made it easy to acquire timepieces that were previously only available via specialist retailers and auction houses. You can browse collections from around the world, shop around at various price ranges, and have the watch of your dreams delivered directly to your doorstep.
The Economics Make Sense
Other fashion accessories lose their value, but luxury watches increase in value over time. The reasoning is straightforward enough.
Traditional fashion brands produce massive quantities to meet seasonal need. Luxury watchmakers do the opposite. Rolex, for instance, makes consciously limited amounts. They can make more watches easily, but they choose not to. When demand is continuously greater than supply, prices rise.
Consider the key features of the Rolex Sea-Dweller .This is not just a beautiful watch – it was designed for commercial deep-sea divers, so it has to endure harsh environments where equipment failure could be deadly. That level of engineering precision is highly sought after by collectors, even if they never swim deeper than the bottom of a swimming pool.
You can easily see the increasing value of vintage watches just by browsing second-hand marketplaces. Designs that cost £5,000 new five years ago are selling second-hand for considerably more today. It’s not guaranteed, but you’ll see the pattern repeating again and again for the most popular watch models.
Craftsmanship Worth The Money
The process of creating these timepieces is incredible when you take a closer look. Master craftsmen spend hours working on pieces smaller than a finger tip, finishing surfaces that most owners won’t even see.
Today’s luxury watches contain hundreds of individual components. Each component is crafted to tolerances that would amaze aerospace engineers. The bridges are hand-surfaced, the wheels are individually balanced, and each spring is dimensioned to precise specifications. Each timepiece is made with obsessive attention to detail.
This perfectionism causes these watches to not only survive a few years but to live on for decades and become family treasures. My colleague inherited his grandfather’s Submariner from the 1960s. Apart from regular servicing, it’s stayed in mint condition for several generations. Talk about value for money!
More Than Just Timekeeping
Wearing a quality watch influences the manner in which you move through the world. It’s almost imperceptible – nothing flashy or showy. But people do take notice. Consciously or unconsciously, they feel like you’ve spent money on something worthwhile.
The versatility is impressive too. A good watch does just as well in the boardroom presentation as it does when worn with a casual weekend outfit. It’s not going to rival anything because it’s not going to say anything except quality and reliability.
There is also something undeniably appealing about looking down at your wrist instead of pulling out your phone. In today’s more digital way of life, that little bit of independence is almost revolutionary.
Buying Into Heritage
The top watch brands didn’t get where they are overnight. They earned their reputations over decades of reliable performance in stressful conditions. Rolex became the synonym for success because their watches still functioned when all else did not.
The world’s most famous watch brands have kept going through world wars, several economic downturns, and thousands of fashion trends. They’re still around because they’re built on the concept that genuine quality never goes out of style.
When you buy from brands with that kind of history, you’re making an investment in a legacy that has been built over generations.
The Investment Case
Fashion trends accelerate ever faster now. Social media ensures that today’s trend becomes tomorrow’s old news. But luxury watches are beyond that game.
The money argument stands. Quality goods from solid manufacturers always hold their value over the course of decades. But you’re buying more than something that can be traded in for cash, and rather investing in a piece of art that represents the best of human ingenuity.
Because at the end of the day, buying a luxury watch isn’t really about telling time. It’s about choosing to own something uncommon – something that represents precision, heritage, and unwavering quality. Something that will remain timeless once the rest of your wardrobe has been replaced.