The Truth About Luxury Watch Resale Value: Which Models Actually Hold Their Worth?
When you are dropping tens of thousands of dollars on a luxury timepiece, it is natural to wonder how well your investment will hold its value. But before we dive into the numbers, the experts at Gamzo & Co. have one golden rule: buy what you like. You are the one wearing it, so use this resale data to inform your decisions, but don't let it entirely dictate your taste.
If you are curious about which watches are the most liquid and which ones will have dealers offering you under market value, here is the ultimate ranking of how watches actually perform on the secondary market.
The Heavy Hitters: High Value & Fast Movers
If you want a watch that a dealer will buy from you at a price very close to the market value, you need to stick to the most popular models. Dealers pay top dollar for these because they sell dozens of them every single week.
- The Submariner Family: The Submariner Hulk, Submariner Date, and the two-tone Submariner are incredibly safe bets.
- The Hype GMTs & Daytonas: The Bruce Wayne GMT (specifically on a Jubilee bracelet) and the highly coveted Panda Daytona are quick sellers.
- The Tiffany Daytona: Gamzo & Co. notes they are currently selling these for $94,500. Because they are selling "like hot cakes," dealers will pay you very close to market price for them.
The Slower Movers: Prepare to Take a Slight Hit
When you move away from the massive hype pieces, dealers will pay you a little less. Why? Because instead of selling dozens a week, they might only sell a few a month.
- Less Popular Rolexes: Watches like a smooth bezel Oyster or a white gold 42mm Yacht-Master fall into this category.
- Stealth Wealth Pieces: A prime example is the white gold Rolex with a blue dial. It looks just like a stainless steel Pepsi, but it is a $30,000+ watch. Because it is a niche luxury piece, it takes longer to move.
The Ladies' Market
The reality of the secondary watch market is that 90% of the watches sold by dealers are men's Rolexes. If you are buying a Ladies Datejust, expect that you might lose a little bit of money — usually plus or minus $2,000. However, as the old saying goes: happy wife, happy life. If the market goes up, great, but if it dips slightly, it's not a major financial blow.
Beyond Rolex: Patek Philippe & Audemars Piguet
What happens when you step outside the Rolex catalog? You have to be careful.
- Audemars Piguet (AP): Even for one of their most popular models — the black chronograph on stainless steel — dealers have to buy it for a few thousand dollars under market value because it doesn't move as fast as a Rolex. Offshores fare even worse, with many selling for under retail.
- Patek Philippe: If you aren't buying an Aquanaut or a Nautilus (which both do great on the resale market), expect a steeper drop. For other Patek models, dealers might offer you about $5,000 under market price simply because it can take them several months to find a buyer.
The Bottom Line
Not every watch is a financial home run. Gamzo & Co. notes that some $7,000 watches go for under retail brand new right out of the gate — if you try to sell one with its box and papers, a dealer might offer you under $5,000.
Do your research, know what tier your dream watch falls into, but at the end of the day — buy the watch you actually want to look at on your wrist!
