Can you make money investing in watches?

[JohnDe]

The guy who sold it probably bought a smart watch that traced where he had been and at what depth so he could post on Strava.

Mechanical watches are now jewellery and subject to fashion. Telling the time is incidental unless you are in the Melbourne Club where phones and any modem technology is disallowed. (According to the paper (Age) I read today).

Maybe, but the condition of the watch indicates that it was more a dress watch. I doubt that it went any deeper than the local resort pool

Serious divers use these -

Not the nicest thing to wear around to dinner.

Professionals use

Which is my preferred when diving.

 

[JohnDe]

The guy who sold it probably bought a smart watch that traced where he had been and at what depth so he could post on Strava.

Mechanical watches are now jewellery and subject to fashion. Telling the time is incidental unless you are in the Melbourne Club where phones and any modem technology is disallowed. (According to the paper (Age) I read today).

This is the condition of a watch that I have been using for recreational purposes, swimming, camping etc. And that’s the second glass since new.

Love this watch, a gift from my wife about 25 years ago. No battery, no winding, and it can sit in the draw for months without losing time. Just give it a few shakes to recharge and the dials rotate for each day from when it stopped, until it gets to t correct time.

And being a Seiko, the cost of servicing and part’s is very economical. I’m taking this in for a full service next month.

With my desk light directly overhead

Outside light is less harsh and doesn’t show the scratches as much.

 

[JohnDe]

Chinese manufacturers believe that there is money in watches, their replicas are so good they can fool many new collectors.

 

[Knobby22]

This is the new competition. I know a cyclist and two rowers with these.

Garmin Enduro™ 3 | Ultraperformance GPS Smartwatch

Garmin Enduro 3 is an ultraperformance GPS smartwatch with up to 320 hours of GPS battery life with solar charging, lightweight design, and enhanced map navigation.

www.garmin.com

Garmin Forerunner® 965 | Premium Running Watch

Forerunner® 965 is a running smartwatch with a touchscreen AMOLED display, training metrics, phone-free music, & up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

www.garmin.com

They do heart rate monitoring so they can train at the optimum level. i think I chose the right watches but there is a range.

 

[JohnDe]

 

[JohnDe]

This is the new competition. I know a cyclist and two rowers with these.

Garmin Enduro™ 3 | Ultraperformance GPS Smartwatch

Garmin Enduro 3 is an ultraperformance GPS smartwatch with up to 320 hours of GPS battery life with solar charging, lightweight design, and enhanced map navigation.

www.garmin.com

Garmin Forerunner® 965 | Premium Running Watch

Forerunner® 965 is a running smartwatch with a touchscreen AMOLED display, training metrics, phone-free music, & up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

www.garmin.com

They do heart rate monitoring so they can train at the optimum level. i think I chose the right watches but there is a range.

I'm thinking of buying my son a Casio G-Shock for his next birthday, he's a landscaper and is hard on his watches.

it will never be a collectable, but I think that the watch as a collectable/investment is something that the people in the know will continue with for a very long time.

"Watches of the mechanical and high-end variety started to mean something different to buyers where the concept of utility is there, yet it is no longer the main-driving force for a purchase. A mechanical watch now is removed from the fast-moving world of disposable electronics that are chasing after the next technological improvement, where there’s a short life cycle of obsolescence given the moving target that comes with continuous innovation."​

"Divergence from the original path as tools assisted watches to rather become collectable pieces of art design self-expression and status that delivered a message that smart watches could not fulfill."​

​

 

[Knobby22]

I'm thinking of buying my son a Casio G-Shock for his next birthday, he's a landscaper and is hard on his watches.

it will never be a collectable, but I think that the watch as a collectable/investment is something that the people in the know will continue with for a very long time.

"Watches of the mechanical and high-end variety started to mean something different to buyers where the concept of utility is there, yet it is no longer the main-driving force for a purchase. A mechanical watch now is removed from the fast-moving world of disposable electronics that are chasing after the next technological improvement, where there’s a short life cycle of obsolescence given the moving target that comes with continuous innovation."​

​

I helped my Son buy the Gamin 965 for his 21st birthday in September.
He is a rower and they nearly all have one in that sporting age group.

He is having a big rowing test today to see whether he can get considered for the Victorian squad.
It's a big deal but he woke up with a cold so I am worried.

 

[JohnDe]

Mechanical watches hold a significant premium over quartz watches, mostly due to the romanticism of gears and wheels. I can understand that, I like mechanical things, and I also like the idea of not having to change a battery every few years. However, nothing beats the accuracy of a quartz watch.

Are quartz watches starting to become collectables?

 

[moXJO]

This is the new competition. I know a cyclist and two rowers with these.

Garmin Enduro™ 3 | Ultraperformance GPS Smartwatch

Garmin Enduro 3 is an ultraperformance GPS smartwatch with up to 320 hours of GPS battery life with solar charging, lightweight design, and enhanced map navigation.

www.garmin.com

Garmin Forerunner® 965 | Premium Running Watch

Forerunner® 965 is a running smartwatch with a touchscreen AMOLED display, training metrics, phone-free music, & up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

www.garmin.com

They do heart rate monitoring so they can train at the optimum level. i think I chose the right watches but there is a range.

I use a garment forerunner. Great watch also have the polar range. Accidentally hit the garment with a hammer, metal, brick, backhanded a guys head multiple times with it and its held up great. Very solid.
Can tap and pay as well.

 

[moXJO]

View attachment 191750

Similar thing happened in the Australian coin market years ago. A company was guaranteeing overvalued % returns. It looked like a bit of a ponzi scheme at the time, I think people were buying in super funds.
Anyway the whole thing collapsed in a heap. I doubt majority of those people got close to what they brought at 20 ish years later.

 

[qldfrog]

Just want to add my 20c:
My father,based in Europe asked me about my thinking about a rolex....
I wear no watch usually, have a nice Maserati for show used for weddings funerals..
Why a rolex for someone not in watches..because you can buy a rolex in Europe, visit Australia and leave it to your son without incurring gift taxes/death duty taxes which i think are in the 50/60% marginal rate
So as long as i can sell it back for more than half the euro price, we all win....
That might explain these marketplace offers for euro, india wealth transfer

 

[sptrawler]

Just want to add my 20c:
My father,based in Europe asked me about my thinking about a rolex....
I wear no watch usually, have a nice Maserati for show used for weddings funerals..
Why a rolex for someone not in watches..because you can buy a rolex in Europe, visit Australia and leave it to your son without incurring gift taxes/death duty taxes which i think are in the 50/60% marginal rate
So as long as i can sell it back for more than half the euro price, we all win....
That might explain these marketplace offers for euro, india wealth transfer

I picked up a 1970's Rolex about 10 years ago for $2,800 from memory, I was going to move it on because the face was a bit small for me, but the wife grabbed it.

The watch keeps really good time, gains about 5 minutes a month, she loves it so happy wife happy life, as they say.

A quick check to see if a Rolex is genuine, the serial number is between the watch band posts, it is hard to see but should be there.

This is my favourite watch, a Zenith Elite with the El Primero movement, i picked it up new on a cruise when the company was getting out of top end watch sales.

Rolex serial number location.

 

[JohnDe]

I picked up a bit of Indian history for pocket change yesterday.

No real value, but it is an interesting piece from the 1980's and it works perfectly.

• Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) was established in 1953 as a public sector enterprise, with the goal of boosting India's manufacturing capacity, under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
  
  
• In 1961, HMT, in collaboration with Citizen Watch Company of Japan, set up India's first wristwatch manufacturing enterprise in Bangalore.
  

Why are HMT watches underrated outside of India? | IN-DEPTH

From Citizen roots to shutting down, HMT watches still offer plenty of value - but getting one is a different story.

timeandtidewatches.com

 

[sptrawler]

Yes there are some real bargains if you keep your eyes open.
I picked up an Elgin 761 it has 27 jewels, it was the last U.S made mechanical wristwatch, from the late 1960's, cost me $80 and keeps great time.
My wife uses it when we travel, she leaves the Rolex, locked away at home.
I want to get her a quartz watch for travelling, but she likes the mechanical ones. Lol

 

[JohnDe]

Yes there are some real bargains if you keep your eyes open.
I picked up an Elgin 761 it has 27 jewels, it was the last U.S made mechanical wristwatch, from the late 1960's, cost me $80 and keeps great time.
My wife uses it when we travel, she leaves the Rolex, locked away at home.
I want to get her a quartz watch for travelling, but she likes the mechanical ones. Lol

I love the mechanical for their design, history and complexity of movements, I’m a romantic at heart. However, my OCD takes over and I can’t help but be drawn to quartz movements for the accuracy.

My 25 year old Seiko Kinetic (a Christmas gift from my wife) has been through the wars with me and is still more accurate than my Omega Speedmaster. The most accurate watch I have is a Certina DS quartz, followed by my Omega Quartz that my grandfather gave to me for my .

I’m contemplating purchasing a new Seiko Astron GOS solar, which is accurate to 1 second per 100,000 years.

 

[sptrawler]

I love the mechanical for their design, history and complexity of movements, I’m a romantic at heart. However, my OCD takes over and I can’t help but be drawn to quartz movements for the accuracy.

My 25 year old Seiko Kinetic (a Christmas gift from my wife) has been through the wars with me and is still more accurate than my Omega Speedmaster. The most accurate watch I have is a Certina DS quartz, followed by my Omega Quartz that my grandfather gave to me for my .

I’m contemplating purchasing a new Seiko Astron GOS solar, which is accurate to 1 second per 100,000 years.

I bought one of the very early Seiko kinetics, as I have a soft spot for them, my wife also bought me a Seiko Auto for my 21st birthday in 1976 I still have it, the kinetic however I found disappointing it may just have been a bad one.

I also have a Speedmaster Broad Arrow, I bought new in 1999, but don't wear it often due to the low reserve power and acrylic glass, but I do love it.

With quartz watches, I've found the Citizen eco drive my favorite electronic goto watch, reliable, great capacitor/battery charge retention and terrific lifespan.
I gave all the kids one and they last for years withoit needing battery replacement.

 

[JohnDe]

Just want to add my 20c:
My father,based in Europe asked me about my thinking about a rolex....
I wear no watch usually, have a nice Maserati for show used for weddings funerals..
Why a rolex for someone not in watches..because you can buy a rolex in Europe, visit Australia and leave it to your son without incurring gift taxes/death duty taxes which i think are in the 50/60% marginal rate
So as long as i can sell it back for more than half the euro price, we all win....
That might explain these marketplace offers for euro, india wealth transfer

That is an excellent idea. And the right model Rolex that is looked after and in mint condition can sell for the price of a nice car. Besides that, a watch from a grandparent is special and will probably become a family heirloom. And best of all, if ever in serious financial stress, the watch can be sold to save the family.

 

[basilio]

I'm thinking of buying my son a Casio G-Shock for his next birthday, he's a landscaper and is hard on his watches.

it will never be a collectable, but I think that the watch as a collectable/investment is something that the people in the know will continue with for a very long time.

"Watches of the mechanical and high-end variety started to mean something different to buyers where the concept of utility is there, yet it is no longer the main-driving force for a purchase. A mechanical watch now is removed from the fast-moving world of disposable electronics that are chasing after the next technological improvement, where there’s a short life cycle of obsolescence given the moving target that comes with continuous innovation."​

"Divergence from the original path as tools assisted watches to rather become collectable pieces of art design self-expression and status that delivered a message that smart watches could not fulfill."​

​

Excellent overview of why high end watches became so expensive in the collectors market - and then collapsed when it became clear there weren't enough investors to keep pushing the price up.

Theses watches are certainly works of art and mechanical magic. Turning them into "investables" ?

 

[moXJO]

I hate you guys. I have a collecting compulsion and now I want to buy watches.

 

[JohnDe]

Excellent overview of why high end watches became so expensive in the collectors market - and then collapsed when it became clear there weren't enough investors to keep pushing the price up.

Theses watches are certainly works of art and mechanical magic. Turning them into "investables" ?

Yes, I know what you mean. And like anything, some people can and some can't.

I'm in the category of can't. I don't know how to pick a watch as an investment. The people that can are usually the ones with an eye for it and knowledge of present and future collectables. I have recently met people that have been making a good living from horology, and they prefer to be called enthusiast rather than collectors.

My watch collection started from gifts given to me from family. My love of watches started when I was a child, and I would hold my fathers and grandfathers watches to my ear to listen to the distinctive ticking.

Only recently did I start looking seriously into collecting watches, special to me. The investment idea was only a side thought, I'm always learning. As mentioned, I don't have the skill to make money from buying and selling watches, but I won't shut that door in case an opportunity comes along.

I currently own 8 watches, and my wife has two of her own.

I’m trying to work out what model this watch is. It was given to me by my father for my 18th, and it was stolen a year or two ago later. It is of sentimental value for me. I have gone through all my old photos looking for a photo, but they are taken at a distance. From memory, it was either a Citizen or Seiko, definitely a quartz, manufactured about 1983, 1984 or 1985. I have searched eBay, marketplace, Etsy, and any other sites I can find. No luck yet.

The Omega on the left, I purchased with a small lottery win about 2003-4. The Omega on this right, a 21st birthday gift from my grandparents in 1988.

I’ve become accustomed to wearing a watch all the time, and having the date is important for my work. The Seiko, on the right, was a gift from my wife in 2000, it’s been with me for most of our adventures; swimming, diving, hiking and biking. It still works flawlessly, but I want to get it serviced so that it works for another 25 years. I don’t know how long I will be without it. So, I purchased a cheap new Citizen NH8350-59L online for $190 and then used my collection of newly acquired watch tools to adjust the band size for my wrist. I’m wearing it at work now, first full day on.

This is my first secondhand watch purchase, only a few months ago. A few hundred dollars, it is in near perfect condition and keeps time to within 1 second per month. An eBay purchase.

I purchased this for my wife, about 25 years ago. Last month I purchased some watch repair tools and replaced the battery myself. It had been in her drawer unused for about 10 years, mainly because I purchased another for her. A Seiko Pressage Cocktail Time, and she wears it all the time.

I had one of these watches in the early 80’s, all silver, lasted about 2 years and fell apart due to all the rough housing about during school lunch breaks. I purchased this one when the TV series 'Stranger Things' came out. It’s only been on my wrist for a few minutes, it’s still got the plastic on it and back inside it’s special case.

And this is my latest secondhand watch purchase. Found on Facebook marketplace, paid with pocket change. And the reason? I like the look and the history, and it was dirt cheap. It is now a talking point at home.

None of my watches are worth a fortune, but some do have value, and some have gone up in value but I would never sell those. The only reason I will sell, is if my collection gets too big and I want to make room for another watch that spikes my interest.

I will limit myself to 12 watches, I have two in mind at the moment; a replacement for the watch my dad gave me, and a Seiko Astron GPS. I’m in no rush.