wantone:

I don't really get it to whom you will sell a Rolex 20 years from now and make money (on the hugely inflated list price you are buying it today). There is a used Rolex shop in London (Royal Exchange). Most watches they have there are really worn out cosmetically. I would never pay any money for these old watches, never put it on my wrist. Buying a Rolex today at a decent price (after a discount) makes sense if you want to wear a posh watch but it will depreciate and I am ok with that. It is like buying luxury/expensive clothes. You feel nice on them for a few years. Then you throw them away and buy new...

You should have seen the used Rolex watches sold in some stores in Las Vegas. I went there only out of curiosity. Pretty old models, mostly stainless steel but also a few full gold models. 

The only used watches I would buy are newer models. Example: I wanted an AP ROO in gold (pretty much similar to the ROO Carbon I am wearing now but with a gold case instead of carbon). My jeweler couldn't get me one but MSRP is 46300 EUR. I could get this watch, brand-new, for 36000 EUR. Which is weird since my jeweler actually offered me now 1k EUR more for my AP ROO than I paid him two years ago. 

So there doesn't seem to be a general rule or whatever, some watches sell well, others don't.

Usually, a Rolex is still worth at least 50% of it's initial value after a couple of years, especially their best known models like Daytona, Sea Dweller and such. 

I am even surprised how much my over 30 years old Chopard St. Moritz was worth to my jeweler (no, I didn't sell it because it is my first luxury watch I ever got and it was a gift from my parents), he offered 1500 EUR for it. I don't know exactly how much my parents paid for it over 30 years ago but I think it was something around 3500 DM (I could be wrong though, I don't remember).

So while most watches do not really gain in value, they actually keep some value (besides the jewelry type of purpose in most cases). I cannot wear that Chopard anymore, it would look ridiculous on my wrist but my wife has the same watch as a lady version with some diamonds, it was her gift for our wedding (and this time, I paid for it) and she still wears it from time to time.

Making money with watches? Very unlikely. Watches keeping a bit of a value, just in case you need cash or want something else (new)? Yes, makes sense.


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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)