Well, I wouldn’t bust out the melted butter just yet. That’s bad news for investors but good news for the watch fan who’s in it for the watches, not the money. But with a world slowly but surely adapting to a new reality, the prices on the secondary market are no longer on a steep rise. A watch was no longer an artisanal object of desire. The arrival of aggressive watch investors created a feeding frenzy that both bewildered and disgusted longtime watch aficionados. Thanks to a perfect storm that, apart from low interest rates, also consisted of a global virus outbreak and production shortages, the secondary watch market experienced a period of unprecedented growth since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. However, luxury watches from the most prestigious and famous brands - the main players are Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet - proved to be a great alternative. Unstable financial markets and low interest rates made money worthless to investors. Rolex Daytona 116500 - Picture courtesy of Xupes Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet iconsįor better or worse, it’s all about the money. The way investors operate has made a huge impact on the watch market, not just in terms of price developments, but also in the way that watches are perceived.

But when you are an investor, your love for a watch is purely and solely based on its financial performance. That’s because you like wearing it way too much, and you don’t dream of selling it. When you truly love a watch with all your heart, you don’t care too much about how it performs on the secondary market. Love for a watch can be based on passion, but it also can be based on greed. Are we witnessing the start of a massive and quick downfall? Or are we merely looking at a normal and natural correction? But there are signs that the rise of Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet icons is losing momentum. Yes, on the secondary watch market, premiums for selected timepieces are still at historical and hysterical highs. But what if reality is different? Much of the astronomical rise in prices for some brands’ models can be attributed to the birth and rise of a new type of collector - the watch investor. “The only way is up.” Yazz sang it back in 1988, and for investors, it’s a dogma.

Royal oak chronograph