Do Watches Hold their Value

I wouldnt know about those three since I have always found them vulgar and open to copies simply because of price but I bought a RW Freelancer years ago and eachtime I re-new the home insurance I cant find a retailer who sells it for what I paid as the price increases.

I imagine so but time will tell.

Until someone steals it.

They are a form of jewellery, same rules apply.

.. very true foinavon, i know someone who was held up at gunpoint for his diamond encrusted rolex, he couldnt get it

off his wrist quick enough, turned out he had bought it in thailand the previous year for £10.  ( true story ).

Gave £1700 for my Steel Rolex oyster 8 year ago just sold it for £1500, gave me great value.

Ok so you buy a premium brand  for £4800. Real price is £4000 as £800 is VAT. A bit of googling suggests a mark up of 100% so true value is £2000. Sure if you buy it on day 1 for £4800 and sell it on day 2 you should get more than £2000. So the market has to rise by a fair amount before you get your £4800 back -and you should be getting it serviced for maybe £500 a pop and insuring for all risks,
Financially stick the £4800 in the stock market but you don't get any real enjoyment from that.

I've never understood the need to wear a watch. If I want to know the time I'll look at my phone.

I wouldn't wear one if someone gave me one for free.

you can buy 10p watches ebay

I agree with Mr E. Haven't worn one since my Hopalong Cassidy Timex went through a mangle in 1966.

There is an intrinsic beauty about some watches, even though as mentioned they have be overtaken by time itself.
Aesthetics means something individual to each person.
The craftsmanship of a Swiss made watch with moving parts and analogue workings cant be compared to either a digital soulless abomination nor even an apple watch that does whatever an apple watch does.

It is this very desire that keeps the price of quality watches at a 'premium' based on what people will pay for one.

You dont have to venture back to the philosophers either to explain aesthetic significance.
Chatterjee writes a compelling summation of the pursuit of beauty being our search for pleasure and the meaning of life itself.

My Son bought a Rolex Submariner 16610 LV version quite a few years ago that was intended to mark the Submariner's 50th anniversary. The LV is easily recognisable thanks to its rare green bezel.
I think he paid around £5k ...now worth around £15k.
To answer your question ...I think a good investment yes ?

Generally not; unless you are very lucky and happen to find a very rare watch at a bargain price.

I bought a beautiful limited edition (2,500 pieces) Tag Heuer about 6 years ago to try and retain its value. Paid £3,500 for it. Worn it maybe 12 times and sold it a couple of years later for £2,500 (still in mint condition). Services also cost a few hundred quid and any horologist looks for history on a 2nd hand watch. Any repairs cost a fortune too on a luxury timepiece.

http://www.watchuseek.com/steve-mcqueen-version-tag-heuer-monaco-gulf-special-edition/

A non limited edition depreciates even more quickly most of the time.

I'd get my dad to answer this but he is 91 and does not see or type too well. He knows his watches mind.

Here is his input - recent limited editions, even from 2nd division companies like Tag or Breitling etc are a waste of time.  Real top end watches like Patek, Jaeger le Coultre, Lange & Sohne etc tend to hold their value very well, particularly if rare editions, complications, or heavy gold or a combo of all. Top quality and simple second-hand from any of these makes is his recommendation.
But overall buy what you like and can afford is the key.

nb - He likes Jaeger le Coultre Reverso's with complications best. So if you have about £65k to spare

I reckon the internet has blown the lid on a lot of businesses like second hand watches, and similar collectibles.

In the old days, you wanted a nice second hand watch.  You went to your nearest specialist shop where you tried on a couple, may have haggled a bit and probably ended up buying one.

Information on what was actually traded at what price wasn't known much outside the trade.  Now you have eBay etc and much easier access to information that lets you get a better deal.

The internet must have slashed the margins for the traders.

Was in the pub and friend of mine was displaying a rather expensive Omega gold watch when someone asked, 'what time does it say on that watch of yours'. He replied 8:32. They said, 'that's funny, it's 8:32 on my £15 quid Seiko'. Yeah he replied, but what this watch says is that an hour of my time is more expensive than an hour of yours. As has been said, they are just a status symbol and if you are thinking of investing I would tread very carefully.

I think I,ll stick wih my 10 euro snide  Tag Heure that I got off a lucky lucky man in Benidorm 6 month ago after reading this...

My plastic casio cost £7 brand new.  Had it about a year now.

Second hand value about £1.  That's £6 I'll never see again.

Sad but true, Jack but it's worth more than a quid to you.

My lovely niece gave me a black Timex watch some years ago. I value it much more than any overpriced Del Boy bling from Switzerland.

Sounds cra p

It's a watch, it tells the time accurately, nobody is going to mug me for it, maintenance cost is a new battery every five years. The same applies to Jack's watch.
If you want to wear expensive chunky jewellery, that's fine by me but not my scene.

Re my post of early this morning.  In 1967, my mum bought my dad a watch for his 40th birthday.  She would never say how much she paid, just that it was six months seamstressing (her little sideline). Here is one identical.

https://www.blackbough.co.uk/product/jaeger-lecoultre-ref-e284-gold-vintage-wristwatch-hallmarked-1970-wwjlcg1/

It isn't bling, it isn't chunky, it isn't even 60/70's looking and it will eventually be mine. We have just had a new crystal fitted (£80) and although it keeps perfect time, we are going to have it serviced for the first time since 1990 - quote is £370.

Looks a nice watch, Blackbarn but the service costs more than I would want to pay for a watch. Each to his own.

Some people like to spend money on a car. Others on a nice timepiece. I would fall into the latter category.

My everyday watch cost £6.99 including postage. When the battery goes it will probably cost less to replace the watch than get a new batttery.

All it does is tell me the time which is exactly what I need it for

KC - I agree, its all about how much you are prepared to pay to get an end result.  I could go to Asda and get a beef joint that came from a beast raised in Poland, that went from carcass to shrink wrapped meat in 48 hours, or I could go to my local butchers, get a 35 day dry-aged joint from one of his own beasts, that has never been more than 20 miles from birth to point of consumption in its life.

I agree that time is just time, and beef is just beef, but even with a watch, you do have to look at it

I know somebody who paid 4k for a new Rolex four years ago. He recently upgraded to an 8k Rolex and the dealer gave him 4k for his old one.

I haven't even got a watch, it would just get broken at work. Doesn't everyone use a phone now?

I'd give him £4k for his old watch too if I were making £2.5k on the sale of the upgrade watch.