Tik, tok, time to invest?

For decades, watches were framed as a men’s pursuit, but now, women are increasingly buying watches, and the market is responding. Smaller case sizes, gold finishes, and timeless silhouettes, once dismissed as “ladies’ watches” are now among the strongest performers in the secondary market.

Cartier’santhère didn’t just return to fashion, it reshaped demand. Its popularity has lifted interest in understated, proportionate designs across brands, including discontinued models like the Rolex Lady Datejust, and the Audemar Piguet`s Royal oak minis.

Celebrities have quietly amplified the demand for these watches, especially the minis, and once you start paying attention, you see them everywhere. What used to be a niche collector’s game is now cultural capital, look at for example Bad Bunny who wore a AP royal oak to his iconic superbowl performance. That is positioning!

Hailey Bieber is building her watch-wardrobe, which means its just a matter of time before everyone does it.

To know:

If you’re buying a watch as an investment, positioning matters. In most cases, the strongest risk-adjusted opportunities sit in mid-level luxury and select top-tier brands. Why? Because markets move on liquidity.

Mid-luxury and top-luxury watches operate at price points that are aspirational, but still accessible. That creates a significantly larger buyer pool on the secondary market. And a larger buyer pool = stronger resale dynamics.

Ultra–level- luxury pieces can perform exceptionally well. But the ticket size narrows the audience dramatically. Fewer buyers means less liquidity. That increases volatility and holding time risk.

There’s no official global classification system for watch brands. The industry doesn’t run on standardised tiers. So below is a strategic framework, my attempt at categorising brands into 6 categories.

Watches are built for longevity. They’re meant to be worn, serviced, and passed on. Regular maintenance allows value to be preserved and, in many cases, enhanced over time. This is a structural advantage that makes watches particularly interesting as an extension of both your portfolio and your wardrobe.

The market is constructed to support long-term value, some of the key structural advantages are:

Durable, non-degrading materials
Typically made from steel, gold, platinum, ceramic, or sapphire, materials that do not meaningfully degrade with time or use.

Full serviceability over decades
Mechanical watches are designed to be serviced repeatedly. Movements can be cleaned, parts replaced, and performance restored, allowing the asset to maintain both function and market value long-term.

Artificial scarcity through controlled supply
Leading manufacturers intentionally limit production volumes. This supply discipline creates structural scarcity, increasing the probability of price appreciation in the secondary market.

Predictable retail price inflation
Brands regularly increase retail prices to preserve exclusivity and align with their target demographic. These increases tend to lift second-hand prices, effectively repricing the asset upward over time.

Established and liquid secondary market
Watches trade in a global, transparent resale ecosystem with price benchmarks, historical data, and consistent demand, improving liquidity compared to other collectable assets.

Model continuity and price comparability
Iconic references remain largely unchanged across years, allowing for clearer price tracking and valuation over time.

Depending on the characteristics of the watch you choose, the return profile can look very different. In the graphs below, we’re comparing four icons: two sports models and two classic designs. Over the same period, the sports designs clearly outperform in price appreciation, why?

Because sport models sit at the intersection of 1) Scarcity, lower production, harder allocations, longer waitlists. 2) Status signalling, they are instantly recognisable on the wrist. 3) Cultural relevance, athletes, founders, artists wearing them daily. and 4) Liquidity, having stronger secondary market demand.

Sport models trade more like cultural commodities.

The best pieces for investments share a few traits:

Mechanical only

Hand-assembled mechanical movements require hundreds of hours of finishing, and this gives the watch a soul if you will. This drives prestige and prices. While Quartz, on the other hand uses mass-produced circuits, lacking artistry that collectors prize. It`s just more in lign with luxury.

Buy the icons

Every brand has the icons. Meaning that you can not just buy any watch from AP and expect it to rise in value with time, but if you buy a roal oak (their icon), you are pretty solid. The icons are timeless references, while not seasonal designs often don`t perform the same.

Materials matters

The material of the watch takes part placing its re-sale value. a safe bet would be the Classic metals: steel, gold, two-tone. Alot of diamonds for example, does not necesarley increase the re-sale value of the watch. Think about the case size that works with the whatch you are going for. Smaller watches are currently having a moment.

A Practical note

Other factors to consider as well is having the original box and all paperwork. You can also check if the secondary market for that specific watch has real liquidity, what is the watch selling for on retail vs. second hand, is there a lot of supply, and how has the trend for the specific watch developed over recent years.