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Whether you’ve recently bought your first luxury watch or are looking to cash in on an investment timepiece, understanding what plays a part in determining the value of a used luxury watch can help you to make informed decisions when buying and selling and give you an edge in the used watch resale market.
From brand prestige to celebrity endorsements, read on to discover the four most significant factors that can influence the market value of your luxury timepiece.
Brand Prestige
More prestigious luxury brands, including as Rolex, Tudor, and Omega, will hold their value better than their less prestigious, or less well known, counterparts.
Watch brands typically earn their prestige through their heritage, innovation, and contributions to horological history. For example, a Rolex watch was the first wrist timepiece to be given a certificate of chronometric performance, and the brand later designed the Oyster, which was revolutionary at the time in the sphere of waterproof watches. Similarly, Omega invented the Omega calibre, a major breakthrough in horological history that set a global standard for precision and reliability in watchmaking.
Condition
Aside from a watch’s intrinsic characteristics, the condition of a timepiece is one of the most paramount factors that determine its resale value. This is why properly caring for, cleaning, and storing your luxury watch is crucial; regular professional servicing, cleaning, and maintenance will ensure your timepiece stays in prime condition, maximising the return you will receive on your investment when it comes time to sell.
Scratches, discolouration, dents, cracks, and other forms of wear and tear will come into play when determining the condition of your luxury watch. All of the watch’s movements and functions should work properly, the full watch should have all original parts, and a full service history should be kept to demonstrate the watch has been well maintained.
Materials
The preciousness and desirability of the materials used to produce a luxury watch will play a big role in determining its value. The specific material that is considered most precious and desirable will be different depending on its brand; for example, platinum Rolex watches tend to hold the highest value, whereas Cartier’s solid gold timepieces will carry the largest price tag on the used market.
Many watches also contain precious gemstones and diamonds such as the Rolex GMT Master II Ice, the Diamond Rolex Pearlmaster, and the Diamond Rolex Daytona. Although these watches carry a much higher price tag, these watches actually depreciate much faster due to the price premium attached to the watches when new. Therefore, a luxury watch without gemstones or diamonds will hold its value much better.
Market Demand
Current trends and celebrity influence can significantly impact the market demand of watch models, with more in demand models naturally having a higher market value.
For example, brightly coloured watch faces will be one of the leading luxury watch trends in 2025. This may have been influenced by some recent celebrity appearances at the Golden Globes such as Kieran Culkin’s Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades and Glen Powell’s Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time. For these reasons, we are likely to see luxury watches with a colourful watch face hold onto a higher market value this year.
