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Even if you’re not familiar with the popular watch market, “the price of high-end watches is quite expensive” it shouldn’t be hard to comprehend. There are all sorts of branded items on the market, such as branded bags, boutique accessories, boutique clothes and high-end jewelry. However, as opposed to the above listed items, the value-preserving capacity of high-end watches is still overwhelmingly high. But, in fact, how valuable is the watch?
Roughly speaking, high-end watches can be generally split into two
Generally speaking, high-end luxury watches can be roughly categorized into entry-level models below 200,000 Taiwan dollars, intermediate models below 500,000 Taiwan dollars, and higher-end models with higher costs. At any price point, there are several well-known representative brands.
How expensive a watch should be called a luxury watch, maybe everybody has their own ruler in their heads, but broadly speaking, a watch worth more than 150,000 Taiwan dollars can be considered a luxury watch type.
The so-called “purchase price ratio” is generally used to measure the fundamental predictor of the worth of a high-end watch.
By way of the sales price ratio, we can see that a watch can be sold at a percentage of the original purchase price, which is an important reference metric for recognizing the consumer demand of the brand. For e.g., if I buy a branded watch for $300,000 in Taiwan dollars and then sell it for $150,000 in Taiwan dollars, then this watch’s purchasing price ratio is 50%. (50% of the original price)
In comparison, if the current selling price of a given company is 50% of the original price, we can use this number as a typical approximation that the watch we carry can be sold at around 50% of the original purchase price.
Rolex
Rolex from Switzerland is the most popular watch brand in the world. The overall sales price ratio of Rolex also ranks first amongst many brands.
Regardless of the brand, the selling price of each series and variant has its own high and low price, but for Rolex, even for more simple classic models, the calculated price is likely to be between 50% and 60% or more of the original purchase price. Overall, the purchasing price ratio for the six-digit model is usually higher, whereas the five-digit model is relatively low.
It is also important to note that Rolex has a range of sports watches, such as Daytona, GMT Master-II, Explorer and Submariner. Of these series, watches with a market value ratio of more than 60% abound, and it can be seen that it is a brand that is very valuable.
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe is one of the three big watch brands worldwide. The beautiful art design, the hand-crafted mechanism with intense attention to detail… the elegance of the carvings of Patek Philippe has been highly appreciated by many watch lovers at home and abroad.
Of instance, Patek Philippe is undoubtedly the most expensive brand in history in terms of’ asset valuation’. Not only is this significance expressed in auction items such as “Grand Complications that show rare craftsmanship” or “the only antique watch”, it is also possible to showcase simple watches such as steel sports watches. The outstanding worth of the brand.
Audemars Piguet
Like the Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet is one of the top three watch brands in the world. The Management Right has never left the family of the founder since its foundation in 1875, and it is a highly rare watch brand. Audemars Piguet is often known as “the preferred brand of business operators.” because of its unique context.
The flagship model of Audemars Piguet is the Royal Oak watch collection, produced in 1972. Later, Audemars Piguet launched the Royal Oak Offshore in 1993 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak launch, further reinforcing the product line of the series. In 2019, Audemars Piguet has unveiled a new concept for watches from the CODE 11.59 series. All common models with exceptionally high sales price ratios are in the above series.
Hublot
Hublot is an emerging market brand for luxury watches. It is considered a “brand worn by successful people.” due to its innovative concept and bold design.
The first thing that comes to mind, thinking of Hublot’s masterpieces, is the Big Bang Big Explosion series, of course. However, there is still strong consumer big appetite for the light, modern and stylish Classic Fusion series and the barrel-shaped Spirit of Big Bang series. . .
Omega
Omega is a premium Swiss watch brand with a reputation pretty similar to Rolex. Omega’s watches will still have a reasonably good CP value because of the outstanding manufacturing system. “I agree that many people’s “first high-priced watch” is Omega!
The retail circulation rate of Omega watches is quite high, and it’s one of the brands that makes it quite convenient for customers. The average purchasing price ratio can be as high as 40 percent, depending on the model, particularly the Speedmaster moonwatch, which is very popular on the market, and also the Seamaster series.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a luxury watch manufacturer located in Switzerland, always insisting on inventing, producing and assembling in-house movement in its own watch factory. It is worth mentioning that the bottom of the Jaeger-LeCoultre watch is engraved with the words “1000 hours test”, which means that the watches in the series have passed the internal certification test for up to 41 days, which is recognized by the watch industry as extremely stringent. , Represents the solid and reliable brand value of Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Because of its excellent production quality, the Jaeger-LeCoultre watches have excellent durability, and thus ensure its value-preserving characteristics.
Panerai
Panerai is a high-end Italian company that began with the production of military watches and continues to manufacture high-quality, rugged watches. It was a comparatively late brand, since it only reached the general consumer market in 1993, but it was able to seize the market within a limited amount of time, which indicates its success. It is probably worth speaking that since the 2000s, the “big and thick” craze that has swept the watch industry is precisely the movement that has brought in Panerai.
Panerai’s most well-known basic watches are of course the two series of Radiomir and Luminor. However, the rich derivative models on the production line, such as 1950, Submersible and other variants, are also one of Panerai’s charms.
IWC
There are several famous watch factories in Switzerland, most of which are located in Geneva and Le Locle, near France. But IWC was born in Schaffhausen, a town near Germany. IWC is good at making simple, durable watches. Excellent performance, stunning presentation and pioneering architecture are the factors behind its reputation.
The overall average purchase price ratio of IWC is not very high, but as long as it is a popular watch, such as the Portuguese series or Pilot watch, the general market purchase price is often as high as 40% of the original purchase price.
Breguet
Breguet is one of the world’s oldest watch brands. It has inherited genes from professional watchmakers. In recent years, it has been purchased by the Swatch Group, which owns prominent watch brands such as Omega, which is a representative of the premium watch brands of the group.
Due to limited amount of output, both the price and the market price are naturally very high, but may also hold a higher value when reselling. In particular, the Marine series and the Classique series, since they can better represent Breguet’s design aesthetics, have a strong market demand in the second-hand resale market.
Chanel
Chanel is a high-end brand with a stable market demand for both men’s and women’s watches. Its classical degree has been very common in both the male and female markets for many years. People especially like to buy Chanel watches as gifts. At Christmas every year, the sales of women’s watches in the series will increase.
Chanel’s most popular watch is the J12 series, but other watch styles, such as Première, Boy-Friend and the rest of the series, still retain a reasonably steady price. In recent years, Chanel has purchased a number of small watch factories and mechanism producers dedicated to developing the watchmaking technology of the company.
Tudor
As we all know, Tudor is a relatively affordable watch brand under Rolex.
While Tudor is still considered Rolex’s brother, in fact, its brand line is entirely different from Rolex. Tudor continues to create different models full of originality, concentrating on the Black Bay series and the Pelagos series. Having said that, Tudor still has the power and practicality of Rolex, because even though the brand itself is a reasonably cheap entry-level brand, it still has a reasonably stable acquisition market. Moreover, after the production of Tudor’s watches had ceased, consumer prices have continued to increase.
Cartier
When it comes to high-end ladies’ watches, the first thing that comes to mind is the Cartier ladies’ watch. Of course, Cartier’s ladies watch series are too numerous to list, including Tank Française, Tank Solo, Ballon Bleu, Panthère and other series, all of which are of instant choice. In addition, it is the same as Chanel, every year at the time of Christmas, the purchase price of ladies’ watches will show a growth trend.
On the other hand, Cartier’s men’s watch is also a must-have classic for many men. For example, the Santos series, which has the historical significance of “the first male watch in history,” the Calibre de Catier series, which has a very bold appearance, and the Drive de Catier series, which incorporates the characteristics of a sports watch but is quite suitable for formal occasions. All of them are quite classic fixed teams among the Cartier men’s watches, maintaining the popularity of Cartier.
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer is widely regarded for its sporting watches, which are recognized for their realistic and demanding features. It’s a brand that’s especially common with men in their thirties. Since TAG Heuer’s product price range is reasonably broad, the overall selling price of all TAG Heuer watch models is just 30% of the initial purchase price. TAG Heuer has been engaged in the manufacture of watches ranging in price from about 40,000 yuan to over 800,000 yuan. As a consequence, among TAG Heuer’s products, there are watches with a 40 percent average sales price ratio, such as the Carrera series, which are representative and very famous watches.
Breitling
Breitling is the world’s largest maker of chronograph watches and holds a major role in the watch industry. Breitling watches can be recognised at a glance due to their distinctive style of “not only a watch, but also a chronograph.” It’s a brand with a good sense of self-awareness. Classic watches, such as the Navitimer aviation chronograph collection, the Chronomat supreme chronograph series, and the Superocean series, have a strong consumer demand and a reasonably stable price.
Breitling’s watches have a strong second-hand retail demand thanks to their solid design details and incredible durability. This function was also critical in raising the purchasing price ratio.
Franck Muller
With his trendy and exclusive style, Frank Muller is well-liked by watch enthusiasts. This brand is highly popular with all consumers, both men and women, and it is a must-have for watch collectors. The Casablanca series, Long Island series, Tonneau Curvex series… are all quite classic watches. In addition, there are also Vanguard, Conquistador and other series, which have a very rich selection of goods, so its value cannot be measured only by the average purchase price ratio.
If you want to know the actual value of the watch you own, please consult our shop.
Bvlgari
In 2009, the world-famous fashion and luxury company “Bvlgari” celebrated its 125th anniversary. Bulgari has also gotten a lot of recognition in the world of high-end watches. The “Bvlgari” watch, which blends Italy’s exclusive and elegant style with Swiss mechanical product technology, has captivated the male consumer community in their 20s and 30s.
By the way, Bvlgari has purchased the independent brand created by the late brilliant watch designer Gérald Genta (1931-2011). Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and other classic watches he crafted in the past. Bvlgari has inherited the master’s DNA, and we are all waiting for the next design.
Brands priced below RM4000 and their purchase price ratios
Popular watch brands such as Hamilton, Oris, and Junghans, which specializes in entry-level watches, have an average retail price of about NT$30,000, and prices that are relatively approachable. However, as a result of this, the merchant purchase valuation is often undesirable. Since retailers who buy a second watch normally do simple maintenance on it before putting it on the market, the merchant’s quotation usually prioritises the deduction of maintenance costs and income.
Is it true that if the selling price isn’t high, the watch is absolutely worthless? This is obviously not the case. As a result, many consumers would want to trade their old watch for a new one when they purchase a new watch.
※If the actual product is in very good condition and does not require maintenance, it may be sold at a better price.
The acquisition status of casual watches
Finally, I’d like to point out that casual watch brands like DW Watch (Daniel Wellington), Paul Smith, and Skagen Watch have lower retail prices than the entry-level brands listed above. Casual watches are called consumables because they are quartz watches rather than automatic watches.
Most casual watches can be purchased at few thousand Taiwan dollars. If you can get back hundreds of dollars when sold, it is already a good figure. If even the watch box, warranty and other related accessories are lost, in the worst case, it can’t even be acquired. Therefore, it is best to treat this type of second-hand value as a leisure product rather than a pricey watch.
Conclusion
As you can see, purchase rates for high-end watches differ significantly depending on the brand.
Of course, you want your preferred model when purchasing a watch, but keep in mind that when there is a sales need, the greater the overall demand, the better the price.
If you don’t have watch that you particularly love right now, buying a model that can be sold for near original retail price is also a smart option.
Again, the purchase price ratios given above are dependent on second-hand merchandise market rates. The exact selling price ratio can change depending on the case whether you are selling a brand-new product or whether the watch is bought at a fixed price. Furthermore, the selling price of each form and model varies.
For example, among Rolex sports watches, many models have resales prices that exceed the official selling price. Therefore, please note that the data calculated in this article cannot be applied to all situations.
