Wearing a high-end watch is often seen as the ultimate sign of refinement – and owning one can prove to be a savvy investment, if you choose carefully.
Although collectors often default to picking a Rolex as their first choice, experts suggest there are plenty of lesser-known luxury alternatives that could prove an even better financial investment in time.
Mark Blowers, owner of Blowers Jewellers in Kingston Upon Hull, in the East Ridings of Yorkshire, says: ‘There is a concern that many pay over the odds for a Rolex because it is such a big name. And while some dealers push prices up too high, you can get better value by exploring other fabulous makers.’
Although it may appear that the Rolex is the most popular option, all may not be as it seems. That’s because it is the most counterfeited watch brand in the world, with an estimated 50 million forgeries in circulation. This dwarfs the one million genuine new Rolexes believed to be sold each year, according to researcher Watches of Espionage.
Blowers adds: ‘Increasingly, people don’t want to play Top Trumps wearing a Rolex like everyone else in an expensive restaurant – or have it mistaken for a fake. But watch fans still want a highly desirable horological timepiece.’
So which luxury watches could become a shrewder investment – for all budgets? We find out.
Collectable cache: The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250 has been described as one of the ‘hottest entry level watches’ by the fashion magazine GQ
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250 £595
This has been described as one of the ‘hottest entry level watches’ by the fashion magazine GQ.
And with the special edition 250 only released this year in a limited number of 1,776 pieces – to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the United States on July 4 – it has the collectable cache that could make its value soar.
The timepiece is based on an obscure 1970s US Air Force military model deemed a ‘grail for collectors of vintage American military watches’.
Top examples of the Vietnam-era Hamilton FAPD 5101, on which the watch is based, can sell for more than £5,000.
GQ says: ‘This watch does just enough to update the formula… while leaving the essential character intact.’
‘Complication’: This year’s newly released 308 timepiece is ‘something wonderfully oddball’
Sinn Spezialuhren 308 Hunting Watch £2,200
‘The trick is to discover the next great fashionable watch,’ says Charles Tian, founder of WatchCharts – and this can mean going out on a limb.
GQ believes that the German manufacturer Sinn might have come up with just that.
It describes this year’s newly released 308 timepiece as ‘something wonderfully oddball’. The 40mm-cased watch has a green dial with an unusual extra feature, known as a ‘complication’.
At 6pm every day it has a moonlight indicator showing the brightness of the lunar light that evening, and if you can venture outside without a torch.
Royal endorsement: Prince William bought this model for Princess Catherine for their third wedding anniversary
Cartier Ballon Bleu £5,900
Prince William bought this model for Princess Catherine for their third wedding anniversary in 2014. Having such an endorsement from the heir to the throne, this 33mm-cased steel strap watch could be a solid investment.
William had a sapphire added to complement Kate’s engagement ring.
You can buy a diamond-studded example for £11,400. These can fetch as much as £16,000 on the second-hand market.
Auction house Sotheby’s says: ‘The Ballon Bleu is widely regarded as a symbol of Cartier’s luxury watchmaking, seamlessly blending elegance with functionality.
‘The widespread admiration for this model has led to a thriving secondary market.’
Subtle: The name might not trip off the tongue – but its heritage is compelling
Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake glacier blue £24,000
The name might not trip off the tongue – but its heritage is compelling.
Founded in 1845, the company vanished in 1869 after the death of its founder, François Czapek. But the Czapek & Cie brand was revived in 2015 thanks to three entrepreneurs and a crowdfunding campaign aimed at watch enthusiasts.
‘These watches are about subtlety that does not shout out,’ says Blowers.
‘Micro-brands such as Czapek focus on quality rather than how many timepieces they can sell, and they attract attention from those fascinated by horology – the scientific study and art of measuring time.’
Drake refers to Sir Francis Drake, and the Drake Passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans above the Antarctic. The Glacier Blue colour represents the waters.
Quality favourite: These timepieces have a ‘date complication’ that automatically offers dates for months lasting 30 or 31 days
Patek Philippe Annual Calendar £54,300
The skill of the watchmaker is key for adding value.
‘Patek Philippe make clear-backed timepieces where you can marvel at all the watch movements,’ says Blowers.
‘They are made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, so they do not get damaged. The Annual Calendar is a quality favourite.’
These timepieces have a ‘date complication’ that automatically offers dates for months lasting 30 or 31 days and only needs correcting once a year at the end of February. The Calendar model was introduced in 1996.
The price of top examples has risen by up to 18 per cent in a year.
No expense spared: This Swiss watchmaker produces just two or three of these ultra-rare timepieces a year
Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 £725,000
When the watch is being worn on the wrist of a billionaire such as Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg – the founder of Facebook – you know it is not going to come cheap.
This Swiss watchmaker produces just two or three of these ultra-rare timepieces a year. Each takes 6,000 hours to make, with the manufacturer saying that ‘the most demanding approach to watchmaking is the only one worth pursuing’, and embraces ‘an uncompromising standard applied to every component. No shortcuts. No concessions’.
So it is sniffy as to who buys them – or is ‘entrusted’, as the firm likes to call it.
If one comes on the second-hand market, vintage watch specialist Tom Bolt, who is also the founder of the addiction charity Steps 2 Recovery, says buyers won’t see much change from £1million.
