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Collectible watches are usually very expensive. Whilst it does vary from person to person, serious watch collectors are generally spendings thousands of dollars on their collections. It is fine to collect watches of any value, so long as you enjoy it, but typically anything from a sub $1000 collection can be replicated by buying from Amazon. This is not true for vintage, rare or discontinued models, but for the bulk of watchmaking, this is the way things are.
The real key point of collectible watches is condition. This really cannot be emphasized enough, but if you have a watch that is vintage and in even slightly better condition than another watch of the same model, it is worth considerably more money. The reason for this is because many collectors have deep pockets. Their money is a lot less rare than a mint condition watch from 1960. Usually, the rarer a watch is, the more desirable it is, provided that there is some demand for the specific model.
Lastly, a collectible watch must be a classic design. Something like a Rolex Daytona has been around since 1963 and hasn’t changed a great deal since. This is clear proof of the longevity of both the brand and the watch design.
Collecting watches slightly differentiates from holding watches to make money. This is more of an investment strategy and has a lot more guesswork than finding watches that people like to collect. To see which watches are appreciating in value, or at least have done in the past, please click here.
Table of Contents
Most Collectible Watches
Rolex Daytona
In all fairness, you could put 4 or 5 different models of Rolex on this list, the brand is just that popular. Much like many other Rolex watches, the original purpose of the Daytona was not for a finance executive to wear in the office but has since become that. Instead, the Daytona was a split second chronograph that was marketed towards racing drivers.
Since being worn by Paul Newman and various other celebrities, the price and popularity of the Daytona have skyrocketed. Like many other watches on this list, the Daytona is by no measure a “rare” watch, although is somewhat difficult to purchase. Whilst you technically can buy a brand new Daytona from an authorized dealer, I wish you good luck. Your best bet is to check grey market dealers on their own websites and public marketplaces like eBay & Chrono24 to pick up the best model you can.
Omega Speedmaster
A watch that simply needs no introduction. The Omega Speedmaster will always have a place in history as being the first watch on the surface of the moon. Despite Omega no longer having the same reputation as brands like Patek Philippe, you cannot take away where this watch has been.
When buying a Speedmaster as a collectible, you must be very careful and do your own research. This is a watch that has had numerous iterations and many special edition models. The price of these watches varies drastically based on when the watch was made and which model number it is. Of course, this stands true for almost any watch there is but is especially important with the speedmaster.
Patek Philippe Nautilus
First released in 1976, Patek Philippe were yet another brand that were able to see where the stainless steel, luxury sports watch market was headed. From this point onwards, the popularity of the Nautilus has steadily grown to a point where it is difficult to now buy one at list price. Just like Rolex watches, it is difficult to purchase both the Aquanaut and Nautilus in any kind of metal.
In summary, this is a watch design that is not going anywhere fast. Patek Philippe is arguably the world’s greatest watch brand and has been around since 1839. It goes without saying then, the Nautilus is going to be with us for a very long time too, so if you can pick up a vintage model, it would be a good idea to do so.
Cartier Santos
Although the Cartier brand is better known for its jewelry than watchmaking, this is somewhat unfair since the brand has been producing watches since 1847. The Santos gets its name from a friend of the Cartier brand some 100 years ago, Alberto Santos-Dumont, who wanted a watch made for him he could use in his plane.
It is still somewhat unclear why the pilot couldn’t simply use a watch from another brand, but the Santos was somewhat oversized for the time, so would have had a much larger dial than almost everything else.
This is once again a watch that when worn is instantly recognizable. The black roman numerals are a staple feature of the Cartier brand, whilst the square dial and riveted stainless steel bracelet is also a very unique feature in an industry that easily runs out of ideas.
Tag Heuer Monaco
The Tag Heuer Monaco is a watch with a rich and illustrious history, since being immortalised by Steve Mcqueen in the movie “Le Mans”. Whilst Tag Heuer are not considered to be in the same league as many other watchmakers on this list, the Monaco is a truly classic and original design.
Anyone who knows anything about watches may not like Tag Heuer as an overall brand, but will at least appreciate the uniqueness of the Monaco. There were not many (and still are not) square chronograph watches, which is a gap the Monaco duly filled.
If you buy a Tag Heuer Monaco, it will likely never be worth anything near the same price as other collectible watches, but is a piece of history and will not depreciate too much either.
Breguet Classique
Breguet is a brand that does not get as much credit or attention as it deserves from the general public. Anyone who knows about watch history will understand the importance of Breguet, since it was he who invented the tourbillon.
In fact, Breguet can also be credited with making the world’s first self winding watch and also the famous “moon hands” which you will be able to see above and on every other Breguet watch. Simply put, this man single handedly did more for the watch industry than everyone else combined.
Panerai Luminor Submersible
The Panerai has a rich brand history and a very distinct design. There is arguably no other luxury watch brand that can claim their watches are more original or unusual than the Italian watchmaker.
Panerai made watches for the Italian navy which needed to be both water resistant for up to 200 meters, as well as being visible whilst underwater. The main claim to fame from the brand is that they were responsible for using luminous dials – something which hadn’t really been thought of or at least produced on a large scale before the outbreak of the 2nd world war.
Sylvester Stallone is well known for bringing the brand into the limelight, selling his own Panerai at auction for well over list price. Before this, the brand still made high quality watches, but was somewhat ignored by the rest of the world.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore
Created by legendary designer Emmanuel Gueit, the Royal Oak Offshore is one of the most iconic watches ever created and pulled the brand back from the brink of obscurity to the rarified atmosphere of luxury watches.
Whilst the Royal Oak was already a fairly established design, the offshore was designed in 1993. This watch single handedly brought the brand into the world of fashionable sports-style watch as the industry trended to move away from more serious dress watches.
The octagonal design of the watch face is something that is very unique and instantly recognizable to the AP brand. You will have trouble finding precious metal Offshores for under $60 000 at this time, but there are more vintage AP watches that can still be picked up for a “bargain” price.
Guide To Collectible Watches
Do not get your watch polished
Watch collectors are knowledgeable people. They understand how servicing, polishing and restoration work. If you have a gold Patek Philippe watch with a nasty scratch, it is probably best to ignore this until you come to sell or trade it for another collectible watch.
Collectors typically like their watches in original condition, or at least as close to original as possible. Whenever a watch is polished (particularly around the lugs), it is shortened. After many rounds of polishing, this can cause the watch case to become a lot smaller, which in turn, moves the spring pin holders a lot closer to the edge of the lugs.
Whilst many people may be unaware of this, if you put a polished watch next to an unpolished watch of the same model number, it is clear to see the difference between the two. This difference makes the watch stray further away from “original condition” – which is the goal that all collectors are trying to achieve.
Do not use unofficial service centers
One of the biggest problems of having a collectible watch is the risk that it can become a frankenwatch. John Mayer infamously tried to sue his former Rolex dealer before eventually dropping the case, which highlights the risks of 3rd party servicing.
Simply put, if you have a very old and classic watch from a luxury Swiss brand, there may not be many spare parts, especially if that particular part is rare or unusual. When servicing a watch of this caliber, you want to switch parts that are 100% like for like. When putting a strange 3rd party replacement part into a classic Rolex or Omega, you are potentially decreasing its value drastically. The reasoning for this is that the watch is no longer “Rolex” – granted, it is 99.9%, but no longer 100%.
Pure collectors will not consider buying or trade collectible watches which have non-official parts within the movement.
Do not wear your watch
This is obviously optional as everyone wants to wear their own watch – otherwise what would be the point in owning it? However, if you’re an extreme collector, it is best to keep your watch away from any possible damage.
Wearing your watch always comes with the risk of damaging it. You never quite know when you will knock or scratch it against something completely unexpected.
It goes without saying then that if your watch is kept safe, it will not depreciate – and is likely to increase in value as time passes. Other peoples watches will be worn down by wear and tear, whereas yours will remain 100% in its original condition. This will cause a big separation in condition as the years go by and push both values further apart from one another.
Keep all available documentation
This goes for purchasing a collectible watch too. Ideally, whenever you buy or sell a collectible watch, to get maximum value, you want a “full set”. Depending on what brand of watch you buy, this will include warranty card(s), receipts, bags, boxes and any other relevant paperwork including service papers from the past.
All of these things may seem useless, but they make it a lot easier to authenticate a watch and give a much clearer overview of its history. For example, a Rolex submariner that has been passed around a lot, had its bezel and crystal replaced and has no box or papers, is going to be worth a lot less than one which has remained relatively untouched with all relevant documents.
Buy used watches
This should also go without saying, but you want to buy used watches in as good condition as possible. The only exception to this rule would be if there was a specific anniversary model made by a brand with limited supply.
There is no real way of telling how many watches are made on release of a traditional model since brands do not release these numbers. Secondly, it is very hard to guess which watches will be popular and which watches will flop. People may claim they know, but really this is just hindsight.
Watch collecting is generally about finding, rare and unusual watches in better condition than average. If you had infinite money, this would still be an interesting and fun hobby. If you bought new watches, you could simply walk into an authorized dealership and buy every watch they have – defeating the purpose of watch collecting.
