When time is money |Luxury watches that keep their worth!

Published 16 February 2015 ● Last Updated on 6 April 2021

Is an expensive designer watch at the top of your shopping list this Chinese New Year? Or are you just in the mood to treat yourself with a luxurious Swiss wrist-watch this bonus season? After all, you probably deserve it after a hard-working year!

A luxury watch can cost a small fortune, so when planning to part with cash you need to ask yourselves – is it worth it? Unless you are David Beckham or have a salary to match it, best do some research to make sure you invest well, buying a watch which will retain its value and won’t lose its worth the moment you walk out the shop door.

Generally a luxury watch will loose anywhere from 20-70% of its original value once purchased and some brands depreciate faster than the speed of sound! So we have done the hard work for you and researched the brands you can be sure won’t leave you sobbing when you decide to upgrade it in years to come.

Secondsguru picks top 5 Watches for Investment:

1. Patek Philippe – This Swiss luxury watchmaker founded in 1852 is considered to design and manufacture some of the most complicated mechanical watches in the world. At auctions, its watches regularly set records as the most expensive timepieces ever sold.

2. Rolex – Probably the most famous of watch makers, Rolex was founded in London in 1905. Today it is the world’s largest single luxury watch brand producing about 2000 watches a day.

3. Cartier – Famous for producing luxury jewellery and watches, Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 and has a strong history of supplying watches to royalty.

4. Audemars Piguet – Founded in Switzerland in 1875 and still a family business, Andemars Piguet are renowned for their self-winding automatic chronograph and classic pocket watches.

5. FP Journe – Fairly new independent watch maker founded in Switzerland by François-Paul Journe in 1999, FP Journe is famous for completely reinventing new movements, unusual complications and totally unique designs.

Once you have decided on the brand, remember a few pointers to ensure the highest value is kept whether you are buying a men’s watch or a ladies watch.

1. Design – Choose a design that is conservative and easily recognisable.  Bling is definitely not the ‘in thing’, so stick to the classic styles! Rare bizarrely designed watches covered in jewels and diamonds are not everyone’s cup of tea besides being difficult to resell.

2. Condition – Obviously no one wants a scratched masterpiece – the better its condition the more value a watch has – so consider this when wearing your purchase and most importantly when storing.

3. Complexity – The watch will hold its value much more if it has been hand-made with a limited production, rather than one made in minutes on a production line.

4. Certificate of authenticity – Each luxury watch will be sold with a certificate of authenticity. It is vital that you retain this document and the original packaging in order to maintain the value of your luxury watch. So whatever you do, do not throw it away!

Stick to this advice, and we promise you will soon be turning heads whist announcing the time, confident that you are wearing a fantastic investment.

– Helen

Helen is a guest blogger for Secondsguru and oversees marketing for some companies in Milan, Italy. The images used in the blog are provided by her.

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