5 Luxury Watches That Have Been Historically Proven to Hold Their Value

Watch collectors all over the world wonder which luxury watches or watch brands accrue value over time. The shorter version of the answer mentions brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe. However, the real answer is the question is a bit more complicated because there are several factors to be considered to deem a watch as a good investment. We are not talking about the yearly price escalation that luxury watch brands follow automatically. The most important aspects behind the recognition of the value of a watch are brand value, brand recognition, exclusivity, and heritage value.



Rolex is probably the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of luxury watches. Rolex watches are always in high demand because of the rich heritage, not to mention a long list of celebrities are often seen wearing Rolex watches. It is the same story for Patek Philippe, but Patek Philippe watches are a bit more exclusive owing to the higher price tag, which is why they are valued more by seasoned collectors.

Many other luxury watch brands are popular in the United States such as Omega, Breitling, Cartier, Tag Heuer, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. But that does not mean that every watch produced by these brands will accrue value over time. There are further determinants that increase the value of popular models such as the year of manufacture and the design.

Here we are going to discuss five luxury watches that have historically proven to increase in value over time.


Rolex Submariner

The Rolex Submariner was first introduced to the market in 1953 and gained immediate popularity as a classic diver's watch. The original model was water-resistant up to 100 meters, but now the watch is water-resistant up to 300 meters or 1000 feet. Several changes have been made to the design since then such as:

Increase in watch size from 36mm to 40mm.
Addition of a crown guard.
Wide bezel with deep ridges and minute tracks for the first quarter.
Hour hand with a Mercedes sign in it.
Date indicator with a lens magnifier.

The last technical and visual changes were made to the design in 2010. The minute hand and the bezel markers were widened. The bezel was also changed to scratch-resistant ceramic and the display was improved with Chromalight which is a luminous substance made in house.

A Submariner watch can hold its value over time and one can find great deals on the Rolex Submariner on the internet.

Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea ‘D-Blue’

Rolex seldom makes special edition watches, but the Sea-Dweller Deep-sea D-Blue edition was made to commemorate James Cameron's dive to Challenger Deep inside the Deepsea Challenger submarine. During his solo dive to the deepest point in the world, James Cameron was wearing a prototype of the watch called Rolex Deepsea Challenge that could endure water pressure up to 15000 meters. The same watch was also strapped to the mechanical arm of the submarine.

Rolex introduced the mass-produced version of the prototype in 2014 with a D-Blue dial with a gradient that goes from deep blue to black, signifying the increase in darkness towards the ocean floor. The letters of the word Deepsea are the same shade of green as James Cameron's submersible. 

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona



The Daytona is a classic signature watch from Rolex that is never going to be out of style. Rolex has added many features to the design of the watch since its inception in 1955, although the word Daytona was added later in 1965 as a tribute to Daytona Beach in Florida, which was the pioneer place of Motorsports in America. The Daytona watch has always been the preferred watch for Motorsports enthusiasts, especially F1 drivers.

Tag Heuer Monaco

Even though Tag Heuer watches might be considered much more affordable compared to other luxury watch brands, they can be as worthy of your investment as any other expensive watch. The Tag Heuer Monaco was introduced in 1969 as Heuer Monaco to honour the Monaco Grand Prix. Monaco was the first automatic chronograph, and the first square dialled chronograph watch. The watch was made famous by Steve McQueen as he wore it while filming for the 1971 Hollywood movie Le Mans. Tag Heuer uses photographs of the movie to promote the watch to date, making it synonymous with Steve McQueen.

Breitling Navitimer Vintage

The Breitling Navitimer has seen quite a few ups and downs as far as popularity is concerned, but has stood the test of time with flying colours as an iconic watch. The Navitimer was launched in 1952 specially for pilots. The watch has many tools that were useful to a pilot in those days. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association endorsed the Breitling Navitimer. Navitimer became fully automatic in 1969 but declined in popularity towards the end of the 70s. The popularity of Navitimer took off once again in the mid-90s and has maintained its height of fame to date.

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2 comments

  1. My husband wants a Breitling, he is learning to fly

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tag watches as my favourite.

    ReplyDelete