IS NOW THE TIME
TO BUY?
When is a good time?
As with stocks and shares, it would be wonderful to know, wouldn’t it? But as with art, wine and vintage cars etc, we would advise buying what you like when it’s available at a price which seems sensible, and you can afford. It’s better to develop your taste so you will always remain happy, whatever happens to prices and the market. This way, if your watch doesn’t immediately increase in value as much you might have hoped, you’ll continue to enjoy it until eventually it does. The sensible approach is to enjoy your watch and treat it as a passive investment. A vintage watch is a rewarding and useful tangible asset which has previously gone through its depreciation curve, so it is bound to increase over time.
Is now a good time to invest in vintage watches? Market demand from collectors has grown steadily since the mid-1990s and vintage watches have seen exponential growth over the past ten years, particularly at the higher end of the market. Predicting what to buy and when, is fun but largely a matter of luck, unless you have a talent for it and years of experience. The truth is, no one really knows for sure, but there are some golden rules. Look for widely respected brands and models, then buy what you like. Let your taste and experience develop as time and budgets allow. A good vintage watch dealer will help and advise you with this. And treat you fairly if you wish to part-exchange and invest in something more expensive in the future.
Time to think about our assets
Cash is king? Once, perhaps. But as the U.S. and Europe have been printing money faster than ever over the past 20 years cash has been devaluing, and simply becoming too expensive to own. Meanwhile, commodities, tangible assets and gold are rising faster than ever.
Land, of course, has always risen in value; as they say, while more people want it, they’re not making it anymore! The same is true with vintage watches. While interest in vintage watches has risen dramatically over the past 20 years, finite supply means prices have and will inevitably climb higher. Now, add uncertainty over world events to the results of quantitive easing and we have the perfect conditions for vintage gold watches to further move forward over the next three to five years.
So, while vintage gold watch prices may seem a little expensive today, on reflection they may feel a bargain compared to the prices of say three or five years’ time.
Final thoughts..
In times of uncertainty, there are few things safer and more reliable to invest in than a vintage gold watch. When things get really bad, stocks crash, currencies devalue, and houses become illiquid and drop in value. But there’s nothing more certain than a vintage watch, particularly one in a precious metal. It will bring a smile to one’s face and if necessary may well return a handsome investment.
Properly cared for, a vintage gold watch will last and run forever and never lose its value or fascination. And, if things go well and you never need to sell it, you’ll pass it on to bring equal joy to the next generation.
