How to choose a watch brand
What is the best watch brand to buy?
Buying your first luxury watch or becoming a watch collector takes a little bit of research and a whole lot of gut instinct. We get a ton of emails at Watches Worship about getting into watch collecting. Luxury watches are a great investment provided you choose a good, solid watch with a compelling design and a watch brand that is sure to increase in desirability and value.
Some watch collectors only collect one particular name brand of watch. Others don’t focus specifically on name brand and go for design instead. Still others seek out one of a kind watches or “legendary watches.” Each type of collection definitely have their pros and cons. When you only collect one watch brand, you become really good at spotting great deals for that particular manufacturer. Essentially, you become an expert on one segment of watchmaking.
Other collectors that seek out unique watches make more of a gamble. Your one of a kind watch might become that one timepiece that everyone is dying to get their hands on years from now (and will pay handsomely for) or it could fade into obscurity.
Another way to collect is to seek out watches that are the most precise or first watch to feature a new technology. These watches have the capacity to become legendary to watch collectors and this will often reflect in its value.
Choose watch brands carefully
One definite thing to consider when buying a luxury watch is the reputation of the watch brand name. Profithunting sheds a little light on this topic:
The highest luxury brands are only recognized by people ‘in-the-know’, they mostly have unpronounceable European names – A Lange and Sohne, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger LeCoultre…. Only the more popular(ist) luxury brands such as Rolex, Cartier, IWC are plastered all over the place.
Different brands give different images: e.g.: sporty, elegant, technically sophisticated. You must decide how you want to present yourself to the world: Do you want to be James Bond, Tiger Woods, or some 5th generation European aristocrat speaking in ze funny accent?
How is a good brand made? After deciding on the price segment and image, its a long, slow process…5 to 10 years…of stoking demand, creating excitement, always producing slightly less than desired, and raising prices. The company needs to make sure the goods are never ‘on-sale’, either by owning their retail outlets, or buying back unsellable goods from retailers to keep them off the grey market.
Essentially, if the watch brand is willing and eager to protect its good name, then you as a collector are ensured a good investment. If you can always find your watch on sale for deep discounts, then the chances of your watch skyrocketing in value are very slim.
Best advice? Buy the watches that are irresistible to you. If you find yourself unable to resist making a purchase, the odds are spot on that someone else won’t be able to resist your investment watch when the time comes. As long as you take care of your timepieces, you can’t really go wrong in watch investing.
Happy hunting!
