Some watches tell the time. Others seem to take on a life of their own.
They become the watches people search for, talk about, wait years to find and, sometimes, pay considerably more for than anyone might have expected when they were first released. They are 'THE' holy grail.
But what actually turns a watch into a collectors’ piece?
There isn’t one simple answer. Rarity certainly helps, but a rare watch isn't automatically desirable. Usually, it’s a combination of history, scarcity, design, condition and, most importantly, demand.
Rarity – but the right kind of rarity
It’s easy to assume that the fewer examples of a watch there are, the more collectible it must be.
Not necessarily.
A watch needs people to actually want it. Low production numbers can add to desirability, particularly when they’re combined with an interesting story, unusual specification or connection to an important period in a brand’s history.
Limited editions can fall into this category too, although simply printing “1 of 500” on a caseback doesn’t guarantee future collector status at all.
Discontinued watches
Nothing creates quite the same sense of urgency as discovering you can’t buy something new anymore.
Once a model, dial colour, movement or reference is discontinued, the number available is effectively fixed. If demand continues – or grows – collectors start competing for the best examples.
Sometimes a watch that attracted relatively little attention while it was in production becomes considerably more interesting years later.
This is one of the reasons enthusiasts pay such close attention to changes within established watch collections.
A place in watchmaking history
History matters enormously.
Perhaps a watch introduced an important new movement. Maybe it marked a turning point for the manufacturer, was associated with motorsport, aviation, diving or space exploration, or simply represents a fascinating period in watch design.
A brilliant example is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘Zenith’.
Before Rolex introduced its own in-house Daytona movement in 2000, automatic Daytonas used a heavily modified version of Zenith's El Primero movement. These watches now represent a very particular chapter in Daytona history and have become highly sought after by collectors.
We currently have a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘Zenith’ White Dial with Box & Papers available at Watch Buyers.
Originality and condition
With collectible watches, tiny details can make a surprisingly large difference.
Collectors may look closely at the dial, hands, bezel, bracelet, movement and case to determine what is original to the watch.
Condition matters too – but that doesn't always mean making an older watch look brand new.
In fact, an original watch showing honest signs of age can sometimes be more interesting to a collector than one that has been heavily restored or polished.
That word “unpolished” can therefore be very significant.
A good example currently in our collection is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘Panda’ – Unpolished with Box & Papers 2019.
Unusual dials and configurations
Collectors love details.
A particular dial colour, unusual combination of materials, short-lived design or subtle variation can turn one reference into something much more sought after than another seemingly similar watch.
Sometimes these differences are immediately obvious. Sometimes you need to know exactly what you're looking for.
It’s part of what makes watch collecting so fascinating: two watches that appear almost identical at first glance can have very different stories – and very different levels of desirability.
The importance of a good story
Collectors don't only buy specifications.
They buy stories.
The Rolex Daytona has motorsport. The Omega Speedmaster has space exploration. Dive watches are tied to underwater adventure, while GMT watches grew from the golden age of international air travel.
A watch connected to an important person, event, technological development or moment in a manufacturer's history has something that can't simply be recreated with a new model.
And those stories often become more interesting with time.
So, is your watch collectible?
Possibly!
Age alone doesn't make a watch collectible, and neither does the name on the dial. Reference, condition, originality, rarity, provenance and current demand all need to be considered.
And occasionally, an apparently ordinary watch turns out to be rather more interesting than its owner realised.
At Watch Buyers, we’ve been buying and selling fine watches since 1994. If you have a Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, Tudor or another quality timepiece and would like to know more about it, talk to us.
Whether you're looking to sell a watch, add something special to your collection or find a particular model, we're always happy to help.
Take a look at current in stock watches here at Watch Buyers.