Geldanlage: Rolex’ Marktanteil sinkt – welche Luxusuhren jetzt gefragt sind

The luxury watch market is evolving, becoming more diverse, as revealed by a study conducted by Chrono24 and shared with the Handelsblatt. Rolex, along with other classic brands, is now attracting a broader range of collectors. This shift is particularly evident in the case of Rolex. While one in two sold watches on the online marketplace used to be Rolex four years ago, it is now less than one in three.

The current figures from the world's largest online marketplace for pre-owned luxury watches also show that female customers tend to be more loyal to their brand. Thirty-seven percent of all female customers still prefer Rolex, compared to about thirty percent of male buyers. What is currently in demand in the market for luxury watches?

The brands Cartier and Omega are increasingly popular, with French-Swiss brand Cartier being particularly favored. It offers three well-known models, the Tank, the Panthère, and the Santos, which are currently very sought-after according to various dealers. Rolex's sales figures, on the other hand, are on the decline. However, expert Balazs Ferenczi, who analyzes watch brands at Chrono24, knows the reasons behind this.

During the pandemic, there was a hype around the Swiss watchmaker that later declined. This trend is confirmed by Joram Scher, the co-owner of the Munich watch shop Bachmann Scher. He confirms that many newcomers were active in the market at that time and bought Rolex, along with other highly sought-after brands like Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.

The market share of these brands increased, and their prices also rose. However, with the end of the pandemic, the market normalized, and prices for individual Rolex models and many other luxury watches fell again. A trend reversal has only been observed for two years, where prices no longer skyrocketed as they did during the pandemic.

Today, collectors and enthusiasts again drive the market. Expert Ferenczi describes the changed buying behavior: "Today's buyers distribute their money more consciously, and this benefits brands like Cartier, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin," he says. Younger buyers, in particular, show more interest in so-called dress watches, slim models made of gold or other precious metals with leather straps.

Rolex can also cater to this demand. "We should never underestimate the strength of Rolex," says Ferenczi. "If someone wants to buy a single, really excellent watch, Rolex is the obvious choice, for both men and women." According to Chrono24, the Datejust and Oyster Perpetual models, available in smaller case sizes, account for 28.3 percent of all Rolex purchases from men.

More than half of all sold Rolex watches are one of these two model groups from female customers. The highest price increase was observed for a watch that doesn't fit the trend towards more delicate watches made of precious metals. The average price of a GMT-Master II, nicknamed Pepsi due to its red-blue bezel, increased by 24 percent within the year to just under 23,000 euros.

It has since left all other watch models behind on the platform. The reason is that, according to Ferenczi, the model is now in demand among collectors and is particularly sought-after.