The second time around: Meet the men who run the pre-owned luxury watch market
After thousands of people queued around the world earlier this year to get their hands on the avant-garde Audemars Piguet x Swatch, Royal Pop collaboration, collectors have been carefully following the second-hand market. Now, two leading watch experts share their secrets of what and when to buy.
The pre-owned luxury watch market remains robust and competitive, with Rolex still dominating the secondary market. According to Chrono24's 2026 Rolex Report, the Swiss brand accounts for around 30% of transaction volume on the platform. Other prestigious brands like Cartier, Tudor, and Patek Philippe have also gained traction in recent years, particularly among younger buyers who are drawn to more refined dress watches with smaller case sizes.
While vintage watches are still a significant part of the market, accounting for roughly three-quarters of all activity, the trend press has shifted focus towards classical proportions and more refined, dress-oriented timepieces. Smaller cases and louder dials have gained momentum, with women playing a more prominent role in this development. However, smaller watches are not necessarily a passing fad; rather, they represent a design trend that could still become the centre of the market.
Investing in watches is inherently uncertain, but buyers can gauge a watch's resilience by assessing its liquidity, condition, originality, production volume, and the strength of the brand or watchmaker. Rather than trying to predict which watch will take off next, it is advisable for collectors to assess their existing collection, the role the next watch should play, and to purchase a strong example at a sensible price.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
