{
  "id": 826904,
  "title": "Investment: Who buys a luxury watch for hundreds of thousands of euros, Mr. Scher?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/geldanlage-wer-kauft-eine-luxusuhr-fur-hunderttausende-euro-herr-scher",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-14T02:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/anlagestrategie/trends/geldanlage-wer-kauft-eine-luxusuhr-fuer-hunderttausende-euro-herr-scher/100245011.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Queuing for a watch? If Swatch initiates a collaboration with a prestigious brand like Omega, Blancpain, or Audemars Piguet, that can happen, because the models are limited and in high demand, especially among young people. For the latest collaboration between Swatch and Omega, buyers didn't have to queue up, but instead had to fill out an application online.\n\nJoram Scher has been dealing in luxury second-hand watches for over 30 years and knows the industry like few others. In an interview, he explains whether queuing up is worth it, which models are always in demand, and why the most expensive watches sometimes don't look so expensive.\n\nRead the full interview with Joram Scher here:\n\nMr. Scher, have you ever queued up or applied to get a watch?\nJoram Scher: No.\n\nThen you can't understand the hype around some Swatch collaborations with brands like Omega or Audemars Piguet?\nOh, I can understand people who queue up for those. I find these watches interesting and have even gotten some through an employee. But in terms of watchmaking, these watches are below your level. The Omega Moonswatch is a battery-powered watch. That's not for our customers, who want mechanical watches.\n\nBut I do wear a Blancpain from the collaboration with Swatch when I exercise.\n\nDon't Omega and Co. damage their image by collaborating with the plastic watch brand Swatch?\nI think they're generally beautiful entry-level watches. My son, for example, has a Moonswatch. He could, of course, borrow one of my mechanical watches and wear it to work, but at his age, he'd quickly be suspected of being a snob.\n\nThe markets are about generating future customers and getting them excited so that when they have more money later, they can afford the \"real\" watches from Omega and Co.\n\nI also think that the price-performance ratio is great in these collaborations, and these watches will probably be worth double or triple their value by now.\n\nAre they then real collector's items?\nCompared to the stock market, those are penny stocks. 600 euros for the current Moonswatch is not a penny stock in my opinion. But compared to real collector's watches, it is. Because if I turn 600 euros into 1200 or 1800 euros, that's not worth mentioning among watch collectors.\n\nTake, for example, that you need a new strap for such a watch. That costs 100 or 200 euros, and then a good part of your collector's return is gone.\n\nWhen do collectors start?\nUsually at high four-figure or rather five-figure euro amounts, and the scale is open upwards. We have customers who buy watches worth several hundred thousand euros every year, and some expect the value of these watches to increase again.\n\nFor many, it's not about the return, but rather about owning the watch. That's then comparable to a hunting trophy.\n\nWhat are the classic trophies?\nFirst of all, we currently have a division in the watch market. To compare it to the food retail market, one could say that Aldi is doing poorly and a gourmet store like Dallmayr is doing excellently.\n\nWhich brands would you put where?\nI already hear the first ones saying, \"Scher is arrogant,\" but brands like Tissot, Longines, Rado...\n\n...so watches that cost around 1000 euros in the store...\nare not frequently bought at the moment. On the other hand, small brands like FP Journe, Moser & Cie, or Lange & Söhne achieve sometimes seven-figure prices at auctions.\n\nIf you look at auction results, then it's the year of world records. I think that such watches have never achieved these prices at auctions before. Recently, I took an old FP Journe for over a quarter of a million euros on commission, for which my customer had paid 47,000 euros seven years ago.\n\nWhat makes these watches so special?\nThey are extremely rare. Sometimes there are only 20 watches in a series. On the other hand, they are extremely sophisticated and filigree in terms of craftsmanship.\n\nWho seriously gets such a watch?\nThese are usually people who already have everything and don't want to stand out as a carrier of an expensive watch.\n\nThere are models from manufacturers like Richard Mille that don't look like they cost 300,000 euros at first glance because of their colorful cases. But if you wear an expensive watch, you also want to make a statement.\n\nThe statement for these people is that nobody knows the brand and maybe two out of a thousand passersby will turn around and nod in recognition.\n\nSuch watches also give those who wear them a feeling of security: A Rolex would be snatched from your wrist in certain areas, not an FP Journe.\n\nNow you've finally mentioned the name Rolex. Why do almost everyone want a Rolex?\nWhether everyone wants a Rolex is a matter of debate. Rolex is probably the most well-known watch brand and the manufacturer that best masters the art of scarcity.\n\nWhat does that mean in concrete terms?\nGo into a Rolex store and say you want to take the watch on the left in the front window. Then you'll be told that you can buy this watch in several months or maybe even in a year or two and that you'll be put on a waiting list.\n\nYou'll also pay more than what's listed next to the watch in the window.\n\nWhat premium are we talking about?\nIn the past, Rolex prices have increased by an average of 10 percent per year.\n\nAre these price increases justified?\nA Rolex is extremely durable. That means the movement works for decades. So...",
  "summary": "Joram Scher sometimes sells watches that cost more than a single-family home. In an interview, he explains what makes these watches special and how to find your \"life watch\" for less money.",
  "key_points": [
    "Joram Scher, luxury watch expert, comments on Swatch collaborations with high-end brands",
    "Limited-edition watches considered entry-level, generating brand interest",
    "Appreciation potential often exceeds initial purchase price"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Buying luxury watches like Rolex or Richard Mille for hundreds of thousands of euros is for some a statement of exclusivity and appreciation for craftsmanship, and for others a savvy investment.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}