Fratello Talks: Watch Market Update
Welcome to the antepenultimate episode of Fratello Talks in 2023. Before wrapping up the year, we thought we’d do a little bit of housekeeping. So today, Nacho, RJ, and Lex are here to bring you a watch market update. Before settling into the holidays, it’s good to look back at the year we’ll soon be leaving behind. And one thing that really caught our eye is the current shift in the state of the watch market. The prices of new watches have grown like never before, playing catch-up with the over-inflated pre-owned market. Now, as the latter softens, we reach a tipping point. There will be winners, and there will be losers. Only one thing is for sure: the guys have killer watches on their wrists. Let’s check them out!
Wrist check
We start with RJ, who is wearing his Breguet Tradition. Having recently returned from service, it’s looking fresh and ready for some quality time on the wrist. He currently enjoys wearing it on a custom-made dark blue lizard strap from ABP. It’s a perfect match for the 18K yellow gold case.
Lex has gone for something in steel. Today, he’s wearing his Omega Speedmaster. This is reference 3594.50, which features Broad Arrow hands and a steel bezel. He’s currently strapping it on with a perforated pigskin strap from Joseph Bonnie.
And finally, for the sake of relevance to today’s topic, Nacho is wearing a borrowed Rolex Explorer 114270. It’s not his favorite Rolex or even his favorite Explorer, for that matter. But it is one that is hard to fault. At 36mm in diameter, it’s an equally versatile, well-made, and timeless classic.
Fratello Talks: Watch Market Update
For those of you keeping score, you’ll likely already be familiar with how the market stands today. Websites that aggregate pre-owned watch sale prices, such as ChronoPulse, show it clearly enough. If you look at the last year, the downward trend is evident. However, it’s more interesting to look at the last three years.
There’s a clear spike in the market that took place during the pandemic. And after the steep jump, we see a gradual decline over the last year and a half. There’s no need to ring alarm bells just yet, but these trends do have an impact on both collectors and the wider industry. If you want to know more, listen to the episode as the guys cover this multifaceted topic.
As always, leave your thoughts in the comments down below. Tune in next week for the penultimate Fratello Talks episode of 2023!
