Horological Meandering

Lately I have been thinking about which watches that are being produced today and in the last 10 years will be sought after 30 years from now, sold for high prices at auctions, and stand the test of time. With so many watches being produced each year I th... 

...any time in the past 50 years, and in the next hundred years, when people who appreciate fine watchmaking would not have sought out, or will not seek out, and admire the work of Dufour, Voutilainen and their ilk. Cheers, pplater.

What is your opinion on RM, Uwerk, MB&F, etc? Will they still be popular and well thought of or will people be wondering why the hell we were buying these watches and what the watchmaker was smoking when he/she came up with these designs? Stewart

with more modern designs is this: Modern innovative designs are popular to some because they are new, different, and deviate from the status quo. In thirty years there will be watchmakers continuing to push the envelope with new ideas and interpretations ... 

I hadn't thought of that--and I would bet you are dead right. These kind of wild, 'out there' watches are desirable because of how crazy they are, compared to now, not necessarily compared to what will be '30 years ago'... (if that makes sense!) Good poin... 

well said.

Look at the prices many beautifully engraved English pocket watches go for. These were examples of haute horlogerie with hand engraved balance wheel covers, screwed chatons, enamel dials. Amazing hand craft but not very desirable to the majority of collec... 

I would see two categories: 1/ Timeless watches, which will, by definition, always " travel well in time ". 2/ Innovative watches, such as the Freak, for example. Best, Nicolas.

The first is trends and what is in fashion at the time. Pocket watches and small vintage wrist watches are less in demand at the moment, for example, and so larger vintage pieces that were considered atypical in their day are more acceptable now. The seco... 

Who knows what level of skill/availability of watchmakers will be around in 30 years...? And that factor could inform whether you want to risk owning a piece that perhaps could not be serviced, or that could only be serviced by a few watchmakers on the pl... 

My cents: 1) It depends, strongly, on the future parts availability. Rolex "bubble back" had a strong push, years back, until the owners faced parts challenge. Today, at least where I live, a "bubble back" does not receive any attention. I just wonder if ... 

I never trust the auctions--the results are too often fabricated, the brands buy their own watches, etc. Or various sellers in conspiracy with each other make sure certain brands stay on top--to insure that their careers selling these brands or models sta... 

Based on some of the responses to the posed question I want to clarify a few things. One, as ztirual says, collect what you like. I was not asking an opinion on what I should buy or that we should buy certain watches that will be worth alot in the future.... 

If what you buy is of very good quality (lest's keep it that vague, and note that this is not an objective factor) and in very good condition (a pre-requisite!), then there is a chance for what you have loved (that's already something) will be appreciated... 

the originally launched rolex explorer 2 or patek nautilus?

Vintage PP are extremely popular now, so I would expect today's PP will be popular in the future. I imagine the same will be true for Rolex. Good choices. Stewart

Not popular Rolex models during their time. Milgauss only appealed to lab technicians, scientists , not popular and discontinued for many years. Explorer 1655 ( Steve McQueen ) and the Rolex Daytona in the 70's . These now fetch high prices due to their r... 

Brands like MB and F and Urwerk and others may never be classics... but I was thinking... why would they want to be? Isn't their reason to exist a whole other thing? Would I make a car with 5 and a half tires hoping it would be a classic? Would that be my... 

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Hi Mostel, I like your analogy of watches and art. In the Art world, the classics, modern and contemporary coexist beautifully and are sought by Art collectors worldwide. Contemporary art sold at auctions and from commercial art galleries fetches very hig... 

Again, this is just fun speculation, not investment advice on what to buy that will be worth alot in the future. You should definitely buy what you like, unless you are going to keep your watches factory sealed in a safe, then it doesn't matter. I want to... 

I think that I am already on the record as an advocate for "authenticity" and integrity/coherence as critical determinants of value (and appeal to yours truly). That said, the question of what will be seen as valuable in 30 years' time is a bit trickier! ... 

will be popular in the future. One, there aren't as many of their pieces produced. Two, when these watchmakers have passed away, their watches will become that much more valuable. My favorite independent is Roger Smith, unfortunately I don't think I can't...