Comparable to art ?
Nycwatchguy is someone you can follow on IG, a really cool profile if you want to see top-tier watchmaking and not always the same Rolex, AP and Patek watches. The link below is an article he wrote about constantly rising prices and some extreme auction results. Take it for what it’s worth, it’s just one opinion, but I definitely thought it was worth reading. And certainly worth continuing the discussion here 🙂
What’s your opinion? Comparable to art? Is it actually still very cheap compared to that? Are these price increases only the beginning? …
Well, I don't know the Art market very well, or better said, I know nothing about it, but about watches, this article sums the " sum " of our discussions quite well, here.
"Focus on your own tastes and dreams, and it will be the best way to approach this wild world." Well said, Nicolas. 💯😎
While I understand the need to talk about markets, assets, risk adjusted returns, bubbles etc. 24/7, when it comes to emotions and memories it's all irrelevant and tedious imho, thank you for the link 🙏
Except when I'm considering buying a watch, I'm not interested in watch prices, any more than I am in the price of works of art.
And ...both the art and watch markets constantly evolve through changing trends
What is also comparable to me are the trends we see. In the art world, the top artists today are very different from those who dominated 20, 50, or 100 years ago. Artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, and Banksy are now worth millions and attract global attention.
At the same time, artists who were once extremely famous and expensive, such as William-Adolphe Bouguereau or Jean-Léon Gérôme, have largely disappeared from mainstream attention. This shows how trends, taste, and cultural value constantly change over time.
The same applies to watches. Pocket watches were once the ultimate status objects. One hundred years ago, there was hardly anything else, so Breguet pocket watches and similar pieces were considered the absolute top. Today, pocket watches are barely even discussed anymore, although I do feel there is slowly some renewed interest coming back.
But we do not even have to go that far back. In the 1980s, every serious collector wanted a Rolex Bubbleback. Today, many of those pieces are almost impossible to sell. Back then, nobody really cared about steel sports Rolex models, and a Paul Newman Daytona could still be bought relatively cheaply.
Even more recently, in the early 2000s, the market and watch forums were flooded with discussions about military Subs, COMEX Subs, Red Subs, and Double Red Subs. Today, even on forums like this, you barely hear about them anymore.
Now the attention has shifted more towards the timeless classics, the established top brands that have always been respected and probably always will be, and of course the independents. From already established names like F.P. Journe to dozens of smaller independent watchmakers, that is where much of the focus is today.
Collecting stuff
Most of us “long timers” are in the same boat
Still, I’ve told my wife, “if I get hit by a bus, list the watches on WPS”
Some horology is truly hand crafted artistry, and some is mass-produced industrial design (possibly by hand) polished trying to be (rare?) art. I guess if a company makes **more than 5000***, it's probably.....
McDonalds used oil is collectable, too. Doesn't make it art, or rare.