Secondhand luxury watch prices slump to near two-year low after a pandemic run

Prices for luxury watches are near a two-year low on the secondhand market, reversing a rally that brought timepieces like Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet to record highs during the pandemic.

The average price of a watch sold secondhand has fallen 31% since March 2022, according to WatchCharts, a luxury watch price tracker. At the market’s peak, the average price of a luxury watch sold secondhand soared to $45,108, with buyers paying up to five times the retail value for in-demand watches.

“It was an unprecedented time in history where people were home captive. You also had a little bit of cryptocurrency and bitcoin run-up,” said Paul Altieri, CEO of watch resale site Bob’s Watches. “What’s going on now is a happy, healthy correction.”

During the pandemic, many people who were stuck at home and flushed with stimulus cash took to luxury spending. With so many watch models unavailable at retail, enthusiasts flocked to the secondhand market.

“It was interesting that the price hike mainly happened among three family-owned brands: Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. But we did not see this for most of the other brands last year,” said Tim Stracke, CEO of Chrono24, a German-based online marketplace for pre-owned watches. 

Now, individuals have been flooding the market with the very same inventories, dragging down overall prices. The downturn was particularly stark for iconic models like Rolex’s Daytona, Patek Philippe’s Nautilus and Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, according to Stracke. 

“When prices reach these super high levels, that also attracts a lot more sellers, so the supply of the most iconic pieces from the three brands tripled within just five or six months,” said Stracke. 

Experts have been warning that a luxury watch bubble could burst along with cryptocurrency and other trendy pandemic…