It is also true of Rolex though. Go into any Rolex shop and you can walk out with as many Oyster Perpetuals as you can carry. The windows are full of them. The Rolex shop that looked down on Mrs Soap when she inquired about a submariner were pushing a 20 grand yachtmaster at her. List price because it was a Rolex shop. But 20 grand is PP, AP and Vacheron territory. (Still wearing my 30 year old Breitling!)

Like I already said, it's a highly manipulated false market presently in bubble territory. To be avoided.

Well - I shall continue to keep my 29 year old Breitling and my 14 year old Baume and Mercier in the sock drawer...

I do think so many of these watches are very 'pretty' - but I just can't get my head around price and value - because I have never understood 'fashion'

will keep wearing my Apple Watch as I love all its gadgets

As I've said on another thread about this subject, I love all things mechanical and have a collection of watches, clocks and barographs for the sheer pleasure of it, some bought at auction but most trickling down through the family. I am ardently of the view that all these things should be used for their intended purpose - paintings/sculpture/artwork should be on display, watches and jewellery should be worn etc - and the concept of "store of value" is a bit soul-destroying, particularly if these things then get locked away.

I note that many of the recent posts are talking about watches bought new from retailers. Given the mark-up on retail, I can't think how anyone would think that was a good 'investment', at least in the short term. Surely 'investors' should be looking at auctions for good pre-owned models?

Thanks, Joe. Well I'm obviously a bit green around the gills as I have very recently bought my wife a Rolex to celebrate a Very Big Birthday (I won't say!) and although I shopped around I was told very firmly that Rolex NEVER discount their prices. What do I know?!

Well, like many people during the last 18 months, whilst stuck at home I spent way too long looking at stuff or dreaming of stuff to buy. As someone who likes watches I also explored buying them as investments. I came to the conclusion that unless you were already ensconced with the AD of a brand, then you had no chance of getting your hands on a new model at retail. It seems that luxury watches were a boom in the pandemic, with a lot of people stuck at home and nothing else to spend their money on they turned to luxury goods. Also things like steel sports watches (Rolex Sub no date) have become hot, in part due to Instagram and other social media platforms, FOMO etc. I am not a big fan of Rolex and prefer simpler designs so looked at other brands. As mentioned F.P. Journe are rare and took my fancy but are also extremely hot at the moment. There is a certain draw to using your boring funds to buy something exotic like a car or a fancy watch, yet it is still an appreciating investment. FPJ's chronometer blue for example was retailing for £23k but on the secondary market selling for +£40 in March. (Now the same model is at £70 touching £80k.) I had considered getting one of these but there no chance at the AD. Even if I could then I would have to sell some perfectly good funds from my ISA to fund this. Then there is the problem of liquidity – how quickly can I sell the watch if I needed the cash? How long would I have to wait for the watch to appreciate (assuming I was buying on the secondary market)? Is this a bubble? I would also have to explain to my other half why I had spent $20k+ on a watch when we should be buying a new cellar conversion, a car or a new kitchen.

If I grossed +20K then I should pay capital gains. How do I get the money back into my ISA etc……. I stayed with the ‘boring’ funds.

On the watch forums this topic comes up fairly regularly and the overriding response is never buy watches for investments. Buy them to enjoy and wear them.