Investment
First and foremost, you should purchase the watch you want, but if you can secure your investment at the same time, why not? It’s one of the great advantages of buying pre-owned—to avoid the pitfalls of brand new depreciation. Depreciation slows with time, and can—as RRPs subsequently rise—completely reverse and come back the other way. It is not uncommon for a pre-owned watch, particularly from brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe, to be sold for more than it was bought for.
Budget
While a good luxury watch starts at around $1,280, there is no upper limit, so it’s good to set your sights on a particular budget and stick with it. The most popular watches sit at around the $5,120 – $6,400 mark, where you’ll find fantastic options from Rolex, Omega and Breitling. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t great options for less, Longines, TAG Heuer and Cartier included.