A watch used to sell itself just by being rare. That doesn’t work anymore.
Two auction results from the past couple weeks say more than any press release could. A no-reserve Rolex Oyster Perpetual “100 Years,” which should have been an easy win given the anniversary story, missed its ask by over 44%. An A. Lange & Söhne Langematik Perpetual came in 57% below ask.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg pointed out this week that Panerai, a brand built almost entirely on size and rarity, is struggling for buyer interest even as the broader secondary market rebounds, while Cartier and Vacheron Constantin are seeing real enthusiasm. A bummer for me, as Panerai is one of my favorite brands...
I’ve spent some time in watch trading, and I see a similar lesson play out in many deals: scarcity used to be a pitch on its own. Now buyers want to know why something is scarce, not just that it is. A story, a use case, a reason it fits their life. “Limited edition” without a compelling why is starting to sound like an excuse instead of a selling point.
Watches that are wearable, versatile, and easy to justify are winning. Watches that ask you to just trust the hype are having a rougher year.
WRITTEN BY JOHN MARCHIANDO — JUST WIND IT, NORTON SHORES, MICHIGAN