The watch market is splitting into two very different areas, and most people are only paying attention to one of them.
The first is about the big trophy references. Daytona, Nautilus, Royal Oak. What they're trading at, where premiums have settled, whether the correction is done. That conversation gets most of the oxygen on social media and in collector forums. It's not unimportant, but it's also the most picked over part of the market. Every serious buyer already knows those references. The edge there is thin.
The second conversation is quieter and more interesting. It's about the brands and references that were overlooked during the boom because they didn't deliver the short-term gains flippers were chasing. Solid houses with real heritage and genuine movement quality that simply weren't fashionable enough to attract speculative money.
That's where the best buying opportunities are right now. Not because these watches are cheap, but because they're priced on merit rather than momentum. The collector base behind them knows these pieces and is willing to wait to find the right one. The secondary market on these references is rational in a way that the trophy segment isn't.
The buyers who do well in the next few years are going to be the ones paying attention to the second conversation. Not because the first one is wrong, but because the interesting work has already moved on.
What's a reference you think is flying under the radar right now? If you're searching for one, I can help!
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WRITTEN BY JOHN MARCHIANDO — JUST WIND IT, NORTON SHORES, MICHIGAN