How To Buy Your First Luxury Watch: Time to Level Up

Are you ready to invest in a true upscale timepiece? It’s a big decision with many factors to consider. Let me simplify this intimidating process for you!

How To Buy Your First Luxury Watch (Plus 5 Great Options)-1

So you’ve decided to buy your first luxury watch. Congratulations! Even deciding to buy is a big step. You’re going to have this watch forever. It may become a family heirloom so you may pass it on to your son. It may even ignite a passion to start a watch collection and invest in more high-end models.

Regardless of what comes out of this first acquisition, you have a lot to think about. You may need to do research, consult professionals or those who know more than you, and maybe even save up.

Even more, I know this whole process can be intimidating. The world of watches, in general, can be intimidating. Don’t be intimidated. You’ll find that this journey can actually be incredibly fun. And not to wax poetic, but it could potentially be pretty meaningful, too!What Is a Luxury Watch? (H2)

In a nutshell, luxury timepieces boast the pinnacle of craftsmanship and high-end materials. They’re built to last, often featuring a high level of hand craftsmanship.

They’re reliable and precise and might feature complex complications or an iconic design. For example, the Omega Seamaster Pro 300 is a well-built quartz watch that you can often find on the secondary market for around $3,000. This isn’t as expensive as an automatic entry-level Submariner, which can cost at least $10,000. Still, Omega crafts the Seamaster well. They built it to last and, most importantly, with an iconic design that’s made a huge cultural impact.

Often, a luxury watch is built traditionally by artisans. It can also be a new, innovative model flaunting the latest technologies.

So, to sum up luxury watches, you should look for the following:

Premium craftsmanship (water resistance, sapphire crystal, strong case metal), a watch built to last, precision and accuracy, and aspirational design.
Handcrafted and rooted in tradition.
An iconic, recognizable model.
Swiss Made. There are specific laws that qualify a Swiss-made watch. Moreover, since Switzerland is the capital of watchmaking, these watches are often considered the best. However, you can also find excellent luxury watches elsewhere, like Japan and Germany.
Feature a simple, timeless design.
It features a complex, difficult-to-build composition with a lot of complications.
Feature innovative and forward-thinking design
Comes from a brand name and, therefore, possibly a good investment piece

As you consider your first luxury watch pick, remember to determine which elements are most important to you.

Table of Contents

Entry Level Luxury Watches: Where To Start Your Search

While all luxury watches cost a pretty penny, you can also consider entry-level luxury watches. They won’t be cheap, but you certainly won’t be dropping half a million at auction.

An entry-level luxury watch might be the least expensive option from a high-end brand. For example, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the previously mentioned quartz Omega Seamaster, or even a quartz Cartier Tank. These might range from $3,000 to $15,000.

Or you can go for an “affordable luxury brand” that often sells their mid-priced or high-priced pieces for an even lower cost. Of course, the term affordable luxury can be highly subjective. I believe it means a brand that builds horologically sound timepieces that will last forever. It doesn’t have to be built with Patek-level, hundred-patent scrupulousness. But it has to be worth the price.

Here are two places to start if you’re considering entry-level luxury watches.

Going for the Cheapest From a High Luxury Brand

If you go for the cheapest piece from a high-luxury brand, often it means you’re interested in joining that brand. Perhaps you love the idea of a Rolex or find the Cartier Tank’s square case highly compelling.

Those are perfectly legitimate reasons to want to go luxury. Some high-end brands, like Omega and Cartier, make quartz versions of their tentpole designs, which are much cheaper.

Or, for brands like Rolex or Patek, you can go vintage. This is a big Rolex cheat code that few consider. Search for defunct vintage models from your favorite brands on the secondary market (like eBay or Chrono24). You might find watches from the ‘40, ‘50s, and ‘60s for as low as $1,500! Granted, these aren’t investment pieces. Nor are they going to usually come with boxes and paperwork. However, since they aren’t in-demand models, no one really ever tries to fake them. You can also tell from their worn construction that they’re truly vintage.

Many of these vintages even boast the recognizable features of today’s icons. The Rolex Royal is a good example. Some versions have the baton indices of the Oyster Perpetual. Some have the Arabic cardinals of the Explorer. Still, they all feature the Rolex crown at the 12.

Navigating “Affordable Luxury” Brands

Brands like Tissot, Bulova, and Movado aren’t luxury brands. Meanwhile, workhorse watchmakers like Seiko and Citizen do, in fact, boast solid craftsmanship but aren’t exactly Patek Philippe or Vacheron.

Still, if you dig, you’ll find pieces that check off many of the “luxury watch prerequisites” above. For example, Bulova’s higher-end Frank Sinatra models are built with automatic movements and have a timeless vintage-inspired design that the Sinatra family contributes to. At $1,000 to $2,000, they’re considered cheap in the luxury realm.

Since Citizen owns Bulova, you get American archive designs with disciplined, Japanese horological chops. If you want a Swiss-made timepiece, Tissot is a great brand to turn to. The Tissot Telemeter 1983, for instance, has a fun, retro-cool design and an in-house automatic movement, costing just over $2,000.

Going for a luxury option from a non-luxury brand takes more navigating. However, going to their website and ordering their range from most to least expensive is one way to start. Then, you can go on forums and secondary markets to further elucidate their offerings.

Should You Consider Luxury Watch Rental?

Best-Breitling-Watches — Source: Breitling

If you want to test drive some luxury pieces, you might consider luxury watch rentals as an option. Depending on your budget, some programs are more worth it than others. Some charge more for the membership, others for the rental itself.

The Watch Lending Club is a good example. They have five membership tiers, so you can join based on your budget. Even their entry-level membership, the Bronze Club, grants you access to pieces like the Breitling SuperOcean, the Omega Seamaster, and even a Rolex Oysterdate. It’s only $150 a month. That’s the price of one fashion watch. And you get 90 days to enjoy each watch you rent. Meanwhile, their Corporate Access, the highest tier, is $1,500 a month.

Acquired Time is another luxury rental option that allows you to rent watches individually. You can rent an Omega Seamaster or Panerai PAM 61 for $175 a month. Or, you can rent a Rolex GMT Master II Rootbeer for $575 a month. You’re definitely paying a small fraction of the actual cost of the watch to rent it. This isn’t worth it for some of you. However, if it is, it’s a good way to see how it wears.

As someone with experience with watches, I’d rather just go into the boutique. After an hour of wearing it around the store, I can tell if I want it or not. Regardless of your experience with watches, you may be able to do this, too. Trust your instinct!

Or, you might consider a local watch rental. Cities like New York and Philadelphia often have local enthusiast clubs you can join that offer this.

Now, perhaps one of the most important questions — where is the best place to buy a luxury watch?

Where Is the Best Place To Buy a Luxury Watch?

At the end of the day, the best place to buy a luxury watch is through an authorized dealer or the brand boutique themselves. These days, you’ll be paying a huge premium. But you’ll also get peace of mind, all the boxes and papers, and a pretty cool experience. The other downside to this safe route is the possibility of waitlists, which may especially be true for first-time watch buyers.

Another option is going the luxury auction route. Though Christie’s and Sotheby’s are intimidating to many newbies, anyone can buy from their auctions. It’s even easier these days now that online auctions are so common.

Of course, there are always secondary and gray markets on the internet. Jomashop collects leftover, unsold models from authorized dealers. Meanwhile, eBay has come a long way. Once a risky place to buy anything luxury, it now has authentication programs and guarantees.

FAQs

Before you pull the trigger on a high-ticket item like a luxury watch, you want to be sure that all of your questions have been answered. You want to be sure you have all your questions answered.

Is a Luxury Watch a Good Investment?

People have certainly made money owning certain watches at certain times. But watches are only a shade safer than Beanie Babies as an investment. Famous top-of-the-line models have seen price uptrends spanning decades, but they are still collectible doodads, valuable only as long as they can hold a market’s interest. Investing in something more stable is probably better, but you can make a profit if you spring for certain pieces.

How Much Should You Spend on Your First Luxury Watch?

This is largely dependent on how much money is at your disposal. However, starting in the $1,000-$5,000 range, you’ll find plenty of pieces with premium finishing and looks to suit any taste. Starting at that low end of the segment, you’ll get a chance to develop your taste without blowing up your savings account.

How Much Do I Need To Buy a Rolex?

If it’s Rolex you want, you’ll usually need at least $9,000. That’s about where the cheapest model, the Oyster Perpetual, sits right now. Prices will inflate if you’re buying off the second-hand market, but you’ll get one sooner that way than joining an authorized dealer’s waitlist. If you want to go even cheaper, try looking for defunct vintage models on eBay.

Is Tissot a Luxury Watch Brand?

No, but they have a few entry-level luxury models. Tissot’s timepieces qualify to be labeled “Swiss Made,” use high-quality materials, and have luxury looks. But they aren’t hand-made, and the brand bases their movements on generic ETA calibers, not developed in-house. With prices on popular mechanical models hovering around $1,000, Tissot watches have some qualities of luxury watches while remaining on the affordable end of the segment.

Are Designer Watches Worth It?

When you buy watches from designer luxury goods brands like Gucci, Armani, and Chanel, most of your money is likely being spent on the brand name. They’ve certainly gotten better, and certain brands have their own in-house horology departments. If you want to go this route, look for those brands.

Conclusion: Join the Club of Luxury Watch Collectors

The best part of owning your first luxury watch? The community. You get to join a community of enthusiasts. Or, you get to start your own. To me, the best community one can create involves their own friends and family. I loved inheriting my dad’s watches, and I can’t wait to pass them on to my future son one day.

You also have to choose a watch that’s meaningful to you. Remember, the main reasons we wear watches are for style and stories. A watch can represent who you are or who you want to be!

Questions? Comments?

Entry Level Luxury Watches: Where To Start Your Search