Dino944
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Yes, its a heavily Rolex oriented thread, but keep in mind the fact that there is a lot of high end clothing here doesn't mean its all suits and tuxedos. There is plenty of nice sports wear on the forum. Sure you could wear a Calatrava with more casual clothing, but a lot of people like to wear sportier watches with their sports wear/casual wear. Not to mention, other than in a few businesses, there isn't as much use or need for suits and ties as their were decades ago. So if people tend to own more causal or business casual clothing, they may find a Rolex or Rolexes suit their needs more than Calatravas or Patrimonys. Sure one can pick up a Royal Oak, Overseas, or Nautilus, but for some of us, having one does the trick. While there are different models of say the Nautilus the only ones that I like are the 5711 and the 512/A1...I could do without the others. I have a RO 15202ST and I love it and it gets a lot of wrist time. Maybe someday I'd add a chronograph...but I don't need 4 or 6 ROs...some are just too similar. While I could have a GMT, a Daytona, a Datejust, and a Sub in the same collection and find them different enough to enjoy and use each without finding them redundant.
If nothing needs replacing the cost from Rolex USA is $1,200...if the crown or other parts need replacing the price goes up.
Its possible, but it unless you buy mass quantities those gains probably will not be significant enough to make a difference in your lifestyle or portfolio.
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The first watch brand mentioned in the title of the thread is actually Rolex...so I'm not sure why you are so surprised by the amount or Rolex discussion is here. Yes it is a tool watch, but just as clothing and on some level etiquette and how people do or don't dress for dinner out has evolved over the decades so have Roles watches, their wearability, and their value in the collectible market. They aren't just watches that people buy and wear to go diving, hiking, or racing, they are often worn with sport jackets or suits, or for some they sit in safe deposit boxes (although that doesn't sound like much fun). In addition, they tend to be more affordable than Patek or AP, so they are easier for most hard working guys to save up for and own/maintain. That often leads to it being one of the first very good brands that potential collectors get into when buying a good watch (it was for me).
Anyway, stick around the discussions often go into other brands or if you go back to older posts there are plenty of discussions on various Royal Oaks, Reversos, Pateks, Panerais, IWCs, and other brands.
I always say, buy what you love and if it goes down in value you wont' be disappointed as you will still have a watch you really love, and if it goes up in value then you will be pleasantly surprised by a watch you love.
Thanks for the very kind words! I've been into watches since I was a teenager, so yes some of what I've learned is from many years of research and or interactions with people in the industry. Mrs. Dino just thinks I'm a crazy and a probably a bit of a horder...so I have old catalogs and other things from back in the days when most people just bought the watch and then threw away the catalogs.
I agree wholeheartedly with the theory of buying the things that put a big smile on your face.
Even if you've done well with sports cars, as you know all markets fluctuate and change. Up until maybe the last year or so for the 3+ years prior, the market for older Porsches and Ferraris was incredibly strong. But the market for sports cars has softened in the last 6 months to a year. Also, as the generations that sought certain models gets older and either retires or stops driving, or they die off, the market for certain models or market segments can get soft (muscle cars). In addition, although one can restore a car (and generally restored cars are not worth as much as an all original super low mileage version), one can buy, restore, and sell cars and usually make a profit if you know what you are doing.
Watches are a very different market. Originality is key, more so than on a car. You can repaint a car with tired paint and often increase its value. Redoing or replacing a dial on a watch, kills its value. The market for watches, can be affected by outside forces (just as with cars) say if the global economy has a melt down...all the sudden there are not as many people with disposable income to buy watches and cars. Sure there are legendary watches like the old manual wind Daytonas with Paul Newman/"Exotic" dials, that are unlikely to drop in value, as they are already well into six figures...and how much room is left for additional appreciation is hard to say. Whose to say that in a decade or two, it won't fall from favor and be seen as too small and drop in value. There simply are no guarantees. There is a wide variety of watches and some are certainly more collectible than others. However, it really takes a lot of time and experience to buy things and amass a collection that doesn't lose money, especially if you are talking about putting a large some of money into watches as an investment. Wishing you luck with whatever you do with your watch collection or investing.
As for clothing vs watches and this isn't directed at you-I like nice clothing, and there is an enjoyment one can derive from looking good and liking what you are wearing. However if one sinks 20K into a wardrobe vs. 20K into a watch...in 10 years you can still get a good amount of money out of most watches, and in some cases (if you hold a watch long enough, it may bounce back from any depreciation and be worth at least what you paid or a bit more) . With clothing, there is a limit to what people will pay to wear your old shoes and suits, even if they are from top brands. I have friends who love John Lobb and EG but say, they don't care who the shoe maker is, they would never pay money to wear something someone else's sweaty feet have been in ...so the value and market for pre-owned high end clothing/shoes can be rather limited.
