- Chrono24 analyzes the performance of the secondary market for luxury watches in the second quarter of 2024
- Prices for luxury watches fall by almost one percent
- Cartier watches with comparatively high increase in value, Vacheron Constantin watches lose the most value
Karlsruhe, Germany (July 16, 2024): After signs of a possible recovery in the secondary market for luxury watches in the first quarter of 2024, Chrono24 details that overall performance fell slightly again in the second quarter. At -0.99%, the average loss in value on the secondary market is moderate, but in the same quarter of 2023, prices on the secondary market actually only fell by -0.81%, reported from a current analysis by the world’s leading online marketplace for luxury watches, Chrono24. To do this, the company evaluated its proprietary ChronoPulse watch index, the world’s only price index for luxury watches based on real sales data.
Value Fluctuations by Brand:
The slight negative trend on the secondary market for luxury watches is underlined by the fact that in the second quarter of the year only 2 brands were able to show record increases in value, while in the first quarter of 2024 and in the same quarter of the previous year this was still the case for 4 out of 13 brands within the ChronoPulse index. Between April and July of this year, only watches from Cartier (6.14%) and Breitling (1.71%) recorded an average increase in value. For TAG Heuer (-0.12%) and Omega (-0.78%), the loss in value was at least below that of the overall market.
In contrast, the prices of Vacheron Constantin (-6.31%), Panerei (-6.04%) and Hublot (3.51%) fell the most. This is followed by IWC (-2.94%), Jaeger-LeCoultre (-2.71%) and market leader Rolex (-1.74%). The value of watches from Patek Philippe (-1.47%), Tudor (-1.45%) and Audemars Piguet (-1.03%) also fell by more than one percent in the second quarter.
Watch expert: “Collectors and enthusiasts are once again the core of the market”
“Since prices within the secondary market for luxury watches have fallen continuously since March 2022 due to the changed interest rate environment and the economic uncertainties caused by the war in Ukraine, there were initial signs in the first quarter of 2024 that a bottom had been reached. While the European Central Bank recently lowered the key interest rate for the first time, this step has not yet been taken on the US market, which is extremely important for the secondary market for luxury watches. If this happens in the second half of the year, this decision should also have a positive effect on the luxury watch secondary market,” comments Balazs Ferenczi, Head of Brand Engagement at Chrono24, adding:
“In the hype phase between 2020 and 2022, the watch market was driven by opportunists who sensed a good business in buying and selling luxury watches. Passionate collectors and watch enthusiasts are now once again the core of the market. This means that at Chrono24, despite the price drop on the secondary market for luxury watches, we have not seen a decline in the transaction volume on our platform. Quite the opposite: passionate watch lovers are happy to be able to buy their favorite watches at cheaper prices and may even expect value gains in the long term. After all, the entire secondary market for luxury watches is still up more than 30% over a five-year period and is therefore performing just as well as well-known stock ETFs in the long term.”
The price development on the secondary market for luxury watches can be viewed using the ChronoPulse watch index based on real sales data at the following link: https://www.chrono24.com/chronopulse.htm
Chrono24 has been the global online marketplace for luxury watches since 2003. It is the #1 address for luxury watches for commercial watch dealers, private sellers and watch enthusiasts across 120 countries, supported by 22 languages. Users within the Chrono24 community track the value trajectories of their 3.7 million+ owned timepieces over time- regardless of whether they were purchased through Chrono24. The total value of all Watch Collections tracked within Chrono24 is more than $50 billion – which makes up 8% of the estimated $750 billion value of all the watches in the world.
About the ChronoPulse Watch Index:
The ChronoPulse Watch Index is the only watch index based on transaction data, not just supply data. Based on a points system and data from more than 600,000 transactions, ChronoPulse analyzes the performance of 14 watch brands – and over 140 watch models – with the highest transaction volume on the secondary market worldwide. As a result, ChronoPulse provides precise insights into the price development of watches since January 2019. The watch brands analyzed include Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, TAG Heuer, Tudor and Vacheron Constantin. Grand Seiko watches are also included in the ChronoPulse Watch Index, although there is no separate brand index for Grand Seiko.
About Chrono24 GmbH:
“Chrono24 – The World’s Watch Market” is the world’s leading online marketplace for luxury watches. It offers the largest global selection of new, used and vintage watches combined with an extensive service portfolio, allowing buyers and sellers to complete their transactions in a trusted environment. In April 2024, the marketplace unveiled its new “Certified” Authentication Program, aiming to provide the most transparent authentication process to the luxury watch market through its global watchmaker network. Chrono24 was founded in 2003 and has offices in Karlsruhe, Berlin, New York, Miami, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
IG: @chrono24