Investment watches 2022: What you should watch out for

If the Corona pandemic has proven one thing, it is that watches as investments are crisis-proof. While the great financial uncertainty was expressed, among other things, in the enormous increase in the value of gold between March and September 2020, the watch world remained visibly unaffected. The enormous discrepancy between supply and demand, which has been growing ever larger since the last few years, may certainly have contributed to this.

What can you expect in terms of watches as an investment in 2022? Last year already showed that the demand for modern timepieces has now overtaken the vintage boom. This development will most likely continue. In addition, due to the drifting apart of supply and demand, we are no longer experiencing hype for individual models but rather hype for the entire brand. This, in turn, has a positive effect on the variety of models that remain stable in value.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Ref. 15202ST

The Royal Oak "Jumbo" (Ref. 15202ST) is one of the prime examples of rapid appreciation. The price for this reference has more than doubled since 2020 and is now well over 100,000 euros. In addition to scarce availability, the latest price jump was due in particular to the discontinuation of the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A.

This year, Audemars Piguet is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak. It is more than likely that the watchmaker will come up with something special for this festive occasion: AP CEO François-Henry Bennahmias already hinted at this last year. As soon as it becomes known that the Ref. 15202ST will be discontinued, the prices for this watch are likely to take another leap upwards.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A

Before the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A was discontinued, the market price was around 70,000 euros. Since the announcement of the end of production in 2021, the price has risen to more than 100,000 euros. Not only will there be no more of these Nautilus references: Patek president Thierry Stern has recently announced that the brand is striving not to focus too much on the Nautilus. In this way, Patek Philippe should once again be valued more for the brand's traditional core business - the production of complicated timepieces made of precious metals.

It is quite conceivable that after the last drumbeats of the Nautilus in green and Tiffany blue, there will now be an end to the Nautilus for the time being. It would not be the first time that Patek Philippe has made use of its freedom of decision as a family business and taken rather unconventional measures. The Nautilus price is likely to continue to rise - especially if the manufacturer does not present a successor for the time being.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ref. 4500V

For a long time, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas was considered a readily available alternative to the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The roots of this sports model from Plan-les-Ouates go back to 1977 when Vacheron Constantin launched the Ref. 222 to mark the company's 222nd anniversary. With this presentation, Vacheron drew level with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, who presented the Royal Oak and the Nautilus one and five years earlier, respectively.

The Ref. 4500V is the three-hand model of the Overseas and is now also being traded far above the list price. This is mainly because the Nautilus and the Royal Oak have become extremely expensive. The Overseas Dual Time and the Overseas Chronograph are also hard to come by. Since the situation is unlikely to ease in the near future, it can be assumed that more and more watch lovers will turn their attention to the Overseas by Vacheron Constantin and that the Ref. 4500V will be an interesting part of the investment watches 2022.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 with Stella Dial

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 is a true "sleeper hit": for a long time, the simple model was considered the perfect Rolex for beginners or minimalists. Since the Geneva-based manufacturer introduced the Oyster Perpetual 41 with colourful dials in yellow, green, coral red and turquoise, the underdog has become a true hype model.

With the colourful accents of the Stella Oyster Perpetuals, Rolex has succeeded in creating a perfect change, which at the same time fits perfectly into the conservative brand cosmos by taking up the historic Stella Dials. The Stella models make the hearts of collectors beat faster and ensure a strong increase in value on the market, which will continue this year.

Rolex Daytona Oysterflex Ref. 116519

The Rolex Daytona is one of the most sought-after watches from the Geneva manufacturer and has long been a suitable investment. In the meantime, this applies not only to the stainless steel references but also to the precious metal models. The white gold Daytona on the Oysterflex bracelet (ref. 116519) is an exciting alternative to the stainless steel ref. 116500 from both an optical and a financial point of view: the market value of both watches is in the 40,000-euro and 50,000-euro corridors, respectively - although ref. 116519 has a luxurious white gold case instead of a stainless steel case. Despite the hype on stainless steel, the material equivalent of the white gold Daytona is particularly appealing.

The investment watches 2022 we presented to you in our article show two things: While the hype on certain references continues, many enthusiasts are now focusing on other models. Moreover, as the passion for luxury watches increases worldwide, an increasingly general price stability takes hold as soon as sporty timepieces from renowned manufacturers or gold variants of the great icons are in play. Against this background, it may well be worth your while to look left and right - whether to discover one of the investment watches 2022 at an early stage or to find the personal dream watch for your wrist.