Un sujet fantastique a été lancé sur The Rolex Forums récemment par l'utilisateur PSV intitulé «RIP vintage Rolex hobby» , affirmant que, à ce stade, les modèles Vintage Rolex les plus populaires étaient évalués sur les budgets des collectionneurs.
C'est un sujet avec lequel je me suis déroulé récemment, après avoir déplacé la majeure partie de mon budget de montres à partir de modèles plus récents et dans les modèles anciens des années 60 et 70, que je crains, peut-être trop coûteux pour justifier bientôt. Même au cours des dix dernières années, la plupart des modèles classiques classiques en bon état sont passés de milliers de dollars à 10 de milliers de dollars. Des modèles comme le 1655 Explorer II des années 1970 [photo ci-dessous] sont passés de quelque chose de difficile à vendre pour 5k $ il y a quinze ans, à des prix proches de 20 000 $ aujourd'hui.
C'est un sujet avec lequel je me suis déroulé récemment, après avoir déplacé la majeure partie de mon budget de montres à partir de modèles plus récents et dans les modèles anciens des années 60 et 70, que je crains, peut-être trop coûteux pour justifier bientôt. Même au cours des dix dernières années, la plupart des modèles classiques classiques en bon état sont passés de milliers de dollars à 10 de milliers de dollars. Des modèles comme le 1655 Explorer II des années 1970 [photo ci-dessous] sont passés de quelque chose de difficile à vendre pour 5k $ il y a quinze ans, à des prix proches de 20 000 $ aujourd'hui.
Image gracieuseté de Bob's Watches
Je n'étais pas là pour voir l'apogée de Vintage Rolex, alors que les collectionneurs du fil parlaient du plaisir de commercialiser ces modèles encore récents mais hors de la mode dans les années 1980. Comment, pour quelques milliers, vous pouvez ramasser un 5513, 1680, 1655 ou un DRSD, tous les modèles sont principalement dans le territoire à cinq chiffres aujourd'hui.
Ce n'est pas seulement à propos de Rolex. Heuer, Tudor, Omega, Audemars Piguet, Patek Phillipe et la plupart des autres marques de montres ont vu le flottement de certains de leurs modèles emblématiques à partir du milieu du siècle dernier. Beaucoup ont capitalisé sur cette tendance en créant des pièces d'hommage, relancent leurs propres classiques pour essayer de répondre à la demande pour le style, tout en mettant à jour la qualité. Tag Heuer's Monaco [ci-dessous à gauche] , une relance de leur classique Heuer Monaco [ci-dessous à droite] maintenant récupère des doubles le double de celui de la nouvelle version:
Dans le fil de la TRF, j'ai essayé d'expliquer mon point de vue, et comment j'appartiens ce problème aujourd'hui, un collecteur relativement nouveau de montres anciennes. Voici ce que j'ai dit:
Je pense que c'est le débat le plus important dans Vintage Rolex aujourd'hui.
I've always loved watches since I was very young, and I arguably still am having recently turned 30. In the last handful of years I have be fortunate enough to have some disposable income to spend on this hobby, so I began to buy, and sell, and buy again. I was mostly interested in newish watches as I didn't know much about vintage and wanted to make sure I was wearing something I could truly rely on.
However the vintage stuff began to captivate me: the plexiglass crystals, the different shades of patina, silver date wheels, open 6's and 9's and all the different types of history of the buyers and the time they were made. So recently I totally changed my collecting strategy, selling anything I had that was new and I didn't have significant attachment to, in order to focus on vintage.
Simply put, I know I can buy any of the new models for the next few decades, but I feel we are in the last stages of being able to ever own the classic models from the 60s and 70s without the kind of investment I know I won't be comfortable with, especially for something so easily broken, stolen or damaged through the years.
That said, I wouldn't buy them if I didn't truly love them and want to WEAR them every day. Do I consider them a form of an investment? Well, I guess you could ask my savings account that. But one of the great things about any Rolex is that it is a way to park money while enjoying it every day.
Would I cash out my 401k in order to pick up a some serious vintage pieces? Even if it might be a much better investment in the long run, I absolutely would not. Part of this hobby is understanding the opportunity cost, the fact that each time you add a new timepiece, it means all the others will have to wait. It's part of the fun and the chase. This is especially pertinent in vintage watches where there is a real possibility they will be much more expensive by the next time you have saved up again. But there is another part of this hobby I've begun to understand which I find to be important. ThomasPP once said to me,
Simply put, I know I can buy any of the new models for the next few decades, but I feel we are in the last stages of being able to ever own the classic models from the 60s and 70s without the kind of investment I know I won't be comfortable with, especially for something so easily broken, stolen or damaged through the years.
That said, I wouldn't buy them if I didn't truly love them and want to WEAR them every day. Do I consider them a form of an investment? Well, I guess you could ask my savings account that. But one of the great things about any Rolex is that it is a way to park money while enjoying it every day.
Would I cash out my 401k in order to pick up a some serious vintage pieces? Even if it might be a much better investment in the long run, I absolutely would not. Part of this hobby is understanding the opportunity cost, the fact that each time you add a new timepiece, it means all the others will have to wait. It's part of the fun and the chase. This is especially pertinent in vintage watches where there is a real possibility they will be much more expensive by the next time you have saved up again. But there is another part of this hobby I've begun to understand which I find to be important. ThomasPP once said to me,
"Don’t be too aggressive with your budget. If you overspend and worry too much about the money, you won’t enjoy it as much as you should."
He's absolutely right. Enjoy what you have while you have the time to. I bet art collectors in the mid-20th century were annoyed that they could no longer afford decent Picasso's for their own collection. Now it seems incredible anyone could have these hanging on their dining room walls.
Fine watches are becoming no different, except you can enjoy them during every part of your day. The older ones are of course more rare, and to some more beautiful, but at the end of the day most of us get enjoy some of each, old and new. For how much longer who knows, I'm not looking to find out, which is why I'm placing emphasis on them now.
Fine watches are becoming no different, except you can enjoy them during every part of your day. The older ones are of course more rare, and to some more beautiful, but at the end of the day most of us get enjoy some of each, old and new. For how much longer who knows, I'm not looking to find out, which is why I'm placing emphasis on them now.
Pablo Picasso wearing a Patek and no shirt.
Many theories are offered as to why these vintage pieces are rising in price so quickly. Some thought it was the fault of the ultra rich, buying them up like any other precious asset, to save in their safe as another investment instrument. Others felt it is simply the march of inflation and rarity of something special.
There are many factors that can move a small, niche market like this. I'm sure a big auction house could put together a big watch sale (they already do all the time) with outrageous prices and the tide would immediately rise again. I'm sure that once the Asian continent begins to focus on vintage they will go up even more still. But whatever the cause, the effect is fairly predictable.
Most of all, I don't recommend buying a watch unless you love it and truly intend to wear it. If not for yourself, then so the rest of the collectors can see them alive and well in the wild. A vintage timepiece with a great story is the ultimate conversation starter, and the friends I've met in this hobby are some of the most interesting people I've known. So if you have the means to buy that Paul Newman Daytona, that's great, but wear it around so we can all admire and talk about it.
Most of all, I don't recommend buying a watch unless you love it and truly intend to wear it. If not for yourself, then so the rest of the collectors can see them alive and well in the wild. A vintage timepiece with a great story is the ultimate conversation starter, and the friends I've met in this hobby are some of the most interesting people I've known. So if you have the means to buy that Paul Newman Daytona, that's great, but wear it around so we can all admire and talk about it.
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