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The Best Watches to Invest in Right Now
Today's timepieces that will become tomorrow's vintage classics
Looking to buy a watch that looks great and will rise in value? Here are pieces with real investment potential...
Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5167A, £67,000
All Pateks make for solid investment pieces, but at the top of that list are its steel sports watches. The Aquanaut isn’t the most-sought after, that badge of honour goes to the Nautilus, which is now near-impossible to get hold of, commanding silly prices and with a crazy waiting list. All eyes on Aquanaut, then, which will surely follow in its wake. Picking up a used one today will pay dividends in the future.
Omega Speedmaster 311.30.42.30.01.005, £4,260
Omega overhauled its flagship Speedmaster Moonwatch in 2020, putting its most accurate movement to date inside it, the Calibre 3861. That was great news for fans of the latest watch tech and it bought it in line with the rest of Omega’s line-up, giving it a silicon balance spring and Master Chronometer certification, among other selling points. But for some die-hard ‘Speedy’ fans it was a modern move too far, letting it drift out of orbit from its original Sixties’ space-faring past. That gave the model it replaced, the now-discontinued ref 311.30.42.30.01.005, the halo of being the last “true” Speedmaster issued by Omega, and prices rose sharpy on the secondary market. If you can find one, it would be worth investing in.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo (steel), £27,900
Interest in the Royal Oak is at an all-time high in 2022, with Audemars Piguet issuing various new editions to commemorate its 50th anniversary. There are very few watches that could be genuinely considered design classics, but this Gérald Genta-conceived model from 1972 is one. It’s an incredible watch.The stainless-steel version is arguably the most coveted version and the prices for the reference 15202 have gone through the sky in recent years. Last year AP CEO François-Henry Bennahmias announced the brand would be discontinuing the steel version to make room for the raft of 2022 editions in precious metals. The models that have been released so far have all sold-out on the same day, making interest in this discontinued predecessor even more marked.
Breitling Watch Navitimer 1959 Re-Edition, £6,520
A like-for-like copy of the 1959 original, this year’s re-edition of Breitling’s iconic Navitimer combines a chronograph with a rotating slide rule bezel, a scale that can be used by pilots to calculate fuel consumption and airspeed, updating one of the most iconic pilot’s watches ever made with a new movement and a 70 hour power reserve. A brand new, retro classic.
Tag Heuer Autavia
Originally introduced in 1933 as a dashboard instruments for planes and cars, then launched as a racing-inspired chronograph in 1962, before being discontinued in the mid-1980s, 2019 saw the reintroduction of Tag Heuer’s Autavia line to ‘appeal to a new generation of adventurers’. The handsome new collection launched with seven retro-styled references, five in stainless steel and two in bronze.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono Steel & Gold, £4,890
Rolex’s sibling has spent the last few years re-establishing itself as a company equally capable of producing iconic watches. Now it has doubled down on that position by throwing in some curveballs. Among them is this new spin on its Black Bay Chrono, which apes the colour scheme of the vintage ‘John Player Special’ Paul Newman Rolex Daytona, with its black face and gold sub dials, adding a motorsport element into Tudor’s catalogue for the first time.
Farer Leven II Titanium Series, £995
Farer might be a relatively young brand, but they definitely know their history. This model is named after the HMS Leven, a 20—gun Royal Navy ship that fought in the Napoleonic wars, before embarking on a huge voyage across the world, mapping the east coast of Africa and parts of Arabia.
Made available in a limited series of 500 editions, it’s covered in subtle nods to the classic 1968 timepiece, including a stylised diving helmet and an alarm mechanism.
Oris Carl Brashear Chronograph Limited Edition, £3,600
Oris’ diver commemorates the inspirational life of Carl Brashear, who was not only the first African American in the U.S Navy, but also the first amputee. This bronze-cased, two-counter chronograph is the second limited edition watch the Swiss brand has dedicated to his memory.
Longines Heritage 1945, £1,330
Like a record company releasing a remastered great, Longines has sourced this stone-walled archive classic. The redefined 1945 exudes retro class from its copper-tone convex dial to the aged leather strap. A hit.
Omega Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer, £5,210
The Railmaster might be antimagnetic but it has a forceful allure — a stylish mid-century design with simple legibility. And that antimagnetism will see you good to 15,000 gauss, which should ease your worried mind.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, £3,970
Ok, so this one isn't going to make you a millionaire overnight, but in terms of holding value and holding strong, it's as dependable as they get. With Omega culling the quartz model from the lineup with a view to moving up the luxury ladder, buying a Seamaster Professional should be an easy decision to make. Short of buying a Rolex Submariner, there's no surer thing.
Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante, £9,390
As complicated as complications come, the Rattrapante's dual-handed, split-seconds movement allows one hand to stop and measure an intermediate time while the other ticks on with all the resolve of Chris Froome in le maillot jaune.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin, £49,100
The Royal Oak's classic silhouette here has all the girth of a wafer-thin mint due to a self-winding movement measuring an extraordinary 3.05mm. View it through the exhibition case back if you don't believe us.
Panerai Luminor Marina, £7,130
It may not be a limited edition, but the PAM00422's reasonable price, in-house movement and vintage good looks have made it irresistible. If history's anything to go by, desirable Panerais gain value as time ticks along, particularly early examples of new models. Hang on to this one until Panerai decides to stop making it and you should do pretty well.
Rado HyperChrome Captain Cook, £1,430
This updated Sixties icon nods to the Royal Navy explorer who supplied its name via its pivoting anchor logo. Though a diminutive 37mm, the watch's broad hands and bold numerals are as conspicuous as a landmass on the Pacific horizon.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Chronograph, £8,400
Watchmaker of watchmakers, Jaeger-LeCoultre has supplied the likes of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin with its movements. This Deep Sea Chronograph is a design revived from the brand's historical archives, and is already generating quite a following. It's not hard to see why—who can resist those striking good looks?
Bremont S301/BK, £2,995
Bremont's Type 300 Supermarines take their name from another feisty little contraption, the Schneider Trophy-winning forebear of the Spitfire fighter. The case shaves 5mm off its predecessor's, the S200, but its vintage visage goes large on good looks.
Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller, £9,550
Nobody quite knew what to make of the Deepsea when it first came out, and low sales have made it a rare beast in relative terms. Large successive RRP rises have already seen early adopters of the big watch cashing in, and there's more expected to come. The Deepsea was a big move for Rolex, and it's the big moves that get collectors' attention further down the line.
Hermès Slim d'Hermès L'Heure Impatiente, £28,600
For those punctual to the point of anxiety, the Impatiente offers both an alarm and a 60-minute countdown to that alert, indicated by a single-note chime as graceful as the watch itself.
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