To your original point - one huge factor is clearly the enormous increase in production and the resulting accumulation and oversupply in both primary and secondary markets. Think of how many Panerais are out there VS 10 years ago. Unless one follows fashionable trends or sticks to very very few niche examples like the ones Nico mentions, one is going to take a huge hit on a resale. Which makes most people much less likely to experiment, to follow gut instinct and take risk with their choices. Also there are incredible watches out there that sell for peanuts. I think most people on this forum realize the disconnect between intrinsic value and the market value. Staying a "purist" requires more compromise now than ever before. Which is ironic, and a bit sad.