FabR
[Senior Patek Moderator]
26094
Thanks for sharing, Bill... The NYT seems to be all over it these days, here's another piece they wrote yesterday about the Nautilus:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/fashion/watches-patek-philippe-nautilus.html
To be entirely honest, personally if I see "watches are the new bitcoin" in a NYT title, what I automatically think before even getting to the article is "watches are NOT the new bitcoin".... but I'm certainly not their model reader, so I do understand your general concerns. On the other hand, so many people are doing a great job on this site, perhaps more than anywhere else, that is spreading and promoting a true passion for our hobby. I'm sure people are noticing this too ;-)
Cheers.
New York Times - Watches are the new Bitcoin
it is a really sad way to look at the virtues of watch collecting and align it with investment. We have had this discussion many times in private and we have a general consensus that to some it is an investment wstch dealer etc. But the majority of collec...
Generalizations....
Fail miserably many more times than not. I like that quote of course, I became an active member here precisely because it was crystal clear the vast majority of participants were in it for the right reasons. If I wanted to become an investment banker I co...
Well known topic, indeed.
This universe of ours has become crazy, more and more crazy. I have only one rule, here, and I stick to it: I only buy what I like. But I cannot ignore that there are more and more people who consider watches as an investment. Best, Nicolas
Thanks for sharing, Bill... The NYT seems to be all over it these days, here's another piece they wrote yesterday about the Nautilus:
To be entirely honest, personally if I see "watches are the new bitcoin" in a NYT title, what I automatically think before even getting to the article is "watches are NOT the new bitcoin".... but I'm certainly not their model reader, so I do understand yo...
Bad turn of events over the last 10+ years
The hobby, if you can call it that now, has for many become all about ostentation...the age of look-at-me Instagram posts. The age of maximum appreciation of the most noticeable watches. This hobby used to be totally under the radar--something I loved abo...
Don't despair, John... There are still many watches out of the beaten paths which are worth some interest. And some great brands which make great watches. It is all good for us...
Since the investors, flippers, whatever you want, are on other references and brands. Keep the faith, and buy what you like! Best, Nicolas
Absolutely...and this website is very much a refuge from all that nonsense I mentioned...
Makes me very thankful that we have the enthusiasts we have. Cheers, John
+1 – PuristSPro is the real deal for true enthusiasts!
I‘m lurking in different forums from all over the world but this one here is actually the best place to be if you really appreciate and enjoy watchmaking itself.
I think we are super lucky to have passionate members who are still posting 10 and 15 years later.
And the new members are quickly welcomed. Thanks you all.
Isn't it possible to narrow that down a bit?...
I mean, am I wrong in locating the investment type watch interest into some clearly defined segments: vintage Rolex, Patek Nautilus ( with slight expansion into the AP 15202), selected other vintage pieces? The interest in recent Rolex Sports models is to...
I see nothing wrong with astute collectors buying whatever they like.
It is unreasonable to think collectors don’t understand or see value we all agree. This can been seen and even ok by me to buy a watch hoping it will retain its value. Perfectly reasonable and logical. I think the institutionalization of watch buying as a...
Absolutely. As Warren buffet said price is what you pay value is what you get.
My angle on this post was really to say when main stream media gets into the mix of commentary it all of a sudden make anyone with a vintage Rolex or a Patek on their wrist some sort of speculator which in 9.9 times out of ten that is not the case.
put a fork in it! [nt]
If the NYT is churning out speculative articles about watch investing, the collecting side is done. It's almost farcical to compare watch collecting to bitcoin.
The mix is the trick
If it happens that a watch I like could be an investment, then I buy it. If it happens a watch that I like is truely not in investment, then I buy it. I have not sold any of them because I love them all.
If they mean that watches have become another market for speculators like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
then YES this happened a long time ago even before Bitcoin became a speculator's darling (and then not so much again). So you can say that Bitcoin are the new watches (however awkward that sounds). Let's face it, this "hobby" of ours ceased to be the "ins...
I would say if you are looking at it from a barn find point of view.
The internet leveled the playing field making barn finds impossible. If you look at it from a community stand point iI think places like our forum here are in a time warp as we all still have bright eyes and bushy tails adoring everything from a run of th...
Far from a bar find perspective
I'm talking about the speculative run on regular pieces like stainless steel Rolex sports models, Patek Nautilus and Aquanauts, AP Royal Oak Jumbos, and FPJ Chronometer Bleu models which are now impossible to get at MSRP if they can be found outside of th...
I don’t pay this much attention and frankly I’m sorry to see this article. I have always bought what I like. I’ve not been a seller at all. Rarely.
The enjoyment I get from collecting is the “story” behind a piece which often is linked to a person or personality; a unique feature of a watch and/or how it makes me feel. Never have I bought with the idea of making money; and I rarely sell a watch (and ...
Bitcoin?
Look, unless I am very much missing something, the bitcoin analogy suggests that the only losers here are those who foolishly view watch collecting as a wise investment strategy. The winners are people like us who pay what we consider appropriate for what...
realised the situation is sad for collectors and enthusiasts.
These Investors will suck up the supply but just keep them in the vault until price is right. Collectors will then need to chalk up a lot if they want to get it. Normal enthusiasts who want to just wear the watches gets priced out.
Luckily
The “investors” are interested only in a limited number of models, leaving the vast majority for non-investors.
odd headline...
can not agree at all. Do not see it at all different from cars, art, wine, or other collectibles that have appreciated as much or more in the past decade. Whisky has outperformed rare watches considerably so surely a tastier form of bitcoin... This is mer...