# Nomos Resale Value... Ouch!



## Hands90

Recently I've been buying Doxa's like crazy. Call it a bug or the fact that I'm signing up for diving lessons to get certified. This brings me to my Nomos Ahoi. 

The resale value hurts. It hurts really bad. I've shopped it around to many of the major watch dealers. Some simply didn't respond others said I'd take a sizable hit and they didn't want to make an offer if I was the one who bought it retail.

I was always under the impression that Nomos held it's value but apparently it does not. I've been told I'm selling too soon and that the watch is still "too new" (I thought this would be a positive thing). 

I have seen clubs that are new at $1,500 go for $1,300 so maybe I just have a bad model. 

This isn't a good time to sell but at the end of the day I think I'm moving on so the watch is up.

Do you guys think I should just hold on to it for a while?


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## pwk

What did you pay roughly ? Been looking at one lately.


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## Hands90

pwk said:


> What did you pay roughly ? Been looking at one lately.


I bought from the Nomos site. I'm proud to have bought straight from Nomos but the resale according to the major watch resellers was not good.

I'm not looking to get my money back but I also do not want to loose more then a couple thousand.


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## flyingpicasso

I know it's obvious, but you'd do better selling to a private party than to a dealer who needs to re-sell and make money.


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## Hands90

flyingpicasso said:


> I know it's obvious, but you'd do better selling to a private party than to a dealer who needs to re-sell and make money.


This is completely true. One dealer said the same to me. Figured it was worth a shot. I'm going to take a hit on it.


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## Rivarama

The value is already lost. If you don't like the watch then sell it.

I can see why the Nomos Ahoi would not be the most popular Nomos. I think they are cool though, especially in the 36mm size.


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## Hands90

Rivarama said:


> The value is already lost. If you don't like the watch then sell it.
> 
> I can see why the Nomos Ahoi would not be the most popular Nomos. I think they are cool though, especially in the 36mm size.


Cool enough to buy one?


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## UnfortunateDateWindow

I've bought and sold a lot of watches, to/from both dealers and individuals, including Nomos models at various price points. Nomos' resale hit isn't that different from most brands.

Like a car, expect resale value to lose about 20% off the retail price immediately after purchase. This is for a bunch of reasons, but the biggest are people concluding "Why don't I just buy it new if it's close to the new price?" and the prevalence of gray-market sales or dealer discounting. It's pretty easy to get a dealer to knock 5–15% off the retail price of most brands, including Nomos, with minimal negotiation. And gray-market dealers discount certain brands by 20–40%.

As unfortunate as it is, buying from Nomos' site — or paying the official retail price for almost any watch — is usually a pretty bad deal.

Also like cars, if you're trading into a dealer or reseller instead of selling to an individual who intends to keep it, you'll lose more because they're assuming a risk and need a profit margin. Whatever you see them selling for used online, knock about 20–30% off to estimate the most a reseller will likely pay you for it. (And like cars, you'll get a better deal if you're trading in a watch as part of a transaction to buy another one, rather than just selling it back for cash.)

Chalk this one up to a lesson learned, and to help cope with future losses:

- Buy used when possible
- When buying new, don't pay full retail unless there's little choice (brand new or highly demanded models, obscure models that rarely come up used, high-end fashion brands like Hermes or Tiffany, or most new Rolex models)

This will reduce the amount you lose at resale.

Or just accept that this is a really expensive hobby and stop caring. But that's harder for most of us.


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## Maddog1970

Any watch I have purchased in the mid 4 digits, I have made sure it was going to be a keeper.....be it Panerai, Tudor, Nomos...I try them on, research them and then buy.......I freely admit to being a flipper below the $3k mark, beyond that I keep.....i then try for a used version, then a grey market, then an aD as a last resort....

Buy the seller being the golden rule....

Somewhere like chronext is a great idea, as they have access to many brands and are competitive price wish.......

My Nomos are keepers and get regular wrist time....well usually, except right now I am besotted with my Mühle SAR


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## Aggie88

Bought a Nomos Club Datum 38.5 mm used from Govberg Jewelers in 2015 (for $1750 I believe) which I got a lot of use out of. Just sold to an individual for a little over $1210 which was a little disappointing. However, what other purchases that you get a lot of joy out of can you sell for near the purchase price 3 years later? I think it was well worth it.


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## CM HUNTER

Having a more expensive model from a brand that's generally looked at as a way to get into a Glashuette for a bargain price isn't going to bode well when time to resale. Simple.


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## JacobC

You can't buy a watch like a club and expect any return on it. If you want to protect your investment you need to buy special editions etc and never wear them


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## sfnewguy

That's why you will lose your shirt. What did buying it direct from Nomos (guessing full MSRP) get you??? Does the "pride" of buying from Nomos make losing thousands in selling it hurt less?

Never ever pay MSRP if you are a watch collector, because at some time you will likely sell a watch.

Now buying direct from Ball is quite appealing on their pre-orders as they are offering sizeable discounts. Again, why would you ever buy from the manufacturer when there are so many Nomos ADs now - you should have shopped around and see who would offer the most discount, etc.



Hands90 said:


> I bought from the Nomos site. I'm proud to have bought straight from Nomos but the resale according to the major watch resellers was not good.
> 
> I'm not looking to get my money back but I also do not want to loose more then a couple thousand.


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## Hotblack Desiato

UnfortunateDateWindow said:


> ...Like a car, expect resale value to lose about 20% off the retail price immediately after purchase...


More like 35-40% in my experience.

Doc Savage


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## Rivarama

Hands90 said:


> Cool enough to buy one?


Maybe at the right price. I bought my Tetra for 60% off. I am sure if a similar deal presented itself with the 36mm Ahoi I would buy one.


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## Hands90

UnfortunateDateWindow said:


> I've bought and sold a lot of watches, to/from both dealers and individuals, including Nomos models at various price points. Nomos' resale hit isn't that different from most brands.
> 
> Like a car, expect resale value to lose about 20% off the retail price immediately after purchase. This is for a bunch of reasons, but the biggest are people concluding "Why don't I just buy it new if it's close to the new price?" and the prevalence of gray-market sales or dealer discounting. It's pretty easy to get a dealer to knock 5-15% off the retail price of most brands, including Nomos, with minimal negotiation. And gray-market dealers discount certain brands by 20-40%.
> 
> As unfortunate as it is, buying from Nomos' site - or paying the official retail price for almost any watch - is usually a pretty bad deal.
> 
> Also like cars, if you're trading into a dealer or reseller instead of selling to an individual who intends to keep it, you'll lose more because they're assuming a risk and need a profit margin. Whatever you see them selling for used online, knock about 20-30% off to estimate the most a reseller will likely pay you for it. (And like cars, you'll get a better deal if you're trading in a watch as part of a transaction to buy another one, rather than just selling it back for cash.)
> 
> Chalk this one up to a lesson learned, and to help cope with future losses:
> 
> - Buy used when possible
> - When buying new, don't pay full retail unless there's little choice (brand new or highly demanded models, obscure models that rarely come up used, high-end fashion brands like Hermes or Tiffany, or most new Rolex models)
> 
> This will reduce the amount you lose at resale.
> 
> Or just accept that this is a really expensive hobby and stop caring. But that's harder for most of us.


I agree. Nomos though seems to be nearly 60% - 75% it's BAD

I've bought and sold IWC, Rolex and Breathing and never saw numbers so bad for a new watch. It's not good at all. I really thought Nomos held up better. 
The watch is new. It's still under warranty.


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## Fantasio

I would say it depends on the model and time of purchase. Hard to make a profit with a slightly used watch, which is still in production and readily available.

I bough my Orion 309 years ago at 1k€, used ones seem to going now for 1.3k€. No intentions to selling though.



Hands90 said:


> I agree. Nomos though seems to be nearly 60% - 75% it's BAD
> 
> I've bought and sold IWC, Rolex and Breathing and never saw numbers so bad for a new watch. It's not good at all. I really thought Nomos held up better.
> The watch is new. It's still under warranty.


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## Hands90

Fantasio said:


> I would say it depends on the model and time of purchase. Hard to make a profit with a slightly used watch, which is still in production and readily available.
> I bough my Orion 309 years ago at 1k€, used ones seem to going now for 1.3k€. No intentions to selling though.


Not planning on profiting. I'd just rather keep myself from loosing more than 1k.

Looks like it's unavoidable.

Someone's going to get a great deal on my watch. I will say buying a Doxa and selling one, it's amazing that a watch with an ETA movement and that is inexpensive can go up in price after you buy one.


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## CM HUNTER

Fantasio said:


> I would say it depends on the model and time of purchase. Hard to make a profit with a slightly used watch, which is still in production and readily available.
> 
> I bough my Orion 309 years ago at 1k€, used ones seem to going now for 1.3k€. No intentions to selling though.


This 100%.

Also, if you truly value a watch, you keep it for a while. If you keep and enjoy say a $2500 watch for 10 years, it has basically cost you $250/year to wear it and enjoy it (minus maintenance). Now, if you deduct all that usage from the original cost, even if you sold it at that point at half the cost of new, you actually got to wear a $2500 watch for $125/year. If that's damage to a wallet, one might need to find another line of work.

Basically, if you're an impulse buyer or chronic flipper, you enjoy throwing your money away.


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## flyingpicasso

Fantasio said:


> I would say it depends on the model and time of purchase. Hard to make a profit with a slightly used watch, which is still in production and readily available.
> 
> I bough my Orion 309 years ago at 1k€, used ones seem to going now for 1.3k€. No intentions to selling though.


Same story here. Based on completed listings I could probably sell my Club Dunkel for more than I paid for it new 5 years ago, due mainly to the fact that it's a discontinued model. I don't really care either way, though, because I didn't buy it with the intent of selling.


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## Hamstur

The offered #s sound right to me.

The concept of 60-70% seems like an expectation based on the brand. Everybody agrees that a 20% hit off what you paid is normal. Last time I inquired about a Nomos to an AD not a grey, he told me if I buy anything else, he would give me 20% off MSRP.

I imagine for a customer with established relationship or if I had chosen to push negotiation, that getting 20% off MRSP is likely normal street price. So if depreciated used market value is 20% off that, or 80% * 80% = 64%, or somewhere in the 60-70% zone.

So used market +/- 5 or 10% based on newness and condition, that puts a $1500 Nomos Club at $1000, a $1650 Club Nacht at $1150, $3760 Ahoi in the $2200 zone, and why we've seen every $6100 Zurich Weltzeit go for $4000. Selling to a dealer, assume about -25%, putting the Ahoi in the $1550 +/- range. If trading in, let's say $150 off for paid s/h both pieces then -10% to 15%, you're talking maybe more toward $1700 in credit.

MSRP vs street price + desirability really plays in here. Compare to something like the Omega SMPc with $4400 sticker or Speedy Pro Moonwatch with $5250 sticker. Who actually paid that?!


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## Hands90

Hamstur said:


> The offered #s sound right to me.
> 
> The concept of 60-70% seems like an expectation based on the brand. Everybody agrees that a 20% hit off what you paid is normal. Last time I inquired about a Nomos to an AD not a grey, he told me if I buy anything else, he would give me 20% off MSRP.
> 
> I imagine for a customer with established relationship or if I had chosen to push negotiation, that getting 20% off MRSP is likely normal street price. So if depreciated used market value is 20% off that, or 80% * 80% = 64%, or somewhere in the 60-70% zone.
> 
> So used market +/- 5 or 10% based on newness and condition, that puts a $1500 Nomos Club at $1000, a $1650 Club Nacht at $1150, $3760 Ahoi in the $2200 zone, and why we've seen every $6100 Zurich Weltzeit go for $4000. Selling to a dealer, assume about -25%, putting the Ahoi in the $1550 +/- range. If trading in, let's say $150 off for paid s/h both pieces then -10% to 15%, you're talking maybe more toward $1700 in credit.
> 
> MSRP vs street price + desirability really plays in here. Compare to something like the Omega SMPc with $4400 sticker or Speedy Pro Moonwatch with $5250 sticker. Who actually paid that?!


That's a really great break down.


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## Superneomatik

For what it’s worth, 1 year into my Nomos Ahoi Neomatik and, not taking into account initial shipping costs, have gotten offers from resellers within 800 of what I paid. Given it’s a non limited model that’s still freely available and is not “mint” (I daily wear and use my watches) I think that’s great value retention. 

I never pulled the trigger on the sale, as right when I was about to I realized I loved the watch, and couldn’t part with it. A few months later and I’m now sure I will never sell it. It’ll make an ideal heirloom and is so enjoyable to wear. Plus, it’s very accurate - I’m at +1 to +3 sec per day when storing it overnight, crown up for the last 5 months.


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## Hands90

Superneomatik said:


> For what it's worth, 1 year into my Nomos Ahoi Neomatik and, not taking into account initial shipping costs, have gotten offers from resellers within 800 of what I paid. Given it's a non limited model that's still freely available and is not "mint" (I daily wear and use my watches) I think that's great value retention.
> 
> I never pulled the trigger on the sale, as right when I was about to I realized I loved the watch, and couldn't part with it. A few months later and I'm now sure I will never sell it. It'll make an ideal heirloom and is so enjoyable to wear. Plus, it's very accurate - I'm at +1 to +3 sec per day when storing it overnight, crown up for the last 5 months.


Please put me in touch with these sellers.

I mean buyers


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## TipsyExp

Great rundown, even if its early right now for me, the math seems strong with this one.


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## JohnM67

Hands90 said:


> I agree. Nomos though seems to be nearly 60% - 75% it's BAD
> 
> I've bought and sold IWC, Rolex and Breathing and never saw numbers so bad for a new watch. It's not good at all. I really thought Nomos held up better.
> The watch is new. It's still under warranty.


I think that part of the problem is that Nomos is still an up and coming brand. General public awareness (as opposed to WIS') is still fairly low.

Expect it to change in the near future - meaning the hit you take won't be as bad.


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## X2-Elijah

Hands90 said:


> I agree. Nomos though seems to be nearly 60% - 75% it's BAD


Yeesh, I wish. I'd love to pick up a used Club ref. 701 for €300-400, as your percentages imply.


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## StufflerMike

Recently I came across a Nomos Orion Pasewalk at a jewelers shop in Lübeck which more than a decade ago was €1040. The Pasewalk was a LE to commemorate the reunification. They ask €990. Resale value at its best.


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## eblackmo

Try selling on Chrono24 maybe? Instead of selling to these major watch dealers you allude to. Maybe they don't want to deal with you because it isn't worth their time?

https://www.chrono24.com/search/ind...ToSearchIndex=true&sortorder=0&usedOrNew=used


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## clockyg

I own two Nomos and very much went into them on the assumption they'd lose a lot of value relative to other watches. This was based on reading opinions on the Internet (ha) and just accepting that they were neither very exclusive or expensive (in terms of watches). Of course, I bought them because I liked them a lot and still can't imagine selling either.

What's done is done, but with a little bit of work you should be able to recoup more than you'd get from an AD. Doesn't take much to set up an eBay auction - just a few pictures and you're on your way.


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## Jeremy2101

How can one expect to sell for great value a piece that was bought at MSRP. There are maybe less than 10 regupar production model watches that don't lose money when bought MSRP.


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## gangrel

clockyg said:


> What's done is done, but with a little bit of work you should be able to recoup more than you'd get from an AD. Doesn't take much to set up an eBay auction - just a few pictures and you're on your way.


But, recognize that selling on eBay has risks. Getting completely stiffed is rare, but it does happen. I'm not sure what you could do to protect yourself, either...as opposed to, say, selling through the forum here where you can attempt to review the candidate buyer first. eBay is as much caveat vendor as it is caveat emptor.


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## Hands90

eblackmo said:


> Try selling on Chrono24 maybe? Instead of selling to these major watch dealers you allude to. Maybe they don't want to deal with you because it isn't worth their time?
> 
> https://www.chrono24.com/search/ind...ToSearchIndex=true&sortorder=0&usedOrNew=used


Thanks for the tip. I might have to put it on here tonight. Mine would not be the cheapest but the only red one listed. 
If this doesn't work out then it's time for the dreaded auction.

I'd lock it away for a few years but I'm not sure if it's going to get worse or better for resale.


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## sci

To make a win with a resell is really hard in general. I have never sold a watch (I keep all my watches, because I have never bought any as investment), but according to few analyses I have read is actually Nomos very well positioned in this regard. An example is this interview with an investment expert:
https://www.chronext.de/magazin/stories/uhren-als-kapitalanlage-interview-mit-michael-brueckner
alone, I was searching second hand before I bought my sedond Nomos and the prices used were definitely not worth buying not new. And from my dealer I get no more than 7-10% discount on Nomos, really one of the lowest.
why then this feedback?


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