# Resale Value of IWC Watches?



## darren2how (Jun 25, 2009)

I am looking to buy an IWC watch but I'm skeptical about whether there is any resale value for this brand of watch.Resale of this watch would be in many years. I will keep the watch for decades and pass it on to my children in the latter future. 

Rolex is known to have a increment of value over the years but will IWC maintain theirs and increase over time?


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## Auragentum (Oct 28, 2011)

It really depends on which model. The same applies to Rolex, even if they overall tend to maintain value better than most other brands. But there are also many Rolex models which tend to not keep value well (e.g. many two tone models).

Generally most people would probably agree that you should not buy a watch with the expectation that it will maintain or appreciate its value. Buy because it will bring joy. Also keep in mind the maintenance costs involved which will also add to the overall depreciation. Sometimes you will be lucky but it is often hit and miss unless you can source the watch at very low pricing to begin with.


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## darren2how (Jun 25, 2009)

I am looking at the Aquatimer Galapagos Edition. Any good at it?


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:think: As I recall, the Mark XII and GST were great.


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## indeep (Nov 24, 2012)

I bought a aquatimer chrono rather than that model due to all the negitve reviews on this site. I love the chrono with the yellow and black accents.


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## akit110 (Jan 12, 2008)

Aligned with Watchbreath. Certain popular models have a solid retention of value. Certainly higher than average for Swiss brands, imho.

Case in point: my ref 3536 titanium Aquatimer had a MSRP of $3750 back in the late 90s (probably frequently sold for less due to the AD discounting that was even more common then). Today, it would probably sell for the same numeric value albeit in 2012 dollars by a private seller. However, here's where it gets interesting. The same vintage watch if sold by a storefront dealer could sell for 2x the price of its original MSRP. The Mark XII, XV (and older), the Ingy 3227 and any 1950s or 1960s Ingenieur would certainly also be in this category of being highly desired by collectors. 

Though the market for collectible IWC will always be smaller than for vintage Rolex, it is very good compared to most brands. The advantage IWC has is that the volume has never been very high but the brand is very well regarded and the watches have a very strong masculine theme (rather than jewelery or feminine) which is a plus on the resale market at the mid-tier level which tends to prefer sportier, more masculine steel timepieces.


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## Sc00ter (Dec 2, 2011)

Check out the pre-owned models and you can give you a very good idea. If brand new sells for 11k and used like 5-6-7 years old sells for 7-8k...it should be a good sign.


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## GRACEHMS (Sep 7, 2009)

I had similar thoughts. 

I was really liking the gold IWC Portuguese Regulateur with an MSRP in the $15k range. But for $14k, I can get a used gold Rolex Daytona that has an MSRP of $27k. With the Daytona, I would not see much/any depreciation, as I am buying at a used price already.


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## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

If you are looking for a good investment, making your dollars work for you, go elsewhere--buying a watch, even a Rolex, will not likely MAKE you money, even if the value goes up over time (the purchasing strength of the dollar invariably goes down)--though, of course some watches hold themselves above water better than others. Rolex generally does well (but not all models), so does Panerai (most but not all models), less so IWC (but some, as noted above, hold up well), but IWC fares better than many others. I would never recommend buying any watch for an investment--buy a watch because you want to wear it, while of course paying attention to how easy it will be to repair, and sell, as necessary--ultimately, it is money losing proposition--how much you lose of course depends on make, model, popularity, etc--and many other things that we can't completely predict five, ten or twenty years from now.


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## DerekLorimer (Feb 6, 2011)

Rolex will generally outperform IWC. My Explorer 1 is now worth more than I paid for it. I should add that if you are buying a watch with a thought to resale then you probably shouldn't be buying it in the first place


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## akit110 (Jan 12, 2008)

DerekLorimer said:


> Rolex will generally outperform IWC. My Explorer 1 is now worth more than I paid for it. I should add that if you are buying a watch with a thought to resale then you probably shouldn't be buying it in the first place


True. While some notable IWC models will appreciate gradually over time. Many of the far more ubiquitous Rolex professional models regularly - especially the Submariner - go up in value pegged to the ever escalating MSRPs of new models. The market for pre-owned Rolex is just huge. And both inexperienced and experienced collectors purchase them.


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