How luxury watches are outpacing stocks in value – prices for Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet continue to appreciate, as Gen Zs and millennials invest in more second-hand timepieces

  • According to a new report, prices for brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet watches have appreciated by 20 per cent a year since 2018, outpacing the S&P 500 Index
  • The findings were proposed by Boston Consulting Group Inc. and secondary market dealer WatchBox, which counts NBA’s Michael Jordan and activist investor Bill Ackman among its clients

A Patek Philippe Nautilus is displayed at Dubai Watch Week 2019. Photo: Anders Modig

Prices for Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet watches appreciated by an average of 20 per cent a year since mid-2018, outpacing the S&P 500 Index, as values for pre-owned luxury timepieces surged, a new report shows.

The S&P 500 stock index averaged annual returns of eight per cent from August 2018 to January 2023, while a basket of pre-owned watch models from top Swiss brands grew at more than twice the pace, the report from Boston Consulting Group Inc. and secondary market dealer WatchBox said. That’s despite prices of some pre-owned models, including Rolex Daytonas, Patek Philippe Nautiluses and Audemars Piguets Royal Oaks, declining by as much as a third since the market peaked in the first quarter of 2022.
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