Best Watches Under $10,000
Make a Statement With These Heirloom-Worthy Timepieces
The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
Product photos from retailer sites.
Let’s get something out of the way before we even begin: $10,000 is a lot of money. That’s more than you’ve likely spent on a computer, a television, a smartphone, and maybe even a car. From that perspective, dropping this kind of dough on a piece of technology whose only function is performed by your smartphone and your microwave might seem like financial lunacy. But here’s the thing: unlike those aforementioned pieces of tech, watches actually hold their value well over time. In fact, if you invest in the right brand or the right timepiece, you can actually expect to get a return on your investment if, down the line, you decide to sell it.
RELATED: How to Buy the Right Watch Size and Fit
Of course, $10,000 is still a significant amount of money to spend on a watch, and if you’re thinking about parting with that amount of cash, you’re going to want to know that your choice is worthy. Is the watch unique, eye-catching, and well-made? Will the watch hold its value? Does the watch represent some advance in watchmaking technology or design? To help you make your choice, we picked out the best luxury watches under $10,000.
All You Need to Know About Watches as Investments
Suffice it to say, if you’re dropping thousands of dollars on an expensive watch, you’re going to be interested in its lifetime value. Many a man today walks around with the heirloom timepiece his father or grandfather wore, and wouldn’t think of parting with it, or even getting it appraised. But some watch obsessives take pleasure in buying and selling watches, in expanding their collections, or in trading up over time, and these global buyers and sellers have created a sophisticated second-hand watch market. Both Christie’s and Sotheby’s – the world’s two largest auction houses – hold regular auctions dedicated to timepieces, and their collected sales are measured in the millions. In other words, there’s a lucrative market out there, and a hunger for quality timepieces.
If you’d like to participate, or hope to purchase a luxury watch that will hold its value (or even increase in value!) over time, then here are some things you should keep in mind:
- The brand matters. Watch houses with lasting reputations tend to attract more buyers, and therefore retain their value more.
- An expensive watch isn’t necessarily a good watch. Unfortunately, lots of watches with huge price tags rely more on the recognition of their brand name, or on a gaudy design, rather than on quality construction or intricacy of design.
- Watch markets are a great place to do your homework. Websites such as WatchBox and Hodinkee, not to mention eBay and even Amazon are great places to take stock of what is selling and what isn’t.
Remember, you’re playing the long game here. A watch isn’t likely to appreciate in value in a year, or even ten years, but when you look at, for example, the resale value of 50-year-old Rolexes, you can expect a nice long-term return, either for your retirement or for your grandchild’s.
