Priced out of the hobby!

Nope, not the only one. I'm also on the wrong side of this. I've just about accepted I'll never be able to buy my Grail.

My regular ad and a few not regular ones might be surprised to learn that watches are a superfluity, life goes on perfectly without blowing our brains out for more and more. I am pretty much done with the price increases, content to just muddle on with the watches that I own already.

I’ve never been in the realm of comfortably buying an Omega or IWC. That said, even in my low budget end of the market prices are increasing. Broken Seikos and thrift store Timex have tripled in price.

Nope not at all I was kinda floored when I saw the new price of the the SMP 300. Makes me think Omega is Really trying to jump and be compared with Rolex. While Longines keeps pumping out heaters to compete directly with Tudor I feel. But yea close to 6k for an SMP….. idk man that’s not for me. But I’ve been obsessing over a GO Panomatic so hopefully that dosent translate over to Germany lol

Exactly! Crazy right?

Well that is a real bummer, nothing like prices going up while you’re trying to save. The Speedy is on my short list, hopefully secondary prices don’t go up too much

Looks like preowned may be the way to go…but then we will have run the risk of getting fakes/super clones :/

Hmmm yeah that’s a good point

Mid tier prices are set to increase for the future. Not sure what happens on the grey or used market but if past is prolog they all go up.

I've given up on the idea of buying retail/brand new. The secondhand market is the murky soup in which I swim. Lots of risk, sure, but at least it won't feel like getting bent over in prison.

Exactly. I am happy with my current collection and I am unwilling to pay savage price increases “because they can”.

On the other hand, microbrands are booming and affordable watches are only getting better.

Maybe it's time to show the luxury brands and their absurd markups that we're done being taken advantage of and give our business to honest actors making excellent products for the enthusiasts without gouging them. 👍

I've been saving up for an SMP 2252 for a while now, but the more I learn about luxury watches the less I want to be associated with them. I might just buy a nice CW and a Farer with that money and reward honest brands with a modest pro-consumer mark-up instead.

I’m with you on this. JLC is amongst my favorite brands, but their pricing has gotten out of control. I’m planning to go preowned moving forward with a few exceptions.

That's what secondary markets are for

You often hear that feelings don't matter but if I don't feel like I'm getting a fair shake then I spend elsewhere knowing full well that I've only impacted me. I'm ok with that.

Time to focus on vintage watches before those prices rise too.

The rampant inflation that has been experienced since the end of the global pandemic is behind much of the rise in prices.

The average price of milk from 2020 to 2023 has increased by over 25%, the average price of a dozen eggs is up by more than 38%, and a gallon of gas by more than 58%.

Is it any wonder the price of luxury watches is rising?

With most omega watches you wait and buy it at discounted rates from AD or less cost from grey market

$2500+ was never "affordable " to the masses. That's why Homage and micro brands are on the rise.

There are too many good micro brands for me to lose interest

I was seriously p1ssed at the last price hikes, this 2nd increase in the year is ridiculous. I rarely buy from an AD at retail. I'm more than comfortable waiting for the right one to become available on the grey market. I was however thinking of buying the Aqua Terra Summer Blue in the next month simply due to how beautiful a watch it is. I may have to hurry that decision which is usually not a good thing to do.

I’m in the same situation about the AT Summer Blue; but now I may give up the purchase altogether.

If it's any consolation I was absolutely desperate to get the Seamster 300M with the green dial last year. By the time you could actually buy one I'd already moved on to the next must have watch. I don't regret not getting it, that's how fickle I am 😀

If the cost of some of my vintage watches goes up by, say 100%, I am still sitting pretty. The downside, if it is that, is that you have to have more watches to make allowance for the inevitable down time due to servicing.

I trust the market to eventually correct for this trend. Someone will want to sell quality mid-range watches. They will compete and lure you with quality or design, or both. Certain brands may be out of my reach but fun and interesting watches will not.

Not a big fan of the price increase since Omega had always been seen as best bang for your buck. If the price increase is due to cost I’m not that mad since people need higher pay but if they’re just doing it to try and match Rolex pricing they smoking some strong stuff.

Haha. I'll take vivid.

I was actually looking for a post about this because I too am getting priced out of this. I was lucky to start collecting relatively early i.e. pre-crypto hype and have enjoyed several watches in the past. I'm accepting that some watches will just be unobtainable. Now I've started going pre-owned and grey market - readily available + sometimes below retail. It's become my default channel nowadays.

Inflation sucks.

They have to do what they do, to survive. Some may be greedy but we have no real idea what their costs are.

If a a brand/watch I like, goes beyond my budget then that’s fine. I’ll still appreciate them but I won’t be purchasing them. There’s just too many watches and brands to get caught up in a few.

The next great watch is always just around the corner. Or we can simply admire the ones we have already.

This has been why I’ve stuck with brands like Hamilton, Bulova, Junghans, Meistersinger, Xeric, and Lorier - they’re reasonable priced and affordable, yet still of good quality.

I’m not sure the price increases is all about inflation though.