Bye bye money...

It happens to everybody. Only in very rare cases will you come close to even breaking even.

You didn’t lose 500. How many days did you own it for? Divide 500 by that number and that’s how much it cost you, per day, to enjoy it.

Probably 1 Euro per day :D And I by far did not wear it every day...

I don’t think that watches are a good investment, especially at the pricepoint that CW sells. Very few watches actually increase in value and those are usually very expensive to begin with. I can see though how you feel as it always sucks to take a loss.

That's actually making me feel a bit better. Thanks.

But you had the option to wear it every day…. Hardly seems like it’s worth getting upset over such a small amount.

Yeah I knew that this was going to happen but I learn from it that I will be even more careful with future purchases. Also it is due to the fact that my taste changed quite a lot during the past two years. Watches come and go... But it's also not really easy selling them.

All watch money is gone as soon as it's spent.

Proceeds from selling is found money

Thanks. It's a nice approach to the situation. Appreciate the thought.

It happens to most of us, we are not dealers (if we were it would be a very short career) we are collectors . Bit like buying a new car and using it, your going to take a massive hit. I suppose the lesson is not to buy so many, sensible. But we're not sensible we're collectors and lessons go out of the window when we get the buzz.

Just consider the money spent as ‘rent’ for the watch during the period you had it. 🥳

I’m trying to imagine living a life where that’s a small amount.

I've never lost a penny. 🤷

One Euro a day is a small amount on a watch forum.

At -$499...

I was loosing money 🤑 on watch's way before it be came a hobby. If you are init to make money 💰 I would run for the door now and get out while you can.

The only way to make money is to flip hype watch's before they peak. Or find a unicorn 🦄 that people actually want. Otherwise the best you can hope for is breaking even.

Yeahhh, it hurts.

I've done it a few times - most notably boutique purchases from Omega and IWC..which lost about 25% in depreciation as I walked out the shop with my expensive paper bag.. 😭

The lessons I've learnt:

1. In terms of retaining value, microbrands are about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Quite often, a cheaper microbrand watch will lose more money than amore prestigious brand when the time comes to sell - certainly percentage wise.

2. Regardless of my years collecting, my tastes and interests continue to evolve. So I should always expect to come out of a watch, even if I'm convinced it's a keeper..

3. A glass of champagne at the boutique is not worth £1000 in depreciation. The boutique experience is short lived and over-rated. A good pre-owned watch is just as satisfying to get your hands on, and you feel like less of a turnip when you do need to hop out of it.

4. Don't expect to sell for the advertised prices you see on Chrono24. You will be sorely disappointed if you do.

5. Don't buy for the advertised prices you see on Chrono24. See above.

Very true points!

I have never experienced this. I think a big part of the reason I have not experienced an erosion of how much I enjoy my watches is because I keep my primary collection in a safety deposit box. I tend to get into wearing the individual watches longer term than most, usually one to three months at a time. When I go and change watches, it is always a feeling of appreciation for the watches I have. Sometimes I do start to think I might want to trade a watch. But then I see them and those thoughts quickly disappear. I decided to store the watches in a safety box for security. But I’ve found that this has allowed me to appreciate the watches so much more.

Very interesting! Never thought about this. I like to combine the watch with my outfit that day so I change on a daily basis.

I do that with my budget sub collection. I have, gee, like a dozen Seikos, Pagani Design, and a few other brands I have at home. But the cut off to be in that portion of my collection is around 1k. I'm not worried about someone breaking in and making off with those. I'd still track them down and take my pound and a half of flesh in revenge, of course. But I wouldn't feel safe with my primary collection at home. I can replace the homages, not the Glashutte originals, Omega, etc. But I do wear my budget watches often and can coordinate to outfits using those. As far as the luxury watches, I tend to get into long term wrist time as opposed to turnover. So, for instance, I was really into my blue Seamaster last summer, wore it for months, and was totally satisfied. In the fall, I was in the mood for my AquaTerra. Again, same thing, months of satisfaction.

Some years ago I bought a CW C60 Trident from CW but I'd looked for a while and discovered they had "scratch & dent" sales a few times a year. Admittedly, I was lucky; the one I got looked brand new, with not a scratch on it. I got a 30% discount. I talked online to another guy who bought one and his was not in very good shape. Of course, CW guarantees them and you can return one for a full refund. I don't know if they still do this and there's a certain amount of luck involved in finding one you like. I had it for a year or two, then sold it and still took a loss but much less than had I paid full price.

Selling in todays market is very tough where 2 thirds hit of the total value is common place

Sarcastic comments proclaiming you've never lost a penny selling watches likely won't be met with the warmest reception, here. Why? Because most of us, unfortunately, take an absolute bath when selling our watches. So, yeah, very sensitive issue.

I'm not looking for the warmest reception. CHILL

Watches aren't investments. Neither are cars. They depreciate when you drive them off the lot. They are here as a tool and to make us feel good. Hopefully your Christopher Ward made you feel good and helped you do something while making you feel good. Otherwise... Why?

Part of the price to play.

True!!

I have been more lucky than not when it comes to reselling my watches. My only suggestion is to do your due diligence and fully research the brand, the watch and the market for that item before making your decision to keep or flip your watch. There have been many time when I got excited about a watch and once I have worn it a few times the magic had worn off and it either gets stored away to be given to someone else who I believe would better appreciate it or it gets posted for sale. I'm more into Vintage Pieces than I am Contemporary Watches, so for me it's easier to do my due diligence before I pull the trigger on a new purchase. Again, I've been very lucky in 90% of my flips. The others that I lost money on were all impulse buys that I regretted later.

GOOD LUCK.

Thanks! When I purchased this CW I was at the beginning of my watch collection journey. My taste and interest is more refined already and I know better what to look for.