Sell a "Grail" to fund my hobby or keep as an investment?

Keep it! That watch has history for you.

Welcome to WC. I would suggest that you hold off on trading it until you decide for sure that you would really prefer to have multiple less expensive watches instead. It's nice to have variety, but it's also nice to have really nice watches, and the choice between them is a personal one. It would certainly be possible to put together a nice small collection from the proceeds of your GMT Master, but it's a very personal decision as to whether you want to focus on quality or quantity. The GMT Master is a great watch as an "only" watch, and could be the cornerstone of your collection going forward. Just my 2 cents.

You have to do a self inventory of how much you like your Rolex and what it means to you. Will you regret the sale in the future? Only you can answer that. Question: what would you buy with the money? I'd love to hear what you are looking at!

That’s a question only you can answer. Just remember, once it’s gone…it’s gone.

If it was my choice, I’d keep it. The sentimental value of it being a life milestone and the introduction to watches in general far outweighs the monetary value.

Perhaps you can start by finding what you’re missing from the GMT? There’s great watches in all value ranges. Quality over Quantity.

Keep, and continue to grow your collection over time. Remember it's about the journey, and that watch has meaning. For most of us, the watches we buy are tied to something meaningful.

I recently bought a Rolex GMT Master II, while it's not my grail, it was/is a watch I have no plans to ever sell unless it was life threatening. It too marked a milestone for me in life and my career.

If the watch is selling for more than MSRP then sure sell it BUT if it truly means a lot to you then keeping it is better than buyer's remorse since you can always cash it in if you ever find yourself truly in need (medical bill family emergency, something serious).

I'm not personally a Rolex guy (each to their own) so having one in my collection would be no great shakes to me.

In my personal and professional opinion, the price trend has never been more factorable for selling a Rolex right now. Prices are clearly trending down, so now rather than later.

But if you love the watch, I'd hold on to it and rather save up. IMHO, we should never make decisions on thinking a watch is an investment.

Trying to guess the market is always a little tricky. 50% of the time you get it right and 50% of the time you get it wrong. However I would be of the opinion that selling in the current market conditions might not be the best time to get the best price for your watch, especially if you don't have to.

Most Rolex stories I hear from people are regretting they sold and now that model is out of reach. It also would depend on if the model you have is one in current production, or a model that has been discontinued or replaced. If it is current production and you can get above msrp, then maybe go for it.

Hey OP!

You know that saying about opinions, right? "Opinions are like a$$holes. Everybody's got one!"

But, since you asked, here's my $0.02:

• I don't think of watches as "investments." They're assets, sure, but not investments. So, I got a bunch of Stickley furniture, and the furniture is worth money, and I could sell it for some cash, but they're definitely not investments - they're assets / durable consumer goods - and same with watches

• Given that, the question now becomes, "Would I rather have $X or this GMT Master II in my hand?"

• If I prefer to have $X, what's the best use for that $X?

• Oh, hey, I don't need surgery to remove my 3rd nipple, so I guess I'll buy a watch / watches with my $X

• If new watch / watches are the best use of $X, which watch / watches would I get?

In my own case, I need to get surgery to remove my 3rd nipple, so I wouldn't be using the money to get a new watch / watches.

However, in my experience, I've found more utility in having a number of watches, as opposed to THE ONE.

Let's say I sold a 2012 GMT Master II and got $11k for it. Here's what I would buy, personally:

#1 - SBGE205 - $4,107

• Spring Drive

• Beautiful sunburst champagne dial

• GMT

• Can easily be dressed up or down

• 100M water resistance, so if you're truly mental, you can wash dishes with it on

#2 - SBGA463 - $5,598

• Spring Drive

• Best lume of any watch I've ever had - you can see the greenish glow even in direct sunlight!

• Titanium construction so super light and comfortable

• Awesome on a variety of straps

#3 - Fun mod watch - $500-ish or below?

• Fun, unique, any look you want

Even after all that, you still got $795 left. Go get yourself 795 bags of Cheetos.

I’d sell it for cash and just get one $2-3000 watch and then pocket the extra for something else in the future. But that is only if you just look at the watch as a placeholder for transferrable value. To me, Rolexes now just represent another form of less-liquid cash.

If it is much more special than just its cash value, then keep it. You’ll have a couple thousand bucks in a few months to buy a new watch anyway.

I would not sell if I were in your place. I’d rather have one special watch over 3-4 watches just for the sake of having a selection.

Keep it!

Keep it. If you don’t you’ll kick yourself later. Trust me on this!

As most people are saying keep it , it represents a milestone in your life and after 10yrs it's part of you now, obviously something attracted you to it on the first place

Keep it. I'd place a sizable bet that you'd end up regretting it.

If you're looking for watches around 1k just save up and get them as and when you can. That's way more fun than getting a load in one go.

Just my opinion, but you did ask! 😁

I asked for your thoughts, and this community absolutely did not disappoint! 👍👍 Thank you all so much for your thoughtful feedback and comments, they are all very helpful in giving me perspective.

A watch with history is worth more than 3 new ones in my humble opinion. Keep your grail. At some point in your life it was what you were always wanting

Keep the grail. A bunch of cheaper watches is just that… a bunch of cheaper watches. They’re not your grail.

If you like your watch, keep it. How much you like a watch has less to do with it's value and more to do with how it makes you feel. You can't replace an old feeling with any amount of money or things.

If you are considering selling your "grail" watch, was it really YOUR grail watch to begin with?

In my opinion, at $10,000 you don't have to choose between quantity and quality, you really can get both! If I had the choice between a Rolex for $10,000 and several other watches for around $1,000 - $3,000, I would always buy several other watches. One watch would probably become too boring for me in the long run. Besides, for around $2,000 you get really high-quality watches. Apparently the Rolex is no longer the holy grail watch if you are thinking about selling it. However, if you are very emotionally attached to the watch, then of course you should never sell it.

Keep it and if you want to add to your collection do that over time!

Variety is good, but I believe a lot of us not so gifted enthusiasts could only dream of what you currently own right now. I would say just save up and get your $1,000-$3,000 pieces later on. It shouldn't be that long. Just be patient, I'm sure you won't regret it.

I don’t really know if the choice is as “either/or” as you’ve framed it. Hear me out. I’m going to make an assumption that, since you’re here, and you are considering buying watches in the first place, that your financial position is at least as good as it was when you purchased the GMT Master II. If that is true, then I do think this decision might be more nuanced. That’s not to say that you should be careless with money, just that you might have more flexibility in your approach. If that is so, then here is my recommendation:

Keep the Rolex. It is a fantastic piece that can be a cornerstone of a fantastic collection.

Next, take a good look at the kind of watches you are drawn towards. What do you feel you lack? A dress watch? A field watch? A Chronograph? Take some time to think about that.

When you figure out what speaks to you, look at the world of watches with an open mind. There are watches at every price-point that can scratch any number of itches. I have $300 watches that are tougher than almost anything else in my collection, and I own Rolex, Breitling, and Omega dive watches. My point is, you might not be limited to the price-range you are thinking about. If you find that you come across some watches that speak to you in other price-tiers, maybe give them a shot. There isn’t any reason you have to spend a lot to enjoy the hobby - or anything for that matter.

Ultimately it’s your decision, but maybe take a moment to look at the rich field of choices before narrowing down your choice to keep/sell.

There have been many a tale of enthusiasts who have moved out their 'forever' piece, only to regret their decision, the moment it leaves their hands. And while it's natural for people's tastes to evolve as they are exposed to more options, the watch itself, and it's meaning to you, potentially warrant a second take.

I've made the following assumptions:

1. The watch is either a 5-digit or early 6-digit reference

2. You got it when it was relatively inexpensive

3. The milestone was significant enough to warrant such a purchase

So, if 3 has faded from memory and holds less of a significance to you today, then consider both 1 (you have something that is highly desirably/sought after) and 2 (if you change your mind, getting it back for a reasonable price may be impossible).

Talking from experience, it is nice to have options to wear. But I found that out of 11 watches that I have, I regularly rotate through 5-6 of them. Also, in this price range, you're talking about micro-brand/entry/mid-level luxury pieces. So consider that - you're give up a GMT-Master for these.

If you're in to the brands/designs here, then go for it. You know your tastes best. But if it was me, I'd keep the GMT Master and slowly move into this price range with 1-2 pieces (which I feel shouldn't break the bank) and seeing how I felt afterwards.

Keep it. Don't sell a watch like this to maybe fund some watches that you'll perhaps like.

If you find those watches, well, Id personally save up to buy them so I could keep the GMT. But that's just me.

Makes you think once again about the power of Rolex. You got a watch that is sought after by watch enthusiasts when (and you admit it) you weren't even into watches. Like you bought a Picasso because it was there to then maybe sell it to fund Banksy pieces.

If it were anything other than a Rolex, I'd say sell it & try other watches.

But with the secondhand market for Rolex seemingly always going up (current correction notwithstanding), if you had regret later, you might not get great value out of the other watches you replaced it with and it would likely cost you much more to reacquire it.

Watches with history, regardless of whether its cheap or costly shouldn't be sold unless you are desperate for money.

If you’re asking then there’s doubt. And if there’s doubt, there is no doubt……

FWIW I sold my 2014 GMT Master II (ref. 116710LN) last year. I don't regret it but then again, it wasn't my grail nor my only Rolex. That model is a "sleeper" and collectors are slowly coming around on it but right now the gray market has been flooded with sellers of that particular model. So secondary prices are substantially lower than this time last year. Unless you have to sell or something comes along with equitable or better value (value not price) than keeping the GMT Master II, I'd suggest holding it longer.