It is a small fortune that shines on the wrist: expensive luxury watches are “in”- and customers have become significantly younger.
“The jewels are increasingly reporting on the demand for young, especially male buyers for high-quality, mechanical watches,” says Joachim Dünkelmann from the Federal Association of Jewelry, Jewelry and Watch Council (BVJ). In lovers: Inner online forums you can see more and more male watch fans in her mid-20s and below. A trend that is promoted by celebrities, pop culture, social media and a special series.
According to Carsten Keller from Chrono24, a global online marketplace based in Karlsruhe, the fact that luxury watches are in demand is, among other things, because they convey status. In addition, their value remains stable or increase in numerous models. “The resale value is often comparable to the shop price or even above,” says Keller.
“Precise mechanics beats artificial intelligence”
Many are not just about numbers or status, he says. The technology and craftsmanship fascinated them. Dünkelmann also notes that young men were interested in the precise mechanics of the watches. “For the always faster, digitized world, the fine mechanics of an automatic clock will probably set a welcome counterpoint,” he analyzes. “Precise mechanics beats artificial intelligence, so to speak. Without battery and network.”
Luxury watches also often contained more noble materials, explains Fernando Fastoso, professor of luxury brand marketing at the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences. Your clockworks and components are often on their own production instead of buying “standard goods”. In the perception of consumers, a clock will become a luxury watch if it stands for ultimate quality and exclusivity. The price goes far beyond the functionality of the product.
Legending also plays a role: “It is about a brand myth that has been built up for decades,” explains Fastoso. “The myth of the long -established watchmaker, who, in his own manual production, made small quantities with selected materials that only appreciate demanding customers: inside.” There is no luxury without a bitter offer. Snight is relative: “In 2024, over a million new Rolex watches were sold, but just under 6,000 pieces of the Richard Mille brand.”
Influence of pop culture
One reason for the high interest of the young generation is wealth for many 20- to 40-year-olds from Keller’s point of view. For example, inheritances, stocks, cryptocurrencies, economic growth and the tech and start-up boom have contributed. For them earlier than with previous generations, the question arises as to how they invest their money. Interest in women is also growing.
In addition, the generation grew up with investments in collective categories. Keller gives sneakers and NFTS, digital collecting cards. Luxury watches also fit into this scheme. With these, price development is more understandable for many decades – and more long -term.
When the Apple Watch came onto the market, it even had a positive effect on the old brands and classic timepieces, Keller reports: “It has increased the meaning of the wrist again significantly.” But she looks almost the same in everyone. The question is: How do I differentiate myself?
Another argument is pop culture: in numerous songs, especially in rap, references appeared on Patek Philippe. Musician Ed Sheeran is a huge collector of watches and also shows that publicly. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg built one of the most exciting watch collections in the world, says Keller. And in the streaming series “The White Lotus” there are always certain luxury watches.
Enlightenment by influencers: inside
According to BVJ managing director Dünkelmann, the watch market is at a stable level. “However, the trend is generally too higher -quality models – the quantities go back slightly, the average prices rise.”
For the under thirty year olds on Chrono24, brands such as Cartier, the Rolex sister brand Tudor and Jaeger-Lecoultre have had significantly growing market shares in the past three years. At Cartier, the proportion within this age group has more than doubled, with Tudor and Jaeger-Lecoultre, the growth was over 75 percent. What Keller determines: “The genz is very interested and active, but interest varies more.”
In young people, the process takes longer from the first interest to the purchase, he says. Therefore, it can be assumed that people find out a lot beforehand, such as reading blogs or looking at social networks. Expert influencers: Inside there, for example, tell what differences are important, for example, in special editions and how to recognize fakes. “Until the feeling is there: I want to buy this watch now,” says Keller. “It is different than when buying a jeans, where I order six and send five back.”