Watch collectors and enthusiasts have probably noticed that certain brands of recently released watches are either sold for much higher than the retail price, or are completely unavailable. This is common among brands such as Omega and Rolex, and can be very frustrating to those who are new to watch collecting, or who simply want a specific model. Below is an explanation of this phenomenon, and what you can do about it.

An Overview Of The Luxury Watch Market

The supply and demand for watches is heavily dependent on human perception and emotion. What this means is that even a trend of extreme demand which is brief can result in greater desire than the market is able to supply. Luxury watch collectors will often prioritize the fact that a given watch is difficult to get as opposed to what the watch is inherently worth. In this scenario, even if the watch isn’t scarce initially, it will quickly become this way due to it being perceived as such.

High end watches tend to be limited in their production, as brands such as Audemars Piguet do not mass produce their time pieces. This isn’t done merely to keep prices high; it is a result of the economics of their manufacture. Upscale watches are extremely intricate and complex, often the culmination of years of research. It isn’t unusual for them to be designed with raw materials that are scarce and hard to come by. They also tend to incorporate technologies which are state of the art, and difficult or costly to reproduce on a mass scale.

Combine this with the name and reputation of the manufacturer, which for the oldest watchmakers took centuries to build, and you begin to understand why certain brands are so difficult to acquire at retail. Luxury watchmakers will often sacrifice profits short term to increase their revenue long term. By reducing the supply of their products, they will maintain the engagement of their clients, as well as their emotional demand.

How To Acquire Luxury Watches At Retail

In order to acquire the most exclusive watches at retail prices, most collectors will be expected to pay a specific amount either for the brand itself or with a specific store. After doing this you will then be eligible to pay retail. While many people may be shocked by this, it is actually common among many retailers worldwide. You will have to pay many times the value of a watch so you can receive the privilege of getting high demand watches for retail rates.

This practice is common because customers accept it, along with the watch manufacturers themselves. It benefits the retailer because it allows them to move some of the watches within their shops that are less popular. Those who purchase high end watches typically have a large income which is disposable, and such individuals focus more on watches they can acquire as opposed to which watches they can afford.