Author: jasonlo213

Has Rolex run out of ideas? YES AND ＮＯ.

The highlight of this year’s new releases is definitely the new Daytona references. Released in 2016 and produced for only 7 years, the 116500 series have been replaced by the new 126500 that has a new case design and a new movement. Also, the platinum Daytona now has a display caseback that showcases the new movement. The ceramic Daytonas now has a metal ring around the ceramic bezel and all new models get some new dial designs, some of which resemble the 1652x series Daytona while the metal ring resembles the design of 626x series. The display caseback of the platinum 126506 is likely a reply to modified Rolex which has been in vogue for some years. It is not the first time Rolex has done something in response to popular demand. The release of the Oysterflex rubber straps was also likely an answer to the trend of installing Rubber B straps.

While there is not much too new on the Daytona, Rolex is known not to make changes too radical to their existing models. To me, the case of the new Daytona has lost its slimness and become similar to those of the Sub and GMT. The metal rings of the ceramic models is are the major feature distinguishing between them and the first ceramic generation. Notably, the green and meteorite dials are now discontinued. I have a feeling that the meteorite dial won’t stay out of the lineup for too long.

Who says Rolex cannot be creative? The real surprise of this year’s show is actually the Daydate puzzle. Coming in rose old, white gold and yellow gold with a turquoise or orange enamel dials with puzzles and rainbow sapphire markers, the date wheel displays emojis instead of dates while the day wheel displays “Happy,” Eternity,” “Gratitude,” Peace,” “Faith,” “Love,” and “Hope.” This is an unexpected release from a conservative manufacture like Rolex and looks like an extension of the colorful Oyster Perpetuals. Surely these are no traditional Daydates and some may even find them ugly, but these models are going to be a big hit among rappers and NBA stars. These new models could also help promote the Daydate to younger collectors who may find the presidential Rolex a bit old-fashioned.

(All images are from Google. Courtesy to the owners of these images.)

The newly released Longines Pilot Majetek could be one of the best reissue this year. With a rich history in aviation, Longines has done a good job reissuing one of its most signature pilot watches.

Longines has indeed a rich heritage in pilot watches. The Lindberg, Czech Air Force and many other signature pieces have linked the brand firmly with aviation. The Czech Air Force pilot watch was reissued a few years ago as the Heritage 1935. It is loyal to the original in many ways but the new Pilot Majetek is just more attractive with its bolder design.

What catches my attention most is the case design of the new Pilot Majetek. The 43mm cushion case is way bolder than the previous 41mm one. The razor sharp looking lines of the case brings the watch a lot of character and a modern look. It gives a very strong wrist presence that a pilot watch should give. The matte black dial is also very well executed with beige retro radium style luminova numerals, a rail track and a seconds sub dial at 6 o’ clock. Most importantly, it does not have a date window. On another note, I do feel that the watch will look even better if the dial is dark brown in color.

The fluted bezel is another highlight of the watch. It really adds a lot of vintage style to such a modern piece. It looks way more pronounced than the one on the Heritage 1935. The beige triangle works with the bezel which can be turned in both directions to count time for pilot (which we probably won’t be using). The watch is water resistant to 100m and it is also magnetic resistant.

Some say the size of the watch makes it look like a Czech Air Force with steroid. However, I think it is a very nice modern take of the Czech Air Force. It looks bold and attractive. The watch can look cool on its leather strap or the khaki nato it includes.

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 The term ‘tropical dial’ is used to describe any Rolex dial which turns into a different color (usually brown but sometimes in other colors too) due to the defects of the paint. Those with a beautiful tropical dial can usually fetch high prices. The Daytona is no exception. Vintage ones such as the 6263,6265, neo-vintage one like the 16520 Patrizzi are all very sought after by collectors as each of these tropical dials is unique. The ‘most modern’ tropical dial Daytona is probably the 116520 ‘Panna’ cream dial version.

It is believed that cream dials on 116520 are only found on P,K and Y series watches. The paint of the white dials has its defect that when the paint varnishes slowly, the dial color turns creamy bit by bit, making it collectible like other tropical Rolex watches.

What is more interesting is that it could well be the last tropical Rolex reference, at least for the Daytona line. We have not seen any dial that would in time change into a different color after the ‘Panna’ 116520.

Just like any other Daytona references, the first series is always the most collectible (or the last series, actually). The 116520 is no exception. For the ‘Panna’ dial, P series ones are among the best if you are to collect one of them. It is the first series produced in 2000, overlapping with its predecessor 16520. The production number of the P series should be less than the other two K, Y series as part of the P series production was for the 16520 Zenith Daytona. Likely the P series 116520 were only produced for half a year.

The price trend of the ‘Panna’ 116520, in the long run, is likely to go up due to its scarcity especially for the P series and those that have aged to a beautiful creamy hue. As creamier dials are way more expensive, it may be better to purchase those that have yet to turn very creamy so that your timepiece can appreciate in time as the dial turns creamier in time.

One of the biggest news in 2022 for the watch industry is probably the CPO programme launched by Rolex. CPO stands for Certified Per-Owned, meaning that Rolex will sell pre-owned watches certified by them. This is the first time Rolex has entered the market of pre-owned watches.

The CPO programme has started in Europe in major Bucherer boutiques. It will certainly expand to the rest of the world soon. For now we can see only a limited range of models are being sold in the programme and they are mainly watches in the ceramic bezel era.

But how will the CPO programme impact the market? It is still too early to say. 2022 saw watch prices sliding down from its peak in Feb. Some see the CPO programme as an attempt from Rolex to stabilize watch prices. The prices of watches from the CPO programme are around 20-30% higher than market prices now. Whether it can attract clients to buy at their boutiques is still unknown as many shops offer better prices and the certification may not be justified by the premium paid since the market of pre-owned Rolex has been operating for a very long time in an orderly manner.

However, in the long run, the CPO programme may help guarantee that Rolex watches keep their value in a stronger way. As many know, Rolex has price increase at least once a year. That is one of the main reasons why Rolex watches keep their value. With the launch of the CPO programme, there is now an official Rolex price for used Rolex watches. This may serve as a ‘price list’ for used Rolex. This ‘price list’ may well be used as a reference when shops or individuals try to sell their Rolex. In this way, prices of used Rolex will unlikely see a big drop in the future.

That said, Rolex is still subject to economic fluctuations. The grey market for used and new Rolex watches has been operating for many years. As we do not know the scale of the CPO programme, it is hard to say how big an impact it will cause to the market. If Rolex starts buying in pre-owned watches in a large scale, it will definitely help stabilize and raise the value of pre-owned Rolex. However, if the scale of the CPO programme is too small, it may not be able to make an impact big enough in the pre-owned market as the number of pre-owned Rolex in the market now is still way bigger than the number of Rolex in the CPO programme for now.

It is good news for Rolex to finally officially enter the pre-owned market after a few big watch groups. Buyers can buy certified Rolex without having to worry too much as they come with Rolex warranty. This is very positive on the brand’s image and will definitely help people who are new to the world of Rolex. In the long run, more buyers will enter the Rolex market and this is definitely what Rolex is happy to see.

When it comes to Speedmaster, many will look at the 42mm Moon Watch first. The MK40 gained popularity when Hodinkee collaborated with Omega and produced a Hodinkee 10th anniversary edition watch inspired by the MK40. The MK40 has a special dial and many interesting features that is a lot to offer for a watch under 30k hkd.

The Speedmaster Reduced is slightly smaller at around 38mm rather than 42mm. For some wrists, this could be slightly too small but for most wrists this size is just perfect. There are a few dial variations for the MK40 but the variation featured here is the most attractive among them. With a black Arabic dial, the tritium numerals, if aged beautifully, add a lot of character and color to the dial.

The most interesting thing of the MK40 is that it offers a lot of functions for a watch at this price. It is a chronograph while it also offers Day/Month display windows and a hand that indicates the date around the outer dial. The pusher at ten o’ clock is for adjusting the day while the months is adjusted by the date indicating hand. The best thing about the date ring is that it gives you a very clear sense how many days remain in a particular month. The small seconds are displayed on the dial at 9 o’ clock which is also a 24 hour indicator, a very practical function that shows you whether it is the morning or the night when you adjust the watch.

 

The richness of colors is one of the most impressive features of this watch. The chrono hands are red while half of the small seconds dial is blue. With beautifully aged pumpkin numerals, the mix of colors is amazing. At under 30k hkd, this is definitely one of the best choices on the market. The piece featured here has pumpkin tritium numerals which is key to the aesthetics of this watch to me. As tritium is no longer used in watch dials, these ones with beautifully aged numerals will become more collectible in the future.

 

Watch prices have been dropping recently due to many factors. Collectors may find this a good opportunity to find quality pieces at reasonable prices while investors may have to rethink when and how they should reenter the market. While the more modern Daytonas such as the 116500 are badly hit, the Zenith 16520 seems to be doing way better due to its collectability.

The 16520 Zenith Daytona was released in 1988 and production stopped in 2000 when it was replaced by 116520. As the first automatic Daytona, the 16520 features a 4030 Zenith movement, which was then replaced by in-house Rolex movement in the 116520 in 2000. The floating porcelain dial, four-liner dial, Patrizzi dial, inverted 6 dial, the A series and the P series are some of the popular dial variations and series that are collectible.

The A series, among them, is one of the more rare but affordable series of the 16520 as it was produced in only 1999-2000 while prices are still not sky high. The A series is the only series (other than the very few P series) that has solid end links. Other than that, it features a luminova dial that started in lower U series 16520 till the end of the 16520 production in 2000.

With these unique features, the 16520 Zenith Daytona has more or less survived better in the recent price drop. Given its more collectible status, one that is in good condition is not as easy to be found as the 116520 and the in-production 116500 since the 16520 was discontinued 22 years ago.  Therefore, price fluctuations may not affect this reference as much as the newer 116520 and the in-production ceramic 116500.

But what should you look for in a 16520 A series? First of all, an unpolished case. The brushed area, the lug chamfers, thickness, and the crown guards will tell you if the watch has been polished. The bezel will also be a sign. The dial has to be 100% clean and the bracelet is 78390 and the endlink is 803b solid endlink.

The watch featured here is an unpolished 16520 A series in new old stock condition. It comes with a super full set. Any inquiries are welcome.

 

 

 

Audemars Piguet is very strong this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of its flagship model the Royal Oak. Since early 2021, the prices of Royal Oaks and Royal Oak Offshores have been climbing up rapidly. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore. We can expect that AP will keep gaining momentum in 2022 and 2023. What are some of the models you should not miss if you want to board the AP train?

The 26331st blue dial

At 41mm, this discontinued 26331st blue dial is a very collectible watch. Most blue dial Royal Oaks are boutique editions and this is no exception. They are only available at AP boutiques. In today’s watch world, it is getting increasingly difficult to be assigned watches from boutiques. Prices of all the boutique editions are going up faster than other colorways. In terms of aesthetics, the blue dial of this 26331st makes it a versatile watch. It is both sporty and classic and best fit gentlemen who needs a watch that can pair with both casual and formal wear.

The 15202or Jumbo

In rose gold, the 15202or Jumbo is a all-time classic. While the steel version is more casual, this rose gold Jumbo is a more flamboyant statement piece. The 50th anniversary Jumbo 16202 has just replaced the 15202 and the 16202 is going for almost 4mil HKD as of today. At almost 2mil HKD, the 15202or is indeed a bargain for now. This discontinued Jumbo will certainly go up in value rapidly in the future given the momentum AP has been gaining due to the anniversaries of both the RO and the ROO.

 

The 5402st Jumbo A series

Last but not least, the 5402st Jumbo is the Jumbo of all Jumbos. It is the first ever Jumbo released by AP in the 1970s. The A series is the first batch released and it is believed only around 2000 A series exist. You can imagine how collectible it is and it will be. These 5402st A series are fetching around 1.5 to 1.8mil HKD now and value will probably go up very sharply after splendid auction results this year. It is very likely the only AP you need if you are to have only one AP in your life.

2021 was a crazy year for watches. Prices I mean. Rebounding from the plunge in 2020 during the start of the pandemic, prices in 2021 were skyrocketing as demand for luxury watches surged. What is the market going to be like in 2022?

 

Rolex prices had a big surge during late 2021. Modern Daytonas and GMTs were the winners. The 116500ln rose to around 380k hkd brand new while other precious metal versions also rose to new highs. Will this continue in 2022? I think it is very likely. Due to the lack of supply and the increase of demand everywhere, there is no reason for a big drop of prices. Buying power is strong as some young buyers enter the market after cashing out from crypto currency which rose a lot in 2021. Although it is possible to have some price corrections for overheated models, a big drop is nearly impossible. Rolex has long been tough in history through many ups and downs. During many economic downturns and worldwide crisis, Rolex have maintained its value very well. Among them, the Daytona is always the best choice for investment. Neo vintage watches are also attracting attention. Those in good condition are also very good choices to invest your money in. While modern Rolex and neo vintage Rolex are doing well, vintage Rolex market has been soft for the last year mainly because flights have been suspended and buyers cannot travel to view the watches themselves which is very important. It is expected that if flights continue to be suspended, the vintage Rolex market will not be very alive in 2022.

 

Another king of watches Patek Philippe also did very well in 2021. With the olive Nautilus 5711 and the Tiffany Blue 5711, the brand is marketing itself differently from its traditional way. Worn by NBA stars, rappers and soccer stars, the classic traditional image of PP is overridden by its young, trendy new look. In 2022, the craze for Nautilus and Aquanaut will likely continue. Undervalued dress watches may not be craved by new young buyers while seasoned collectors may find them attractive. Vintage Nautilus and Aquanaut are also doing well. Smaller size ones like the 3800 and 5060 are gaining popularity. They are good investment choices since they are still undervalued. With the Gerald Genta auction coming up soon, the Nautilus will likely see new highs in prices.

 

2022 is the 50^th anniversary for AP Royal Oak. The Jumbo 15202 will be discontinued and a new Jumbo is expected to come. It is for sure that Royal Oak prices will skyrocket this year. Again, with the GG auction coming soon, the RO will be gaining a lot of popularity. Another factor for the limited supply of AP watches is the withdrawal of dealership from authorised dealers. AP will deal watches themselves instead of letting Ads to handle that. The tightening supply of watches will certainly impact the prices very much. Smaller ROs like the 4100 could be good investment choices since they are still undervalued. Other than that, Royal Oak Offshores limited editions are also good for investment if prices are not high. However, since there are too many versions for the ROO, one must remain cautious while investing.

 

Many expect 2022 will be a year for Vacheron Constantin Overseas to rise. This is mainly because Overseas are still not as expensive as Royal Oaks and Nautilus. The blue Overseas have been getting hotter and hotter since early 2021 and prices are going up now day by day. Generation 1 and generation 2 Overseas are still very much undervalued and they are good investment choices in 2022. The blue Fifty Six is also a nice choice. As part of the holy trinity in haute horology, VC is likely to make a comeback in 2022.

 

What about independent brands? FP Journe had a strong year in 2021 with auction results being dazzling. This is likely to continue in 2022 as more young collectors are investing in The next FPJ in 2022 could likely be MB&F.. Similar to FPJ, MB&F have been around for some years making unique timepieces. Many expect it to have a booming year in 2022 due to its limited production numbers and impeccable quality and design.

What is Omega to you? 007? Moon landing?

The Speedmaster is definitely synonymous to Omega. Among the many Speedmasters on the market, here are two of them which are very affordable but underrated on today’s market.

The Speedmaster 125 was released in 1973 to celebrate the brand’s founding in 1848. It was the first chronograph to receive an official chronometer certification. The structure of the watch was not often seen at the time it was released. It has a modular design featuring a massive outer case that can be separated from the inner case that holds the movement, dial and hands. The case shape and its mass is still very special in today’s watch world. It is one of the products produced in the 20th century Space Age. The bracelet is also one of a kind as it is very chunky but comfortable. It is made of curved square blocks. The design is both very retro and futuristic and you don’t see such design very often in other watches.

The functions of the timepiece include small seconds, chronograph,date and day/night indicator. I find the day/night indicator very useful when adjusting the time. The watch was made popular in Asia by Japanese star Kimura Takuya when he wore it in one of his popular TV drams. A Speedmaster 125 can be bought at around 20-30k HKD today. What can you buy today with that amount of money?

Another Speedmaster I recommend is the Speedmaster 1957 reissue which is part of Omega’s Trilogy Collection in 2017.

At 38.6mm, this is a loyal reissue of the 1957 Speedmaster Broad Arrow. The dial markers has faux patina which is yellowish and the dial has a matte tropical brownish color which is one of the best parts of this watch. You can see the dial color change from black to dark brown according to different lighting. The crystal is just like the original watch, it is a Hesalite crystal with a tiny Omega logo on it. The bracelet is comfy but loyal to the original bracelet while having a modern touch with a big chunky clasp that allows you to micro adjust the length.

While the original vintage 1957 Speedmaster maybe expensive to obtain, it is not easy to find one in good condition. This reissue fills this gap properly. It can be bought at around 50-60k HKD now. It is certainly a watch with a lot of value for that amount of money.