Rolex and Cartier tipped for best investment watches in 2022

]

Rising demand and continuing scarcity will make Rolex and Cartier two of the hottest investment watch brands in 2022, according to secondary market specialist The RealReal.

Next year will be building on one of the hottest growth periods in history for the luxury watch business, leading to extreme shortages at authorised dealers and soaring prices on the grey and pre-owned markets.

In exclusive data supplied to WATCHPRO, The RealReal identifies the most profitable watches to have invested in through 2021 before making its predictions for the coming 12 months.

Not surprisingly, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, no doubt concentrating on its soon to be discontinued 5711/1A, saw the sharpest price rise this year with 61% growth.

Rolex’s Daytona and GMT Master II took the next two spots in a top four of the best investment watches, with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak coming in fourth.

Top Four Investment Pieces for the Year (based on most significant resale value growth YoY)

Patek Phillipe Nautilus (+61% YoY)

Rolex Daytona (+37% YoY)
Rolex GMT Master II (+36% YoY)
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (+22% YoY)

What makes a good investment watch?

Asked to identify what factors make a watch a good investment piece, The RealReal’s watch merchandising manager Matthew Clarke suggests: “The most important criteria for determining a watch’s value is its staying power — think of timepieces that have a storied history and an iconic design that has lasted through decades of re-editions. Models that are an integral part of a brand’s legacy will remain a mainstay in horology culture for years to come.

“Another factor to consider when evaluating a watch to determine its resale potential is the better the condition, the higher likelihood of it retaining its value. This means minimal wear to the metal, which includes polishing wear, and maintaining the original parts with proper servicing. The goal is to have the watch be as close to the original condition as possible.”

The RealReal’s watch offer has grown as more watch collectors and enthusiasts have started to see trading as an enjoyable and potentially profitable part of their hobby.

“We’ve seen tremendous adoption of the resale market; our customers cite sustainability, a desire for one-of-a-kind items or simply the ‘thrill of the hunt’ as reasons for selling and shopping with us,” Mr Clarke suggests.

With no sign that supply will catch up with demand for the most popular waiting list watches, the secondary market for over retail priced pieces will grow again.

“On the primary market, demand continues to outweigh supply, which will likely continue well into the new year. We have the advantage of not being affected by such issues and have a great inventory of popular styles, limited editions and vintage models. Our shoppers not only have instant access to our full library but, they are also getting an authenticity guarantee, making the buying process as seamless as ever,” Mr Clarke advises.

Best investment watches for 2022

With unicorn watches already commanding exceptional prices, there could be a risk that an overheated market could cool in 2022.

The RealReal does not see it that way. Today’s hot watches will keep their value and other brands and references could join a party that will continue to be dominated by Rolex.

“Rolex continues to be exceptionally sought after and this year we saw the Daytona re-establish itself as the leader of the pack among competing models. The Daytona is known to be one of the more challenging models to purchase on the primary market, which echoes the issues of a delayed supply chain with rising demand. This makes all renditions of the Daytona — stainless steel especially — our top investment pick for the coming year based on scarcity,” Mr Clarke proclaims.

Cartier, which has seen auction prices rising for rare 1960s and 70s pieces this year, is a new brand to watch for its investment potential.

“We’ve also seen contemporary models from Cartier surge in popularity, however the Tank Solo continues to appeal to collectors of all types,” Mr Clarke suggests.

“The Tank is widely celebrated as the most iconic design of Cartier and as more people turn to the secondhand market for watches, the Solo has proven to be a great starter for a new collection. We expect the demand to remain steadfast into the new year.”

The Superficial Value In Refinishing/Refurbishing Rolexes: A Watchmaker’s Rant

]

Sitting in my living room one evening sipping on a neat Grey Goose, I got to thinking about the current state of watch collecting.

I had recently read Derek Weinberg’s story, The Current State Of The Pocket Watch: It’s Better Than You Might Think, which got me thinking about modern horology in general.

But first, here’s a brief anecdote that explains the background to this rant.

It was the British Horological Institute’s 150th anniversary, and I was a young watchmaking student attending a WOSTEP partnership school at the time, the British School of Watchmaking. The WOSTEP students, including myself, were honored to be seated at the table with Dr. George Daniels and his good friend Andrew Crisford.

I remember this dinner well: it was the first time I had seen an F.P. Journe watch in person, which graced Crisford’s wrist. Seeing the F.P. Journe, however, was not the highlight of the evening, dining with Daniels as an 18-year-old watchmaking student is clearly the winner there.

There were so many great horological names in attendance that weekend: Peter Speake-Marin, Stephen Forsey, the chaps from Frodsham, and, of course, the British Horological regulars such Justin Koullapis, Allan Middleton, Timothy Treffry, and Jim Arnfield, as well as Quill & Pad’s own Ian Skellern.

My good friend Scott (who went on to work for Roger Smith) and I sat in the pub on the Sunday evening chatting with Peter Speake-Marin about his watchmaking journey, imbibing multiple pints of beer. Speake-Marin wisely convinced us to blow off school the following day and continue taking in the BHI 150th anniversary celebrations.

When were we going to get another chance like this? The answer was never. And I have never to this day been in a room with so many horological greats, and I doubt that I ever will.

I had separately met many of these individuals before. Arnfield once journeyed to our school as he was friendly with Allan Burtoft, the man I owe my horological education to (patiently teaching my cocky 18-year-old self horology as I was nursing the odd hangover or two).

Arnfield brought along an incredible selection of watches for us to view. One I remember in particular was a Breguet pocket watch with a ruby cylinder escapement: this watch was truly a delight to see and I could understand how manufacturing such a movement was truly an outstanding accomplishment.

So, why exactly am I taking you through this educational watchmaking experience?

I am a contributor to multiple watch-related forums. I constantly see questions asked such as “who is the best watchmaker around to service this” and similar.

The same answers usually come up, but the thing I find so interesting is that the answers usually involve those who do the “prettiest” superficial work. In a word: case refinishing. And in other words: huge chamfers on Rolex cases, perfectly flat surfaces, and well executed sunburst patterns.

These watch restorers are often considered the best of the best, but I maintain that little regard is given to the movement.

Please do not misunderstand me. Case refinishing is an important aspect of horology and is difficult to do well without the right equipment.

But, if I am being honest, once the expensive equipment has been purchased it is fairly standard work, and most people can be taught to do it well.

Wristwatch collecting’s current state

Vintage and pre-owned watches that have been untouched are all the rage and command huge premiums. Consumers pay double retail for stainless steel models of certain brands.

And for what? A brand name?

Is a Rolex Daytona worth double what the retailer is asking? No. It’s barely worth the retail price, as generally speaking retail prices are negotiable.

Now, I love a Rolex as much as the next guy. I own a Submariner 1680, which is my daily wearer, and I love it.

What am I getting at here?

Watches perceived as “hot property” are worth all the money.

Watches that have been “refinished with exceptional skill” fetch huge premiums, and the work commands top dollar. And so it should.

We live in a supply-and-demand world, so watches that are hard to come by should fetch high prices. The same goes for expert case refinishing; it too should command top dollar.

However, I feel as if so much has been lost in the noise. Exceptional horology has been forgotten in the mass. Roger Smith, George Daniels, Derek Pratt, Peter Speake-Marin, Frodsham, Jim Arnfield, and my brilliant instructor Allan Burtoft have all been left in the dust for a chamfer that is far too large in my opinion anyway.

In 2012 at Sotheby’s sale of the George Daniels Horological Collection held after the great watchmaker’s passing, a Rolex Datejust fitted with a co-axial escapement (and done so by Daniels’s own hands) was estimated to sell for £5,000 – £7,000. It eventually sold for £21,250 – which is less than the current market price of a Zenith-powered Rolex Daytona.

The Daniels-modified Rolex is a one-of-a-kind watch, which was personally fitted with a co-axial escapement by the greatest watchmaker our time has ever seen. And it is worth less than a mass-produced watch with a movement that hasn’t changed since the late 1960s.

That’s a sad state of affairs.

The current horological landscape only cares about the superficial: the chamfer, the lugs, the unpolished specimen.

What about the true horological genius right under our noses that we pass over on a daily basis?

Those who can chamfer a lug, create a sunburst case pattern, and polish the side of a case flat are considered the watch masters of today. I have news for everyone: if you have $15,000, you can purchase a lapping machine and produce the same results.

Yes, there is of course a level of skill involved, but nowhere near the level of skill it takes to perform movement-related horological restoration. Black polishing of components, re-bushing plates, re-pivoting wheels, and turning balance staffs are all much more difficult tasks, but no love is ever given to these as they are the unseen, forgotten aspects of modern horology.

But, hey, I guess I’m just an Audrey Hepburn fan in a Kim Kardashian world.

This article was first published on May 23, 2020 at The Superficial Value In Refinishing/Refurbishing Rolexes: A Watchmaker’s Rant.

88. Wayne Taylor Racing wins Rolex 24 at Daytona for third consecutive year

]

Counting ‘em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of the 2021’s Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World’s Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1 on New Year’s Day or shortly thereafter. Then Headline Surfer will post a Top 10 forecast story of the good, the bad & the ugly on the horizon in “2022: The Year That Lies Ahead.”

Photos for Headline Surfer / Left: Wayne Taylor Racing takes the checkered flag to win the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Above: Winning teammates hop on the car to celebrate.

By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Filipe Albuquerque drove the Wayne Taylor No. 10 Acura DPi to victory in the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona by a margin of 4.704 seconds on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway .

The Jan. 31 win was the third consecutive for Wayne Taylor Racing at the Rolex 24.

Albuquerque took the checkered flag with seconds to spare over Kamui Kobayashi in the No. 48 Ally Cadillac, followed by Harry Tincknell in the No. 55 Mazda and Juan Pablo Montoya (2000 & 2015 Indy 500 winner) in the No. 60 Acura of Meyer Shank Racing.

Albuquerque, of Portugal, took over with 90 minutes left in the race from Ricky Taylor. Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009 & 2021 Indy 500 winner) and Alexander Rossi (2016 Indy 500 winner) were the team’s other drivers.

Albuquerque watched in his mirrors and heard his team’s reaction over the radio Sunday when Renger van der Zande was forced to pit with a flat right rear tire with seven minutes and 50 seconds left in the race, allowing Albuquerque to sail to victory in the 59th Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. The historic race opened the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Photo for Headline Surfer / Overnight Rolex racing under the lights at Daytona International Speedway.

Albuquerque drove the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 DPi to the finish line 4.704 seconds ahead of the No. 48 Action Express Racing/Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R driven by Kamui Kobayashi.

Wayne Taylor Racing joined Chip Ganassi Racing as the only teams to score three consecutive overall victories in the Rolex 24. The Ganassi team went back-to-back-to-back from 2006-08.

In addition to three consecutive wins in a row, Wayne Taylor Racing also won two earlier Rolex 24 races in the past half dozen years.

“So much went into this,” said Ricky Taylor, who scored the second overall Rolex victory of his career. “It was definitely a test of trust and a testament to preparation and sticking to a plan. … We skipped all of the offseason testing because the guys needed time to do everything properly. They know how to win this race. I feel like we were all lucky to be a part of it.”

Renger van der Zande – who drove and won the Rolex 24 for WTR the past two years – was pressuring Albuquerque and at times closing in sharply during the final minutes of the race before he cut right-rear tire on his No. 01 Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-VR in the last of 12 turns on the Daytona road course.

“He nearly passed me, but then he was kind of steady for four of five laps,” Albuquerque said. “He was not really getting in there. I was just counting. ‘One more lap. One more lap in the lead.’ When he blew, we were lucky. But there is nobody who has ever won Daytona or any championship without luck.”

Following Kobayashi (who was also chasing a third straight Rolex 24 win) and the No. 48 Cadillac co-driven with Jimmie Johnson (2006 & 2013 Daytona 500 winner), Simon Pagenaud (2019 Indy 500 winner) and Mike Rockenfeller was the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda RT24-P shared by Oliver Jarvis, Harry Tincknell, and Jonathan Bomarito.

The Ganassi crew replaced the tire on the No. 01 car, but – without time to catch the field – van der Zande and his teammates had to settle for a fifth-place finish.

In the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class, Paul-Loup Chatin put the finishing touches on a 19.513-second victory by the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07 over the No. 8 Tower Motorsport ORECA co-driven by John Farano, Gabriel Aubry, Tim Buret, and Matthieu Vaxiviere.

Chatin co-drove the No. 18 with Ryan Dalziel, Dwight Merriman, and Kyle Tilley.

“It’s amazing,” Merriman said. “I’m really proud of the team. It really is a team effort to win in endurance racing, especially when you get to these super-long ones. It’s just so hard to win, even if you’re good. It requires all aspects of the program to be good.”

Spencer Pigot drove the final stint of a three-lap victory in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class by the No. 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 he shared with Gar Robinson, Scott Andrews, and Oliver Askew. LMP3 was making its WeatherTech Championship debut, and the cars were racing for 24 hours for the first time.

“It was a pretty smooth race, to be honest,” Pigot said. “We kind of stayed out of trouble and did our own thing. That was our plan all along. Nobody knew how reliable these LMP3 cars would be. I don’t think they’d ever run a race this long. One thing we knew is that we’d have the best-prepared car in the paddock, and I think we showed that today.”

The No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier co-driven by Joao Barbosa, Lance Willsey, Wayne Boyd, and Yann Clairay finished second in the LMP3 class, followed by the No. 6 Muehlner Motorsports America Duqueine D08 shared by Moritz Kranz, Laurents Hoerr, and Kenton Koch.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura in DPi, the No. 8 Tower Motorsport entry in LMP2, and the No. 74 Riley Motorsports LMP3 scored the most points in IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup competition, which pays points at regular junctures of the WeatherTech championship’s four endurance races: Rolex 24, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, and Motul Petit Le Mans.

Sidebar: How NASCAR drivers fared in the Rolex 24 at Daytona: Jimmie Johnson part of 2nd place team

YouTube embedding / Lanky Turtle video / Highlights of the 2021 Rolex 24 from Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida.

About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida’s death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series “Snapped” for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.

2021 TOP 100 COUNTDOWN (so far):

2020 TOP 100 COUNTDOWN (final):

Roger Diez: Catching up on the happenings in the racing world

]

Roger Diez: Catching up on the happenings in the racing world

Merry Christmas to one and all! I hope that Santa brought the racers that new helmet or set of tires for the upcoming season. Race fans, I hope you got your tickets to the Clash at the L.A. Coliseum or a T-shirt or hat with your favorite driver emblazoned on it.

•••

With the 2021 racing season over, this week I’ll deal with breaking news items and a bunch of rumors and raw random data. First off, some good news – Alex Zanardi is now at home after two years in the hospital following a crash with a truck while riding his racing handcycle. Knowing the former Indy car champion and handcycle champion, it won’t be long before he’s racing something again.

•••

Lewis Hamilton declined to attend the Dec. 16 Formula 1 gala awards ceremony in Paris as required. According to incoming FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Hamilton may be subject to fines and other sanctions for his action. This happened while rumors swirled about Hamilton retiring from F1 after race director Michael Masi’s late-race decision robbed him of his eighth championship. Rival Max Verstappen, who benefitted from that decision, expressed doubts that Hamilton would retire, as did Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Hamilton has not appeared in public since he received his knighthood from Prince Charles earlier this month. To be continued.

•••

Jimmy Johnson last week announced his intention to run a full IndyCar season in 2022, including the Indy 500 and all the other ovals on the schedule. Johnson had a rather lackluster first season in IndyCar, finishing 26th in points with a highest race finish of 17th. Hopefully the 46-year-old seven-time NASCAR Cup champion will be more competitive in the coming season. After all, he has a lot of wins on ovals.

•••

In other IndyCar news, former F1 driver Romain Grosjean will race for Andretti Autosport in 2022, replacing Ryan Hunter-Reay who is out of a ride. James Hinchcliffe announced he will not race a full IndyCar schedule but will be trying other forms of motorsport, as yet undefined. Perhaps IMSA or NASCAR Camping World Trucks?

•••

Speaking of NASCAR, teams have been testing the Next Gen car at Charlotte, and the 550 horsepower package did not perform well. Last Tuesday NASCAR announced that the 670 horsepower package will be used on the majority of tracks along with a four-inch spoiler. A number of drivers weighed in with comments on the new car and the testing. The consensus was that the Next Gen machine has more mechanical grip but less aero grip, particularly side force. The car is much more on the edge, and is less forgiving than the old car, making it more difficult to drive. There is still a great deal for teams and drivers to learn about the new car, and I expect the first few races to be fairly mistake-filled. The teams who first come to grips with the new car’s idiosyncrasies and the drivers who are able to ride the edge will be the ones in the playoffs come fall.

•••

Looking ahead to 2022, the Chili Bowl Nationals kick off the racing season Jan. 10-15. Next up is the IMSA Roar before the 24 Jan. 21-23, followed by the Rolex 24 at Daytona Jan. 29-30. The NASCAR Cup Clash at the L.A. Coliseum is Feb. 6 with Daytona 500 qualifying Feb. 13. The Duels to set the field are on Feb. 17 and the 500 runs on Feb. 20. The NHRA Winternationals at Pomona take place Jan. 16-20, IndyCar kicks off their season Feb. 27 at St. Petersburg, and the first Formula 1 race is at Bahrain on March 20.

Klingmann, Dinan Complete Turner Lineup for Rolex 24 – Sportscar365

]

BMW M factory driver Jens Klingmann and SRO America class champion Michael Dinan will complete Turner Motorsport’s lineup for next month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut for the new BMW M4 GT3.

The German manufacturer confirmed Monday Turner’s lineup that will again be anchored by Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley for the full season in the GT Daytona class.

Dinan, who drove with Foley in Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS in a BMW M6 GT3 in 2021, will make his WeatherTech Championship debut while Klingmann returns to the Will Turner-owned team for the first time since the 2020 Rolex 24.

The Turner squad completed a two-day test at Daytona International Speedway earlier this month with its new car, nicknamed “Taco Machine” and will be joined by at least one other BMW customer in the GTD ranks next year.

Lineups for the pair of factory Team RLL-entered BMWs for the new-for-2022 GTD Pro class are expected to be confirmed early next month.

In addition to the two IMSA teams, ST Racing, Schubert Motorsport and Walkenhorst Motorsport have also all received their cars.

“After all the testing, we can hardly wait for our BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers to finally go head to head with quality opposition on the racetrack,” said Head of BMW M Motorsport Mike Krack.

“So far, everyone who has driven the BMW M4 GT3 has been extremely positive about it.

“As such, we are confident that we will be competitive from the word go and in a position to challenge for top results.

“The extremely high demand for the BMW M4 GT3 has exceeded our expectations. We are very pleased and honored by this trust. We are now looking forward to seeing how our new car fares in the hands of many different drivers and teams at racetracks and in racing series all over the world.”

follow us