No Rolex in top 20 watches for price appreciation according to Chrono24

Chrono24 has compiled a price development report, which has analysed price fluctuations across the watch industry over the past eight years.

Published yesterday, the report comes with some interesting findings, and analyses both an eight year period (2018–2026) and a four year period (2022–2026).

Since 2018, and including the post-2022 dip, it found that 16 watch models have at least doubled in value, with the Cartier Tank Vermeil leading the growth rankings at +299%.

In terms of price segment, it has been the ‘affordable’ watches that have performed strongest, with the low- to mid-four-figure category leading the charge.

Notably, and surprisingly, not a single Rolex model made it into the analysis’ top 20 list for value gains during this time period. Cartier, on the other hand, occupied half of the 20 slots.

Chrono24’s study confirms what many have long believed, which is that a number of hyped models were over-inflated in price between 2020 and 2022, and subsequently crashed. These include the Patek Philippe Nautilus (Ref. 5712/1A), which lost roughly 45% of its value since the 2022 peak; the Vacheron Constantin Overseas (Ref. 4500V), which lost more than half of its peak value; and the Hublot Big Bang (Ref. 301.SB.131.RX), which lost an additional 20% since 2022.

Chrono24’s ‘ChronoPulse Index’ suggests that the current state of the market is healthy and recovering. It claims that market prices have risen by 5.2% in the last six months, and by 1.2% in the last month.