The secondary market for luxury watches is seeing a subtle revival, led by younger collectors. The Bloomberg Subdial Watch Index, which tracks the 50 most-traded pre-owned watches, has climbed nearly 9% over the past year, after hitting a low 12 months ago.
The surge is being fueled by dress watches and smaller, jewelry-style timepieces, rather than the larger steel sports models that dominated previous trends. Celebrities like Taylor Swift and Timothée Chalamet are influencing style preferences, emphasizing elegance and uniqueness.
Gen Z buyers are reshaping traditional norms: men are increasingly favoring smaller, precious-metal watches, while women explore bolder designs. Christy Davis, co-founder of Subdial, notes that younger collectors are drawn to distinctive pieces that stand out in both style and craftsmanship.
Industry experts say the trend reflects broader generational wealth shifts, with younger buyers embracing long-term value and individuality over status-symbol steel watches.
Despite the growth, prices remain below the peaks of the Covid-era “free-money” market, leaving room for further appreciation as interest in pre-owned luxury watches continues to rise.
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