Luxury watches – Trends of the year 2020

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Luxury watches - Trends of the year 2020

The cold arrives, Christmas arrives, and with them, this year 2020 comes to an end. For most, great news, since this year 2020 has been a year, to say the least, ‘special’. Every year there are great events, but also great catastrophes. But never before has there been a single event that conditioned so many people for so long. Not at least since we have such a globalized and interconnected world.

Covid 19 has disrupted the plans we had for this year. It has caused us to cancel vacations, close businesses, and many, too many, lose loved ones. It has changed our priorities, our needs and our consumption habits. The impossibility of physically interacting has meant that many business models have suffered greatly, even having to close. Others have reinvented themselves and have discovered that in the world we live in, we no longer have the fear of yesteryear to buy online. The world of luxury watches and high-end watches has not been an exception and has suffered to a greater or lesser extent the peculiarities of this year 2020.

The closure of the factories caused demand to exceed supply, and consequently the prices of second-hand watches, especially some specific models, skyrocketed.

Without having global sales data for each of the manufacturers, watchmakers, specialized points of sale and online stores, we cannot talk about which watches have been the most sold or most requested. But if we can talk about our experience, what are the trends in luxury watches in this year 2020.

Throughout the year we have sold all kinds of makes and models. To mention a few: Audemars Piguet Offshore and Royal OAK, Breitling Navitimer, IWC Portuguese, Panerai Luminor, Patek Philippe Nautilus and Calatrava, and a long etc.

But, above all, from NordWatches we have sold the following 5 models of luxury watches.

Rolex Submariner Hulk

Rolex Submariner Hulk

1.- Rolex Submariner Date

The most requested model and the most sold in this year 2020, without any doubt. The Date version of the Rolex Submariner, far above the No Date. In steel, ahead of any other material. Lots of ‘Hulk’ 116610LVs, from which the lawsuit has been triggered since Rolex’s September announcement to discontinue the model. There is also a lot of demand for the 126610LN, the new 41mm Submariner Date. And as always, the ‘vintage’ models, which do not seem to go out of style.

2.- Rolex GMT Master II

The Submariner Date is followed in sales and requests by another Rolex model, the GMT Master II. To a greater extent the ‘Pepsi’ models, but we have also sold quite a few 116710BLNR ‘Batman’ models. Some ‘Coke’ and even a ‘Tiger Eye’. As with the Submariner Date, our customers’ preference for these models is a steel finish.

3.- Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch

Third, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. Curiously, more models with plexiglass glass than sapphire. It is a watch that does not go out of style and this year has received a special version for the 50th anniversary of the Snoopy award that the watch received for its role in the mission of Apollo 11.

4.- Omega Seamaster

Fourth, and with a technical tie with the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, we have the Omega Seamaster. Different versions of this Seamaster, both Diver 300m 007, Regatta and special editions of James Bond. Since the famous agent 007 saw one in his movies, at least in NordWatches the Omega Seamaster is usually one of the most requested models.

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 'Navy Blue'

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’

5.- Tudor Black Bay 58

Finally, in the top 5 of the best-selling and / or requested models, we have the Tudor Black Bay 58. Both models with a NATO strap and with a steel bracelet. It is a watch that most people request us, that is not a Rolex or an Omega. Interestingly, almost all of our sales for this Tudor BB 58 are to clients in Nordic countries, such as Sweden, Finland or Norway.

This is our top, the year’s trends in luxury watches from our experience in sales and requests this year. This does not mean that these brands and models are the best sellers globally or the best watches.

Tell us, what are the most interesting top watches for you in this year 2020?

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Clocks made of meteorites

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Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Grey side of the Moon Meteorite

Yes, watches made with pieces of meteorite. It sounds like science fiction, but it is much more common than it may seem. Over the years many luxury watch brands have used pieces of meteorites to make the dials for their watches.

Obtaining and using pieces of meteorites is more frequent than it may seem. Over millions of years many meteorites have struck the earth, and continue to do so. Most are very small pieces, and not all have a composition suitable for use in watchmaking.

First meteorites

Most clocks with meteorite spheres have come from 2 large meteorites that hit the earth millions of years ago: the Gibeonmeteorite, in Namibiaand the Muonionalustameteorite, in Sweden. Both meteorites were large in size and their fragments as they entered the atmosphere spread out over large surface areas, hundreds of kilometers long.

The first fragment of the Gibeon meteorite was discovered in 1836. Since then dozens of fragments weighing between 100 and 500 kg have been found.

The first fragment of the Muonionalusta meteorite was found in 1910. As far as it is known, around 40 fragments have been found to date.

These 2 large meteorites are basically made up of Iron and Nickel. These meteorites have crystallized structures throughout millions and millions of years of cooling in space. These crystals have different resistance to acid or heat, and that is why these characteristic patterns, known as Widmanstätten structures, that these meteorites have arise.

To make the dial, thin layers of the meteorite are cut for treatment. Because the patterns are random, all the dials on these meteorite watches are different. This makes each watch with a meteorite dial not only carrying a tiny trillion-year-old spatial fragment, but also unique, as no two dials are alike.

Clocks made of meteorites

Rolex

Rolex GMT Master II Meteorite

Rolex GMT Master II Meteorite

As almost always, Rolex is at the forefront of the use of new materials in watches. Although they weren’t the first to use a meteorite fragment in the manufacture of a watch, they did popularize its use when they made the first Rolex Daytona with a meteorite dial in 2004. They used fragments of the Gibeon meteorite from Namibia to make the first high-end watch with a meteorite dial.

In 2019 they presented the Rolex GMT Master II ‘Meteorite’, the first Rolex model that is not a Daytona or Day Date to have a version with a meteorite dial. The watch is made of white gold, in addition to the meteorite dial, and has an official price of € 38,000.

Despite the fact that since 1950 the Gibeon meteorite fragments have been protected by Namibian laws and cannot be traded, Rolex still has reserves of this meteorite that it acquired previously.

Omega

Omega also created its own meteorite dial watch. Given his Speedmaster’s relationship to space missions, it was clear that the watch chosen had to be a SpeedmasterMoonwatch. They created the Gray Side of the moon variant, made of ceramic and 18-karat sedna gold, and a meteorite dial. As in the case of Rolex watches, this Omega also has a dial made from fragments of the Gibeon meteorite from Namibia. This watch has an official price of € 14,700.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

In 2015 Jaeger-LeCoultre presented its master calendar with a dial made from a meteorite fragment. The watch has 2 variants, one made of steel and the other in rose gold. This watch uses a dial made from a fragment of the Muonionalusta meteorite from Sweden.

Other brands such as Parmigiani Fleurier, Piaget, Zenith, or Cartier have also made watches using different meteorite fragments.

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The Covid 19 and luxury watches

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Rolex

The Covid 19 and luxury watches

The coronavirus (Covid 19) has paralyzed the world. The economic impact worldwide is going to be very hard. Little by little we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, returning to normal and reopening business, but without the certainty of what will come. The factories reopen their production little by little, with exceptional security measures. But, there are no guarantees that we will not be forced to close again due to the possibility of outbreaks. Until there is a vaccine or the contagion rate worldwide is drastically reduced, we will not fully return to ‘normal’.

Given this uncertainty, markets suffer and the world of luxury and high-end watches are no exception.

The Swiss watch industry returns to work little by little. Despite the fact that in Switzerland the coronavirus has not hit as hard as in other countries, most factories decided to close their doors for security.

In mid-May, the large Swiss brands (Rolex, Patek Philippe, etc.) were already reopening the production of watches, progressively and with reduced equipment.

Big fairs like Baselworld, which was to be held at the end of April, had to be postponed. Even the new scheduled date, January 2021, has been canceled for the time being.

Brands like Patek Philippe or Rolex, announced that they were postponing all their news for 2020, so there will be no new models at the moment.

Many questions and few answers

Many unknowns and atypical situations for a sector that is usually very stable. The worldwide stock of high-end watches has decreased dramatically and although the factories have reopened, they do so at a lower percentage of their production capacity.

2020 is going to be a very bad year for the big luxury watch brands, but what about the second-hand market?

In an article on the Chrono 24 website regarding Covid 19, a world reference in the online sale of luxury watches, we can see that despite the fact that the market suffered when the global pandemic situation was declared, currently it seems that the situation is is normalizing.

In fact, according to this article, and always based on their statistical data, large buyers are taking advantage of this situation to invest. Faced with a more than certain lack of stock of new watches, demand for second-hand watches is likely to increase in the coming months.

In addition, in the absence of news from the major brands, the demand will focus on the great classics.

In conclusion, this can be a great time to invest in high-end watches. Take a look at our stock, and if you do not find what you are looking for, contact us, we can surely help you!

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