Plenty has been said about the pandemic’s effect on the watch market and the influx of investment buyers. Secondhand prices skyrocketed to a ridiculous zenith in the spring of 2022. But then the bubble burst. Investors suddenly wanted out, and prices steadily fell, leaving watch lovers in uncertainty. This raises some questions today. Is this perhaps the right time to buy? And which top replica watches were prime investor bait and have since seen a hard correction?
Of course, my imaginary crystal ball is just as good as yours, so take the following with a grain of salt. But there are a few cues to go by. Let’s get into it!
Replica Rolex Explorer II ref. 16570 Watches
Okay, the first of my pre-owned picks hurts a little for me. Admittedly, I got carried away and feared the UK luxury fake Rolex Explorer II watches that I admired so much would grow out of reach. I figured that once it crossed the €10K mark, it would continue to rise into the stratosphere. So I scrambled to get one quickly and succeeded. I succeeded in April 2022, I should add. Ouch.
Still, if you are of a more patient makeup than me, as our own Nacho is, this is pretty great! The Rolex Explorer II ref. 16570 peaked at just around that €10,000 mark. Some good full-set “Polar” (white-dial) versions sold slightly higher still. Today, I have found this neat high quality copy watches-only example offered in the Netherlands for €7,150.
This one dates back to 1991. Judging from a distance, it seems to have had its dial and handset swapped. They should have had tritium lume in 1991, but these are Super-LumiNova. For me, that would be a deal-breaker. But if you aren’t as picky as I am, it is a chance to snap one up from a dealer with a warranty at around 20–30% less than two years ago.
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean ref. 2201.50.00 Fake Watches
The third and final of my pre-owned picks is an interesting one from Omega. This is the 42mm best replica Omega Planet Ocean 600 ref. 2201.50.00 watches. It comes on a steel bracelet and includes the original box and papers. It is on offer from a Japanese dealer for roughly €3,075 at the time of publishing.
So, why is it interesting? Well, as I described in my earlier overview of the PO collection, I feel these perfect super clone watches are a tad underrated, especially the first generation before they went ever shinier and thicker. The interesting thing is that they did jump in price when the market went up, but then they didn’t come down nearly as much as other watches. In this case, I would argue that the jump up was the correction, not the fall that many 1:1 fake watches experienced However, pre-owned Planet Ocean models still represent pretty amazing value in today’s market.
Where else do you find a hardcore dive watch from a top-tier brand for around €3K? Remember, this is Omega’s answer to the Rolex Sea-Dweller replica watches for sale. You will have to shell out three to four times as much for one of those from the same era. Even the most desirable Planet Ocean, the transitional ref. 222.30.42.20.01.001, can be had around the €6K–7K mark. These seem to be sleepers in today’s market, and I am quite tempted to snap one up myself.
Closing thoughts
These are interesting times for the Swiss made replica watches market. I feel we are approaching a crucial point where we will discover whether we are indeed back to a slow and steady upward trajectory. But, of course, this is judging merely by looking at the past. I haven’t taken into account what unexpected developments lay ahead.
