Longines is a well-respected giant in the watch world. With its rich history and qualitative watches, they’re popular picks. But since Longines watches cost quite a lot, you may wonder if they will hold their value.
Most Longines watches typically do not hold their value. Unless you have a highly sought-after watch or a limited edition, expect to lose about 30-50% of the value after about three years.
There are, of course, some exceptions to this. Some watches, for whatever reason, defy all odds and appreciate a lot over time. In this article, we’ll go over why most Longines watches (and watches in general) typically don’t hold their value.
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Do Longines Watches Hold Their Value?
Most people think that luxury watches will almost always hold their value. But that’s a common misconception. In reality, buying a luxury watch is more similar to buying a brand new car; the moment you walk out of the dealership, the watch has already depreciated.
Typical watch depreciation is about 10-20% a year, with the value staying consistent after about three years. In other words, most watches depreciate about 30-60% before they start to stabilize.
And that’s definitely the case for most Longines watches as well. In fact, Longines is amongst the watch brands that tend to depreciate the most. Despite their rich history, Longines watches just don’t hold their value all that well.
And there are several reasons for that.
First and foremost, we need to take a look at the law of supply and demand. In order for an item to increase in value, there needs to be more demand than there is supply.
Longines watches are fairly popular, but Longines also produces around 1.4 million watches every year. Compare that to the 5000 – 6000 watches that a luxury brand like A. Lange & Söhne (one of the few watch brands that actually retain their value) makes every year, and you can see how 1.4 million pieces are quite a lot.
But when you compare it to a brand like Rolex, which produces a million watches every year, it’s not so bad. However, Rolex has the unique advantage of being, without a doubt, the most popular luxury watch brand in the world.
Rolex watches are so sought-after that even after producing a million every year, there’s still more demand for them.
But getting back to the demand for Longines watches; more than 51 million Longines watches have been sold to this day.
And that’s a whole lot. But as I just mentioned, Longines does not have the same reputation as Rolex. In fact, some people would argue that Longines isn’t even a luxury watch brand at all.
All of these factors play a role in a Longines value depreciation. There’s a high volume of watches produced every year, with a demand for them that’s easily met. On top of that, the Longines name, while respected, isn’t something overly special or sought-after for most people.
The Materials Used To Make A Watch Also Carry Value
Luxury watches that tend to hold their value are commonly made with luxurious and precious materials. Think of things like gold, diamond, or silver.
And not only do these materials look amazing on a watch, but they also carry extra value. A material like gold has an intrinsic value that, no matter how much the watch appreciates or depreciates, will always hold its own value.
Most Longines watches don’t really have any of these precious materials. They tend to be made with high-quality stainless steel or titanium, and not necessarily gold or diamonds. While this still results in a high-quality timepiece, they miss those precious materials.
Examples Of Value Appreciation And Depreciation For Several Longines Watches
On average, a Longines watch depreciates by about 30-50%. This is just an average for the brand in its entirety, but let’s also look at several different models and how much they have appreciated or depreciated over the years.
Longines Legend Diver
A new Longines Legend Diver can be bought for about $2500. When we look at the second-hand market, you can pick up the very same watch for as little as $1750. That’s a 30% depreciation for this particular model.
Longines Primaluna
The Longines Primaluna is one of the few that tends to hold its value relatively well. A brand new model can be picked up for around $1100, and the same goes for a second-hand model. In the case of the Primaluna, it probably makes more sense to buy a brand new one, seeing that they really haven’t depreciated yet.
Longines Heritage Classic
This is an example of a Longines watch that has actually appreciated over time. The reason; it was a limited edition with only 500 pieces made.
A brand new Longines Heritage Classic Limited Edition would cost you around $2000, while they are now sold on the second-hand market for $3500. That’s about a 60% appreciation in value!
Should You Buy A Used Longines Watch?
Since Longines watches depreciate 30-50% on average, buying one second-hand will allow you to buy it for 30-50% cheaper. Most Longines watches tend to depreciate for only three years, so after that, the watch will stay stable, but you’ll be able to buy it at a steep discount.
By buying a Longines watch second-hand, you potentially save yourself a ton of money. Since Longines watches, on average, depreciate by about 50%, buying one second-hand means you save yourself 50%.
Of course, you do need to be comfortable buying an expensive timepiece second-hand. While Longines luckily flies under the radar when it comes to counterfeit watches, they are definitely out there.
Here are a few tips that can help you discover whether the watch you’re about to buy is authentic:
- Always check the serial numbers.
- Ask for papers and documentation.
- Unprofessional finish (think of things like a dirty dial, grammar mistakes, or traces of glue).
- You can check the luminosity (Longines watches have a ‘glow in the dark’ feature which counterfeit Longines watches typically forget to include or have a poor version of).
- If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
And as a last measure, you can always send the watch to an official Longines shop and request a Certificate of Authenticity.
A certified Longines expert will take a close look at the watch and determine whether it’s authentic or a counterfeit. He will also include a rapport of the condition of the watch.
Other than the few bad apples, buying a second-hand Longines watch is a fantastic idea. If the watch is still in fantastic condition, you can potentially save up to 50% or more on your purchase!
