A Tudor watch is a prized possession that you can enjoy for a long time. It’s a quality timepiece but comes with a hefty price tag. With such a price tag, you may wonder if the watch will actually hold on to its value.
Most Tudor watches do not hold their value all that well. Several models do tend to appreciate over time, but the average Tudor watch depreciates as soon as you walk out of the store.
As with most watches, a Tudor watch isn’t all that good at holding its value. However, since Tudor is a respected and luxurious watch brand, there are actually some sought-after models that hold their value, and there are even some models out there that appreciate year over year!
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Do Tudor Watches Hold Their Value?
Unlike popular belief, most watches really aren’t all that good at holding their value, let alone appreciate. Watches are comparable to cars; the moment you walk out of the store, it has lost a good chunk of its value.
The same goes for most Tudor watches. On average, a watch depreciates about 10-20% per year for the first three years. After the first three years, most watches stabilize and hold on to that value. This means most watches lose about 30-60% of their value after just three years.
And that only really goes for the more high-end watches. Citizen or Fossil watches typically aren’t really worth anything after a few years.
Tudor, however, is seen as a luxury watch brand. After all, it’s owned by arguably the best-known luxury watchmaker, Rolex. But since Tudor is in a more luxurious segment, they do at least hold some value, and in a few rare instances, they can actually appreciate over time.
It Mostly Depends On Supply And Demand
Whenever there’s a product in high demand but there’s only a limited supply, an increase in value will follow. With luxury watches, the supply is typically on the lower end, seeing that every watch is manually assembled by watchmaking experts.
On top of that, the price of a luxury watch is usually high enough to set a barrier to entry. Not everyone will be able to just outright buy a watch for a few thousand dollars.
On the other hand, there’s the demand side of things. And not all Tudor watches are equal here. There are two Tudor models that stick out in popularity:
- Heritage Black Bay
- Pelagos
There’s a relatively high demand for these models, but only a limited supply. Yet still, these watches will not hold their value all that well. Expect either of these models to depreciate between 0-10% a year. This is a lot less than the 10-20% depreciation that most watches have, but it’s still a decline in value.
Tudor watches that aren’t as popular will perform even worse. There’s less demand for those models, so they typically just depreciate like any other watch.
One last thing to note is that while Tudor watches may not hold their value, Tudor does increase the retail price of their watches every now and then. When you’re looking to sell your Tudor watch, you can use the retail price as a baseline. If the retail price has increased by 10%, you may be able to recuperate an extra 10% as well!
What Tudor Watch Models Are Known To Hold Their Value Well?
The Tudor Black Bay models tend to hold value, especially these models; 79320, 79830RB, and 79030n. Tudor Pelagos models also tend to hold their value, and so does the Tudor ‘Monte Carlo’ 7033/0
The Tudor Heritage Black Bay, Black Bay Fifty-Eight, and Black Bay GMT watches are three models that have shown they hold their value decently well. They may not appreciate a lot over time, but they won’t depreciate either.
Other than the Black Bay models, most Tudor watches that hold their value are vintage watches. These watches are older and usually no longer produced, making them very limited. Tudor Submariners and Tigers, for example, have proven to not only hold their value but also increase in it over time.
Is A Tudor Watch A Good Investment?
A Tudor watch is not a good investment, as most Tudor watches will not hold their value. A Tudor watch typically depreciates up to 60% in the first three years.
If you’re looking to buy a Tudor watch just to make a profit in a few months or years, you might be disappointed to hear that nearly all Tudor watches will depreciate over time.
Tudor watches are more readily available than watches from other brands that do hold their value. Unlike certain Rolex models, for example, where the waiting list can be multiple years, most Tudor models are simply available in stores.
So unless you have a vintage Tudor watch, chances are that someone who’s interested in a Tudor watch will just go to a Tudor store and buy a brand new one, instead of buying a more expensive second-hand watch.
On the other hand, if you don’t intend to sell your watch and just want one to upgrade your own wardrobe, a Tudor watch can be a fantastic investment. Tudor is one of the more affordable luxury watch brands, but they are just as solid quality-wise as watches from big-name brands with extreme price tags.
A Tudor watch will last you years on end and can even end up as an heirloom, provided you take proper care of it.
Is Tudor Considered A Luxury Watch Brand?
Tudor is a luxury watch brand. Their watches are hand-assembled, use luxurious and exotic materials, and contain an in-house-made movement. The Tudor name is also regarded as a luxury brand, and the price of their watches strengthens the luxury feel.
There are a few criteria for a watch brand to be considered a luxury watch brand. Although these criteria aren’t set in stone, they include:
- The watch must contain an in-house-made movement.
- The watch must be hand-made.
- The brand must use exotic materials.
- The watches cannot be too affordable.
By looking at these criteria, you can see why they aren’t set in stone. The word ‘affordable’ can have a different meaning for everyone. A Rolex watch is affordable for someone like Jeff Bezos but pretty expensive for most people.
Generally speaking, though, Tudor does meet all the criteria. Their watches are priced in the $3000 – $5000 range on average, which is enough to meet the ‘not too affordable’ criteria.
Additionally, Tudor watches contain an in-house-made movement and are hand-assembled in Switzerland. The watch models also incorporate exotic materials, such as 18K gold, titanium, and bronze.
With all that said, it’s safe to say that Tudor is, in fact, a luxury watch brand.
