Why buy a used watch when you can afford a brand-new one?

Sure, it’s nice to rip the sticker off a brand-new watch. At the end of the day, we’re all a bunch of magpies trying to get the next shiny thing. But in some cases, choosing a pre-owned watch over a brand-new one may be wiser.
When I look at my collection, it’s a “healthy” mix of used fake watches that I bought and brand-new watches that I bought. It’s not an exact science, but sometimes it makes more sense to buy a new watch and another used watch, at least for me. Today, I want to share with you my thoughts on this subject.
When I buy a watch, I want to feel like I’m paying the “right” price for it, whether I’m buying new or used. This isn’t necessarily because I’m already considering selling it. I just don’t want to feel like I’m overpaying for it.
But there are some watches on the used market that sell for almost the same price as the retail price. The latest generation of Omega Speedmaster Professional is a good example. I might try to get a good discount on a new watch in that case. Yes, it will still cost more than the used market, but I’d be willing to pay that little premium to start with a “fresh” one.
Now let’s move on to the second point Thomas mentioned – availability. For some brands, such as Rolex, getting a brand-new watch in a store is very difficult. For various reasons, these watches are unavailable to everyone from authorized dealers. But many replica watches have been discontinued. In both cases, the secondary market may be the place to find the watch you are looking for. If it’s a replica Rolex watch you’re after, you’ll probably spend more on the used market than on the retail market. This is also true for some discontinued watches from other brands.
Let me give you an example to illustrate what I mean. Last year, I wanted to buy my current 36mm Rolex Explorer from an authorized dealer. But when I tried on the latest and older Explorer models simultaneously, it was immediately clear to me that I wanted the discontinued 114270 models. Both models sell for roughly the same price, so rationally, it probably made more sense to get the more modern one.