Buy new, be happy

Over the past year, as many luxury sectors struggled under the weight of the pandemic, vintage watches took off. Sotheby's reported in December that its global auction sales of timepieces had reached $97.5 million with more than 140 online sales totaling $47.4 million—almost eight times the number of sales and five times the value achieved in 2019. Should you take the plunge? With enough time and energy, sure you can win a coveted piece of history at a relatively affordable price that—if sought out new—would be in reach for only the most connected or affluent. We'd like to argue for buying new. On the left, vintage watches worth a pretty penny. On the right, new watches that may be worth a lot more someday, but are a lot less likely to break down.  Source (clockwise from top-left): Omega; Christie's; Zenith; Bulgari; Frederique Constant; Henry Leutwyler/Contour by Getty Images Beyond the wonder and glory of a totally fresh timepiece, there's the ease of mind offered by manufacturer warranties, as well as the greater ease of servicing. With older watches, a wonky gasket and errant water splash could be catastrophic. "With limited spare parts available, that could mean the end of the watch and thereby, your investment," says Ruediger Albers. Albers has watched some of the most coveted watches in the world fly from his tables as president of Wempe USA, which sells the likes of Rolex, Patek Phillippe, Tudor, Cartier, and TAG Heuer. "Today, many of the brands we carry have vintage-inspired designs but with the highest level of reliability, often increased power reserve, scratch-resistant materials—all thanks to modern technology," he argues. Buying a vintage-inspired watch can give you the best of both worlds. The Zenith El Primero Revival A386 is essentially a reissue of the first watch introduced with Zenith's legendary El Primero movement back in 1969 but with more powerful and reliable automatic technology. Source: Zenith "Owning a vintage watch is like owning a piece of history—not of the brand and the model itself but also of the owners of that specific piece that have come before you," says Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith. And sometimes that personal history comes with baggage.  Consider instead making your own history with today's technological leap forwards: superhigh-frequency "monolithic" silicon oscillators, 98.6% recycled materials, wafer-thin construction. Be among the first to strap that on your wrist and that's valuable provenance right there.  The MB&F Legacy Machine Thunderdome. Source: MB&F  Beyond the big, established brands—keep scrolling for some ideas—consider such independent, boutique watchmakers as MB&F, Laurent Ferrier, and Greubel Forsey. Their limited runs of watches feature wildly creative approaches to timekeeping, with beautiful machinery showcased on jaw-dropping dials.  "Vintage pieces are sought-after because they were the most creative or cutting-edge pieces of their era," says Jared Silver, president of California-based watch and jewelry house Stephen Silver. "I would urge that customer to use the same yardstick when considering new watches."  Still, if you decide to go vintage, you can't go wrong with Rolex. Source: Hodinkee Vintage Watch Values Are Soaring, Yes, But You Should Still Buy New Pre-owned timepieces are skyrocketing in value as never before. So why should you consider investing in a new watch with no history? Bremont's New Headquarters Brings Watchmaking Back to Britain The English brothers are realizing a dream 20 years in the making. Show Both Sides of Your Personality With a Reversible Watch De Bethune's new timepiece has both classic and modern dials. This Watch Has 621 Parts, But You Wouldn't Know It From the Dial A startlingly spare face disguises the supercomplex inner workings of A. Lange & Söhne's new perpetual calendar watch. With New Watches, G-Shock Shows There's No Place It Won't Go A precious metal-coated version is just as shock resistant as the original resins—and works well with a suit. Best in Class After a year of rocky rollouts, luxury watchmakers are back, releasing most of their new wares by the end of April's Watches & Wonders showcase in Geneva. Meet the next generation of overachievers. Click through for our full list of 15 best new watches. Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-014 Source: Patek Philippe; Background: Getty Images Most Likely to Succeed: Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-014 When it canceled one of its most coveted models ever, the Ref. 5711 blue-dial Nautilus, Patek promised a new version. It delivered: The 5711/1A-014 has a green dial, a trend solidly entrenched as the color of choice in 2021. There are also Nautiluses with diamonds and a rose gold chronograph. $34,893 Panerai Submersible ELab-ID Source: Panerai; Background: Getty Images Destined to Save Earth: Panerai Submersible ELab-ID The only reason this watch is made of 98% recycled materials and not 100% is that it would take more energy to recycle some tiny components than to make them from scratch. The titanium case, crystal, strap, most of the movement, and even the glow-in-the-dark Super-LumiNova are reused. Limited edition of 30 pieces. €60,000 ($71,847) Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Platinum Source: Bulgari; Background: Getty Images Least Likely to Clog the Suez Canal: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Platinum Because one world record is never enough, Bulgari has added a seventh to its roster of the world's thinnest watches. This perpetual-calendar watch is 40mm wide by 5.8mm thick, slimmer than a Chiclet. $89,000 in platinum; $59,000 in titanium Chopard Haute Joaillerie Source: Chopard; Background: Getty Images Most Glamorous: Chopard Haute Joaillerie Co-president Caroline Scheufele knows where to source the best gemstones for Chopard & Cie. and what to do with them. These watches are set with a choice of marquise-cut pink sapphires, blue sapphires, or diamonds, along with five "happy diamonds" left free to roll around the dial. Price upon request Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Meteorite Source: Rolex Most Likely to Be Abducted by Aliens: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Meteorite This 18k white gold watch is the same size and has the same movement, same ceramic bezel, and same Oysterflex bracelet as the regular white gold Rolex Daytona—with one major difference: It has a dial made from an out-of-this-world slice of meteorite. $34,050 Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire Source: Hublot; Background: Getty Images Most Transparent: Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire Having mastered the all-sapphire case—a Lego-like construction of some 37 components—Hublot adds an integrated sapphire-link bracelet. The tourbillon bridge, dial plate, and other bridges that hold together the watch's moving parts are also made of sapphire to provide a clear view. $422,000 Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Reverso Source: Jaeger-LeCoultre; Background: Getty Images Best Multitasker: Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Reverso With four working dials and 11 complications, this takes six months to assemble because it has a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, moon phase in both hemispheres, tourbillon, leap year, Draconic lunar cycle, Anomalistic lunar cycle, and jumping hour and minutes. It does everything but open your beer. Limited to 10 pieces. €1.5 million Montblanc 1858 Split Seconds Chronograph Source: Montblanc; Background: Getty Images Most Adventurous: Montblanc 1858 Split Seconds Chronograph Unique case materials are the theme for this model line, which debuted in 2019 with a bronze case, followed by a titanium version last year. The 18k lime gold case is alloyed with silver and iron, and the matching green numerals are made entirely of Super-LumiNova. The other highlight is the colimaçon (snail-shaped) tachymeter scale, positioned on the center dial instead of the periphery. Limited to 18 pieces. $50,000   From Our Friends at Hodinkee Illustration: Rami Niemi I Can't Afford Any of These Watches. And That's Just Fine What Does a Tourbillon Do? This and Other Watch Questions Answered It's Time to Retire the Idea of Women's Watches How To Build a Watch Collection With $1,000, $10,000, or $100,000 What It's Like to Shop for a Rolex for the First Time Paid Post The power of PayPal online, now in person. Give your small business an easy way to accept touch-free, in-person payments. Create a unique QR code with the PayPal app and display it on your device or as a printout in store. Download the app. Customer must have PayPal account and app to pay. 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