When trying to pinpoint the hottest watches and brands of the year, it’s easy to fall back on vibes, feels, and the keen eye of an expert (a.k.a. this guy: 🤓). And while sticking a finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing is always a satisfying exercise, I wanted to try something different as we cruise past the halfway point of the year. So I called in some data from the massive pre-owned watch marketplace Chrono24 to figure out which brands and models loom largest, the biggest risers, and the best-selling affordable watches of the year. Let’s take a Scrooge McDuck swan dive into this goldmine of numbers.
The three top-selling watch models, by volume:
3. The Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch
2. Rolex Datejust
…
There are no shockers in the third and second spot on this podium. If anything, it’s a little surprising that the MoonSwatch, one of the most hyped and affordable pieces in the world, isn’t higher up here. At only a few hundred bucks a pop, it would be easy to envision this watch flying straight to the top. The Datejust is a behemoth, though: Rolex’s entry-level piece has long been the Crown’s biggest seller – and based on Chrono24’s data, it’s still putting up mighty numbers. However, the first spot on the ranking is a jaw dropper:
1. Omega Seamaster
The Seamaster isn’t exactly the first name that comes to mind when you think of the hottest watches of 2023. Even if you’d told me the top spot belonged to an Omega, I would have guessed it was the flashier Speedmaster model. Maybe if this data had more time to ripen after Omega released its wide-ranging collection of excellent special-edition ocean-blue models just last week this would go down easier. But the Seamaster has apparently been quietly plugging along in the background, capturing the hearts of collectors. The number might also be helped by the wide swath of watches that Omega puts under its Seamaster umbrella: everything from the Aqua Terra to the bulky Plorprof is included.
The three top-selling watch models, by dollar amount:
I parsed this out because watches are expensive! Just ranking for volume alone doesn’t really tell a full picture.
3. Rolex Daytona
2. Rolex Submariner
1. Rolex Datejust
How predictable: Rolex takes up every spot in the top three here. These are all no-brainer watches – any one of them could have ranked first and it wouldn’t have surprised me. The fact that the Datejust, a watch that costs considerably less than the Sub and Daytona, took the gold illuminates just how many of these are moving on Chrono24.
The best-selling watch brands, by volume
3. Seiko
2. Omega
1. Rolex
As you’ll see throughout this breakdown, Omega is still getting a generous bump from the success of last year’s MoonSwatch. That means affordability played a major factor in elevating both Seiko, which makes the best collection starters in existence, and Omega into the top three. However, that still didn’t stop Rolex from swiping the top spot here.
Which model has seen the biggest jump in price year-over-year?
Girard Perregaux’s Laureato 81010-11-431-11A
Technically, this data compares the full years of 2022 to 2021, but I thought it was still interesting to include. GP isn’t talked about in the inner circle of massive Swiss luxury brands and that might be why in-the-know collectors are flocking to its under-the-radar flagship piece. The Laureato is a handsome watch that blurs the line between sport and luxury watches – the same formula that makes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus huge hits. The average price on the Laureato went up 41% (an increase of $4,242), according to Chrono24.
Which brand saw the greatest gain in sales volume year-over-year?
Swatch
Swatch was far and away the biggest gainer thanks to its Omega collaboration. The brand’s sales on Chrono24 went up a whopping 939%! Omega also felt the effects of its red-hot partnership: the brand had the second highest volume in increase, with 18% more watches selling on Chrono24 in 2022 compared to 2021.
Single most expensive watch sold on Chrono24 in 2023?
The Richard Mille RM 052, which sold for $785,680. 💀💀💀Someone really wanted RM’s Skull Tourbillon, a Post Malone favorite, which retails for $500,000.
The best-selling sub-$1,000 watch, by volume?
You guessed it: in 2023, this title belongs to the MoonSwatch. The data is a little more interesting if you calculate this metric over the last five years. The MoonSwatch is still in the top three, which also includes the Seiko 5 Sport and Seiko Prospex lines. For people looking for a starter watch, you really can’t go wrong with any of these three collections.
Which specific reference of the Rolex Daytona has sold the most by volume in 2023?
Rolex Daytona 116500LN (White Dial)
The more I think about this, the more it makes sense. The reverse Panda Daytona is the holy grail piece for many collectors. The watch is also very difficult to buy directly from Rolex because of how many people throw themselves at the waiting list for this reference. And in 2023, this specific watch is really only available on places like Chrono24 because Rolex revamped the Daytona line, putting this reference out of production. So for all the people trying to buy what is likely their dream watch, the gray market is the only place to do that.
Which specific reference of the Patek Philippe Nautilus has sold the most by volume in 2023?
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5726A-001
OK, not exactly what I expected here! The equivalent of the reverse Panda Daytona would have been the discontinued 5711 in steel. Instead, the most traded Nautilus is the more complicated 5726 that comes with an annual calendar and moon phase complication.
Change in volume of transactions on Chrono24 year-over-year?
Over the past couple of years, I’ve heard a lot about how many more people are interested in watch collecting. The hobby has apparently exploded and taken prices and demand up along with it. I wanted to see how that was reflected on a marketplace like Chrono24. The platform is also feeling the effects according to its own data. In 2022, compared to 2021, Chrono24 saw a 20% increase in volume and a 30% jump in GMV (meaning: the total dollar amount of those transactions). While that doesn’t necessarily sound like a Wile E. Coyote Acme bomb-level explosion, it’s certainly a healthy bump.
