Can Homage Watches Be Considered A Good Investment?

Everyone wants to make good investments in life and for some people that can mean watches, but this doesn’t mean all watches are going to be the best option …so, are homage watches a good option for investments?

The honest truth is no, a homage is not really going to be a good investment and you are better off just buying these types of watches to enjoy. I will go through some reason why this is the case so you can avoid making this mistake.

Homages Are Not Always The Best Quality Watches

When it comes to homages, they are generally not the best quality watches. Let me be clear, you can get some very good quality ones, especially for the price they are being sold at, but when you start comparing them to the high end watches they are trying to emulate, you can really see there is a difference.

The best quality homages still fall short of actual luxury watches and this does matter when you start wanting to consider them as an investment. When you start looking at the spectrum of watches available, homages are probably not going to be the most suitable when it comes to selling them on in the future.

They Usually Cheap Components

Most homages contain pretty cheap and basic components, as I already mentioned, you can get some good quality homage’s but the reality is that there is nothing high end inside them.

They use easily found movements such as the Nh35, which may be great, but they are also cheap and pretty basic.

These type of movements are everywhere and I am a huge fan of them, but the reality is they are cheaply made with stamp pressed mental parts and there is nothing very special about them. They are not something you invest in.

It is kind of like going to Ikea and buying the average plates …they are great and do the job, but they are not exactly fine china you can auction off in a few years.

Homage Watches Might Not Last Long Term

Watches are generally designed to last a long time and when you add in some regular servicing they can last for decades.

However, this isn’t the case for all watches. A lot of watches are made from cheap materials and are basically disposable …and as I’ve already mentioned homages can be cheaply made watches, so we do have to ask if these watches will last long term.

You don’t exactly want to invest in something that isn’t going to last that long.

I will be honest, this is a difficult aspect to analysis when looking at a watch as there is never any guarantee that any watch can survive a long time. Luxury watches are extremely well built and they will last if they are cared for properly …good quality homage’s may only have pretty average components, like Nh35 movements, but they should also last a long time if they are given the same level of care.

Really these types of homages could actually last just as long as any other watch, you are only going to have doubts and trouble over the lower quality watches that have unknown movements. I think these types of lower quality homages will not last long term, but the other, decently made ones, may actually rival the luxury watches in terms of longevity.

(You can read more about – How Do Homage Watches Compare To Luxury Watches In Terms Of Craftsmanship?)

Homage Watches Are Cheap

The biggest issue with trying to use a homage as an investment is the fact that they are cheap.

This really means that even if they do go up in value (which is unlikely) it will not go up by much.

A very good example of this is my Casio A168 I bought this watch over 10 years ago and in that time it has doubled in price!! So obviously now I’m rich, right.  …well no. I bought the watch for 15 quid and if you want to buy it today it’s around 30 …so not exactly the most amazing gains.

Of course you hear stories of Rolexs being bought for $500 in 1963 and they are now being sold for 100k …that is an incredible gain, but really this isn’t going to happen with a homage. Rolex’s where still pretty expensive for their time and they have a lot more heritage and demand compare to a homage, so don’t expect any sudden increases in price over time.

Homage’s Do Not Have A Good Resell Value

When we look at homage’s now, they don’t exactly have a good resell value. The demand for these watches is just not there and this means that if you sell your watch it will end up being far below what you paid for it.

Of course you could argue that this demand could go up over time and while it might, I would highly doubt it. In a few years these homages will be forgotten about and the demand may be extremely low.

This is frustrating, as the original watch that is being homaged is probably only going to go up in demand as they become discontinued and become rarer and rarer.  

I really do believe it would be very hard to make a profit with a homage watch, either in the short or long term.

(You can read more about – Is Flipping Watches Worth It?)

Homages Can Be A Good Investment For Your Pleasure

Just because homages will not make you any money doesn’t mean you should avoid them. I think they are actually a great investment for you own personal pleasure.

You can just enjoy the watch, have no worries about it and just build some great memories.

You need to remember that watch collecting isn’t about the money, it’s about enjoying the watches and this is what you are investing in when you decide to buy one.

You are not going to get much else from these watches, so just enjoy them, that is what they are for.

Don’t Use Watches As Investments

While this articles is about investing in watches, and how homage’s are not the best option …I think it’s important to note that vast majority of watches are not actually worth investing in.

There are only a small handful of watches that will hold their value as well increase over time, and these are generally the high end watches.

Unless you really know the watch market and have real knowledge for what watches are actually worth investing in, I wouldn’t do it.

Really what I am saying is you need advice from someone who knows what they are doing. Just buying an expensive watch and saying it is an “investment” is not always going to work out well. 

(You can read more about – Are Expensive Watches Always Better and Are They Worth It?)

Conclusion

Hopefully now you can see that homage’s are not going to be a great investment for financial gain. This doesn’t mean they are bad watches, it just means they are not going to make you any money.

If you like these types of watches, then buy them and wear them …enjoy them, this is what they are for. Don’t worry about trying to make money from them, there are plenty of other things you can invest in that will get you better returns.

(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Homage Watches)