Investment · Buying Guide
Best Luxury Investment Pieces
The pieces that have historically held or grown in value - across watches, bags, jewellery, and collectibles.
'Luxury investment' is a term we use carefully. Most luxury goods depreciate; only a small subset have credibly held or grown value over long horizons. The picks here are drawn from auction data, dealer reports, and our own market observation.
Buy these pieces to use first and invest second - anyone selling them as financial assets is selling something else.
How We Chose
- Documented secondary-market behaviour over at least a decade.
- From a maker with proven scarcity discipline.
- Recognisable enough to maintain demand into the next collector generation.
- Storable and insurable without unusual conditions.
The Picks
- 01
Hermès Hermès Birkin in quota leather, standard colours
From ~$11,000 retail
The most consistently-appreciating handbag of the modern era; exotic skins in archival colours outperform many financial assets.
- 02
Rolex Rolex Daytona (steel, discontinued references)
Pre-owned market
Vintage Paul Newman Daytonas remain among the most valuable wristwatches in history; modern steel Daytonas hold premiums over retail.
- 03
Patek Philippe Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711
Pre-owned only since 2022
Discontinued in 2022; the defining example of a steel sports watch outperforming most financial assets over its production run.
- 04
Cartier Cartier Crash (vintage London or Paris)
Auction-only
One of the most appreciation-strong watch references in any house; recent auction records have repeatedly reset the ceiling.
- 05
Hermès Hermès Kelly in Sellier construction, classic leathers
From ~$10,000 retail
The pre-Birkin Hermès flagship; structured Sellier construction in box calf or exotics holds value comparably to the Birkin.
- 06
Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo (16202)
From ~$36,000 retail
AP's most coveted reference, allocated boutique-direct; secondary premiums consistently above retail.
- 07
Various Investment-grade Burgundy and Bordeaux (DRC, Petrus, vintage Lafite)
Variable
Properly cellared, blue-chip Burgundy and Bordeaux have credible secondary markets and appreciate over decades.
Buying Considerations
- Storage and insurance materially affect investment outcome - undocumented or poorly stored pieces sell at significant discounts.
- Provenance, original packaging, and service history each add measurable premium at sale.
- Liquidity is uneven: a Birkin or Rolex Daytona is easy to sell; a Cartier Crash or vintage DRC requires the right buyer and the right auction.
Alternatives
- For accessible 'investment-curious' entry: pre-owned Tudor Black Bay GMT and limited Pelagos editions.
- For jewellery: Cartier Love bracelets and Tiffany Schlumberger pieces.
- For collectibles: Hermès Carré 90 silk scarves in discontinued designs.