As we wind down the year of 2019, weâre left to look back at not just the year, but the decade as a whole. 2020 will usher in the third decade of the 21st century, and with it, high expectations set by an eventful 10 years preceding it. The decade has seen watch collecting as a hobby transform into something of a sport, thrust into the mainstream thanks to burgeoning digital landscape, and propelled by hype fueled social media accounts.
But that doesnât tell the whole story, and itâs never wise to end a chapter on cynicism, so letâs recap the year, and the decade, through the watches that left the deepest impression on the members of our watch team. With insights from the new-comers, and the old timers alike, this is what weâre looking at past, present, and future.
Letâs begin with the now, and celebrate our favorite watches released in 2019, and what they meant to us. According to our Instagram account, the most âengagedâ with post features an armful of Rolex sport watches currently trading well above retail, no surprises there. But rounding things out we find a lot of love for Seiko divers, and G-Shocks, which feels an appropriate acknowledgment of the impact cool and accessible watches have made on our 100,000+ followers this year.
There was a similar dichotomy amongst the watch team here at StockX, with a balance of the impossible-to-get stuff appearing alongside more readily available releases of the year. Count this as a reflection of the current state of the market, with an influx of speculators causing undue strain on supply up and down the spectrum, from Rolex to Casio to Timex. Here are some of our favorites of 2019.
David Lee
âNot often do I read and see a watch and think definitely not for me, but to try it on and immediately change my mind. Rolex‘s most interesting release in 2019, the Yachtmaster 42 in White Gold. And in my opinion, an indication of where Rolex is trying to move to, precious metal, luxury sport watches.â
Jim McClearyÂ
The Timex Q is a near 1 to 1 remake of the original from 1979, and thankfully, the original was a very cool watch at the precipice of the quartz craze (or crisis, if youâre Swiss). Its release this year marks a resurgence of sorts for Timex, placing them once again on the radar of watch enthusiasts and collectors, as well as the general public thanks to its sub $200 price point.
Pete Forester
âIt’s flashy as fuck, but also really luxe. Honestly, I get super annoyed when straight men wear rainbow stuff, but when someone in the LGBT community wears rainbows I think they can and should be as flashy as they want. This is sort of the most extreme version of that and I’m all about it. It’s fun, exciting, and a crazy flex. Love all of it.â Editorâs note – this is a 2018 release but weâll allow it in the broader context of this article.
Lydia Moon
Another re-issue on this list with the Breitling Navitimer 806, which honors the 1959 model itâs based on. This watch means a lot to Breitling and signals a return to their roots with the recent change in leadership. This is a watch that shows there is a lot of untapped potential for this historic brand to unleash in the coming decade, hereâs hoping they can pull it off.
Elhadjj Mare
Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLNR
âEasily the Batmanâ. Sometimes the most hyped watches get that way for good reason, and the newest iteration of the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLNR, aka Batman most certainly is that. Itâs practical, comfortable, and built with tank-like quality, and it also happens to be the latest steel sport watch from Rolex, so finding one at your local retailer remains a challenge.
Blake Buettner
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT
There were a lot of great watches to come out of this year, from the Patek 5212A and Vacheron Cornes de Vache 1955 in steel to the delightful Bulova Computron. The watch that sticks with me the most, however, is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic. The watch is the thinnest automatic chronograph on the planet, and throws in a GMT complication for good measure. The Octo Finissimo is avante garde and a refreshing sight amongst a backdrop of throwbacks and re-issues.
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Surprises were also abundant in 2019, with releases like the controversial Tudor P01 and the pleasantly palatable Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT. As much as these and other releases raised our eyebrows, there were a number of equally surprising absences. The Submariner still hasnât received the caliber 3235, there was no new Black Bay 58 colorways, and considering this is the 50th anniversary of 1969, there was no 1:1 reissue of any of the trio of first automatic chronographs, and there was no steel Speedmaster containing the revived caliber 321 released. Thatâs not to say we didnât get cool watch from Zenith, Omega, and TAG Heuer, but not quite what we expected.
This brings us to reflect on the decade as a whole. 2010 was a very different time, and the hobby of collecting watches was far more niche. Vintage Rolex references like the 1675 and 5513 could be had for under $5k, watch retailers had desirable inventory in stock, forum discussions were focused around technical and historical perspectives, and in general the hobby hadnât been entwined with popular culture and lifestyle as we know it today.
Some blockbuster auctions, including the $17M+ sale of Paul Newmanâs own Paul Newman Daytona, alongside a surge in demand for a seemingly limited supply of Rolex sport models have found a happy home among the growing hypebeast culture of goods. We also saw the release of what could be called the most important watch of the decade, the Apple Watch, which catapulted wrist wear (of a different kind) to the forefront of lifestyle marketing.
A few of us on the watch team have been around the industry long enough to see this unfold, and we each have thoughts on the most important watches released over the past 10 years.
David Lee
“2012 Release of the White dial 5711/1A. This is one of my grail watches that I was able to purchase at retail a couple of years ago. Hard to argue against one of your grails.
Rolex Submariner (116610 in 2010 and the 114060 in 2012) are 2 of the best selling watches in StockX history. Hard to ignore arguably the most influential watch family ever made.
Rolex Skydweller (2012) is the most complicated Rolex ever made. If you’ve never used the Ring Command bezel, you are missing out.â
Jim McCleary
The release of a new(ish) Daytona ref 116500 in 2016 seemed to mark a turning point in the accessibility of Rolex sport models. Itâs a watch that is still to this day near impossible to acquire from your local authorized dealer, and commands 2x retail pricing in the resale market. This may not have been the watch to start the trend, but it sure poured a lot of gasoline on the fire.
Lydia Moon
Tim Cook introduced the world to the Apple Watch in 2014 and the watch, now in its fifth generation, has had a broad and deep impact on the watch industry as a whole. The Apple Watch has become the top selling watch by volume, dominating the sub $1,000 price point. Whether you think of it as a watch or not, this is a single watch thatâs left a dramatic imprint on the industry, and welcomed a new generation of potential collectors into the fold.
Blake Buettner
The decade has seen an abundance of great watches, from the dramatic like the MB&F HM4 (2010) and Urwerk 110 (2011), to everyday icons like the Tudor Black Bay (2012), and JLC Master Control (2017). All are epic in their own right, but the watch that stands out to me is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reference 15202 âJumboâ released in 2012 in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak. This is a watch that captures the spirit of the original exceptionally well, retaining the important details such as the âAPâ placement at 6 oâclock as seen on the very first batch of the Royal Oak. This watch is wearable, practical, and effortlessly classy, and above all is seemingly ageless as it looks as relevant today as it did in the â70s.
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Looking ahead, there is no end in sight to the steel sport watch appetite we currently see consuming the market. Brands are still catching up with this one so that will likely set the tone entering the new decade. Where we go from there is anyoneâs guess, but we wonât have long to wait for our first preview, with Baselworld and SIHH coming in March and April. Keep an eye on the blog for live updates from those shows, and in the meantime, get a Bid in on your favorite watch of the decade, whatever it may be, right here.
