Sales of Second-Hand Watches Explode in The Third Quarter Of 2025

In the third quarter, second-hand watches saw significant growth, attracting enthusiasts from around the world, with a 23.8% increase. To collect this data, the EveryWatch platform used information from 925 retail outlets and 465 auction houses worldwide. The report focused on 60 watch brands, from Patek Philippe to Rolex, FP Journe to Longines, and many others.

Despite the price increases, the secondary market showed no signs of weakness—quite the contrary. In the weeks following the Trump administration's announcement of the 39% increase, the report indicates that Patek Philippe doubled its weekly sales of pre-owned watches from $43 million to $87 million, thanks to accelerated transactions on rare perpetual calendars and Nautilus variants. and Richard Mille followed an almost identical trajectory, rising from $18 million to $35 million and peaking at $48 million in week 34.

But what is interesting to note is that independent brands are outperforming iconic brands. Giovanni Prigigallo, co-founder of EveryWatch, explains: "Independent brands are outperforming the giants in terms of sales, which clearly shows that collectors are looking for originality and authenticity rather than social status. September was a record month in terms of total sales value, fueled by the sharp rise in prices for F.P. Journe watches, which are more sought-after than ever among discerning collectors. Independent brands have redefined the concept of liquidity in the watchmaking world; they may produce less, but they turn over faster and attract more capital."

Unsurprisingly, Rolex dominates the top 10 sales rankings in terms of volume (31.3% market share) and value (23.6% market share), with total sales of $1.6 billion in the third quarter of 2025, up 17%. Patek Philippe ranks second with $728.9 million in sales, up 33% (16% market share in value and 2.7% in volume). Audemars Piguet ranks third with $579.8 million, up 19% from the previous quarter. The record for median sales price was set by Richard Mille with a price of $285,000. The same brand also saw the strongest sales growth, with an increase of 169% compared to the period from April to June 2025 ($357 million in sales).

Other interesting phenomena include Europe overtaking the United States in terms of sales, and the total value of aggregate sales in Asia increasing by 43% between April and August, with Hong Kong and Singapore leading the way. But it is also collectors' confidence in the certification of pre-owned watches that has enabled this acceleration. At Rolex, sales nearly doubled between the first and third quarters. Giovanni Prigigallo explains: "The CPO gives consumers an unprecedented level of confidence in the market, doubling sales between the first and third quarters. The program is on track to close the year with more than half a billion dollars in sales, mainly thanks to three key players: Bucherer, Watches of Switzerland, and The 1916 Company."