Timeless Ticks
Prices and value
What watches cost, what the money buys, what ownership adds over a decade and which of it you get back when you sell.
10 price guides. Grouped by subject. All figures in US dollars, indicative, before sales tax.
Price pages set out what something costs, what the money is buying, and what ownership adds over a decade. All figures are US dollars quoted before sales tax, which varies by state. Readers outside the United States should expect local list prices to move with tax, import duty and distribution, and every page says so where it matters.
Numbers here are indicative ranges, dated, and stated as ranges precisely because a point figure would be false precision. Nothing on this site tells you what a watch will be worth later, because nobody can.
Buying
Grand Seiko price, new and used
What a Grand Seiko costs in US dollars new and used, why it loses about a third secondhand, what Spring Drive servicing adds, and how to check the current figure.
Omega Speedmaster price, new and pre-owned
What a Speedmaster Moonwatch costs in US dollars new and pre-owned, why it trades below list, what a chronograph service adds, and how to check the current figure.
Rolex Submariner price, at list and secondhand
What a Submariner costs in US dollars at list and on the secondary market, why the premium exists, what servicing adds, and how to check the number yourself.
The cost of owning a mechanical watch
The full ten-year arithmetic in US dollars: purchase, servicing, insurance and straps, minus realistic resale, worked through on three watches at different prices.
Tudor Black Bay price, new and pre-owned
What a Tudor Black Bay costs in US dollars new and pre-owned, why it trades below list, what servicing adds over a decade, and how to check the current number.
Watch depreciation by brand
How much value watches lose, brand group by brand group, in indicative resale ranges rather than point figures, and why the exceptions are a handful of references.
Watches under $500, honestly
What $500 actually buys in a watch: the five categories available at that money, named examples with what each one compromises, and what to avoid.
What a first mechanical watch costs
What a first mechanical watch costs in 2026, band by band from $100 to $2,000, and exactly what each band buys in movement, crystal, sealing and bracelet.
Care and servicing
Watch service costs
What a full watch service costs in US dollars by movement type, why the bill is labor rather than parts, and the honest test for when a service is not worth doing.
Fit and sizing
Watch strap and bracelet costs
What straps and bracelets cost in US dollars: NATO, leather, rubber and metal price bands, spring bars and tools, bracelet sizing fees and the integrated bracelet trap.