ALT/FNDATA · Trade Briefing
Q1 2026 Report: The Secondary Market for Luxury Watches — A Dealer & Specialist Briefing
Auction-realized prices and the public-market backdrop
Where watches cleared in Q1 2026: the European mid-market houses accounted for the activity, the blue-chips set the ceiling, and the macro backdrop turned supportive for consignors.
The headline
The correction in three numbers
+1.4%
Swiss watch exports, Q1 YoY
The first positive quarter after a prolonged decline — the worst looks over
Flat→up
Like-for-like auction value
Stable at houses tracked in both quarters (+22% capital); the gross drop is a coverage shift
$45,204
Top lot — a Cartier Tank
Blue-chips set the ceiling; a deep base of vintage and unbranded sets the floor
Auction-realized prices — what watches actually sold for at the hammer, not asking prices. · 15M+ auction results · 850+ houses.
The read
What the data shows
The signal here is a turn, not another leg down: Swiss exports returned to growth for the first time in over a year and the listed houses rallied on the view that the cycle has troughed, while like-for-like auction value held flat to up (the headline gross decline is a coverage artifact, not a real one). For a buyer, the tell is what anchored every sale: classic, wearable references like Cartier, Rolex and Patek rather than speculative modern steel, which is where value holds when a cycle turns.
Members only
Read the full report
The headline data above is free to cite. The full report is part of ALT/FNDATA Membership, which includes every quarterly market report and the Visual Analytics Hub. Inside this report:
- The full month-by-month auction breakdown (January → March)
- The macro backdrop — Swiss exports, tariffs, the franc, Swatch & Richemont
- Brands & the blue-chip ceiling vs. the unbranded base
- Methodology, including a transparent note on coverage
Please enter a valid email address.
Thanks, your summary is on its way
We’ll email you the executive summary and keep you posted on new reports. The full report is available with ALT/FNDATA Membership.
Become a member to read the full report →Cite this report
Source: ALT/FNDATA, “Q1 2026 Report: The Secondary Market for Luxury Watches — A Dealer & Specialist Briefing” (June 2026). Based on auction-realized prices for wristwatches and pocket watches cleared at the auction houses ALT/FNDATA tracks, with public-market context from Q1 2026 Swiss watch exports and watch-house equity performance. © 2026 ALT/FNDATA · altfndata.com/reports/luxury-watch-market-report-q1-2026