You obviously haven’t checked Rolex prices recently…
Exactly. I collect watches (primarily Rolex and Tudor) and things went crazy for Rolex around 2018. They’ve not been that easy to get since around 2014, but one could always get almost any reference from their authorized dealer without much difficulty.
Around 2018 it became difficult (but not impossible) to get the professional models, and then by 2021 even your average OP and DateJust became difficult. That corresponded with a huge price surge in the secondary market, as well as a lot of attention from criminal elements.
I was fortunate enough to get several hard-to-get pieces (Daytona ceramic, BLNR, LVc ‘Hulk’, Red SeaDweller, etc) from the AD at retail - meaning that I basically tripled my money the moment I walked out the door for the Daytona and almost doubled my money for the Hulk and BLNR.
I am however quite cognizant of the fact that wearing them in certain areas is like wrapping cash with a rubberband around my wrist, and that certain criminal elements have specialized on watches.
Florida, for example, is notorious for people getting their drinks spiked by women. Barcelona is famous for pickpockets. Ibiza for more violent robberies. London has become quite dangerous too, with criminals prowling more affluent areas knowing the chances of finding victims wearing expensive timepieces are relatively high.