I write about watches I own, watches I’d like, and watches I think deserve more attention (especially those under £1,000). No hype, no snobbery, just honest thoughts on design, value, and the stories behind the dials.
Every April, the watch world loses its mind over Watches & Wonders. And every April, I remind myself I'm not the target audience. This year though, between the Nautilus anniversary editions nobody can buy and the platinum Oyster centenary, something quietly shifted. The luxury market is cooling, collectors are rethinking what actually matters, and the microbrand world is better than it's ever been. Funny how that worked out.
Has the luxury watch waitlist era finally started to collapse? With rising prices, economic pressure, and years of artificial scarcity, the watch market feels noticeably quieter. In this article, I explore why demand for waitlisted luxury watches has cooled, how consumer behaviour is shifting, and why more enthusiasts are turning to microbrand watches instead.
Moonphase watches can be beautiful, magical and ridiculously expensive. Frederique Constant might have found the sweet spot with the Moneta Moonphase: a vintage-inspired Swiss dress watch with a moonphase complication, quartz movement and a price around £1,000.