Collectibility?

[FLB03TT]

Panerai is growing, their customer base is growing and changing as a result. Panerai's corporate mandate is to sell more units this year than last. I believe they are succeeding at this. They don't owe their previous customers anything other than the delivery of a sound product and reasonable performance should a warranty issue arise in the two years following purchase. Secondarily, it would be a bonus to have a sufficient inventory of parts available for repairs of out of warranty watches for twenty to fifty years following retail sale.

The fact that S.E.s have been profitable investments in the past is an anomaly in the watch world and anyone complaining that some of the S.E. resale prices have softened are not being realistic about the changing nature of Panerai's business. In most cases S.E.s are selling above and in many cases far above their initial retail prices. Just because they are not all continuing to escalate relentlessly doesn't mean the sky is falling. The right S.E.s will continue to perform well when compared to almost any other watch brand on earth.

The best advice would be to buy watches you really like at price points you're comfortable with and call your stockbroker if you want a return on your investment.