Neo-vintage replica watches are roughly 20 to 40 years old, often way out of style, and typically available for relatively low prices. As straightforward as that may sound, there’s a great deal to understand about neo-vintage 1:1 fake watches and why they present one of the most challenging yet rewarding categories from which to collect. As Steve Kivel, third generation N.Y.C.-based watch dealer and head of Grand Central Watch, told Robb Report, “This period of time is really a scholarship treasure hunt, and there is much still to be explored.”
To begin with, there’s a very big difference between a watch that’s 20 years old and one that’s 40 years old. Younger than 20, and a watch is merely pre-owned, such that perfect replica watches just past the 20-year mark may seem merely older and off-trend (sometimes jarringly so). These younger high end copy watches tend to be inexpensive. When approaching the 40-year mark, a watch is maturing into vintage, and its value will usually rise and keep on rising. Watches around 30 years old are less confusing to consider, but it’s important keep the 20- and 40-year boundary effects in mind, as well as the fact that this frame of reference shifts with each passing year.
Kivel states that, “As the more important and exciting vintage Swiss made replica watches have been either removed from the collector market to museums or large collections, and with prices dramatically increasing, older and younger collectors have been looking toward the next generation of collectible watches as demand has increased over the last five years. This has led to an interest and understanding that there were many interesting top quality copy watches [from] the 1980s and ’90s.”
To get a sense of the rising value of neo-vintage watches, consider the cheap replica Cartier Santos Carree, a quintessential 1980s two-tone watch with a mere 34 mm square case, which, as of this writing, ChronoPulse reports has risen nearly 123 percent in value in the past five years.
Yes, AAA quality fake Cartier UK is hot, but so are smaller watches with ’80s style. Also consider the previously out-of-vogue top copy Rolex Explorer II 16570 which ran from 1989 to 2011; ChronoPulse claims it has shot up over 60 percent in the past five years (five-digit Rolex are generally good value these days).
Additionally, Swiss movement replica Rolex 16570s made before 1998 have tritium luminescent paint, which has by now turned creamy vanilla in color, driving up prices for these neo-vintage Rollies. Or consider the high quality replica Patek Philippe reference 3960, a somewhat stodgily-styled commemorative piece released in 1989: Christie’s sold an example in 2016 for a soft $13,750 and again in 2021 for $27,500—almost exactly twice the price.