As a result of the economic crisis, second-hand luxury goods are more than ever in demand. Boosted by the refuge value they embody, watches and jewelry from the Luxury Houses are attracting consumers looking for responsible shopping. Which brands are driving the Collector Square website’s counters crazy? The answer.
Numbers to make you dizzy. Last December alone, the Collector Square site, European leader in second-hand luxury goods, recorded a 37% increase in traffic compared to 2019. This increase can be explained in part by the closure of non-essential shops during the first fortnight of December, and a mechanical postponement of purchases on the web. Certainly. But with a 45% increase in web sales in 2020, it is clear that vintage is booming.
According to Clotilde Raffine-Ricard, head of the watchmaking department at Collector Square, “the time is ripe for pleasure and reasoned purchasing, and customers show a clear preference for the emblematic models of the major brands.”
When it comes to watches and top-of-the-range jewelry, three brands are at the forefront. According to the study published by Collector Square, Cartier, Patek Philippe and Boucheron hold the top spot among the Houses that have recorded the best growth in sales on their sites.
On the top step is the Maison Boucheron, whose jewelry sales volume jumped by 98% compared to 2019. A nice surprise for one of the oldest Houses on Place Vendôme whose collections attract and reassure an informed clientele. Among the best-sellers are “the iconic Serpent Bohème collection, the famous toi & moi ring, as well as the much more recent Quatre collection, which brings together all the symbols of the house and which is on its way to becoming a real best-seller,” as Constance Lauvinerie, head of the Collector Square jewelry department, explains.
Next comes Patek Philippe watches, whose sales growth has increased by 93% in value with a focus on the Nautilus model “whose value increases each year due to its rarity both on the second-hand and new market. “
The House of Cartier completes this prestigious trio with sales up 88% in 2020 for watches and 46% for jewelry. A success deciphered by Constance Lauvinerie: “The jewelry in the Love collection has been one of the most desirable pieces from the House of Cartier since its creation in the 1970s, particularly the bracelet, which is worn as a collector’s item and is available in three golds with or without diamonds, for both women and men. A legendary piece of jewelry and a sure value. “
The enthusiasm for vintage is a phenomenon closely followed by the big luxury Houses, which have understood very well the interest of capturing this clientele interested both in the history of the pieces and in their often more accessible prices.
It is therefore not surprising that some of them are launching dedicated corners within their own boutiques, as is the case with the House of Cartier, whose newly renovated showcase at 17 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré houses for the first time a space dedicated to vintage watches restored by the House’s craftsmen. Or how to flirt with the trend of the moment while celebrating its icons.
