5 Watches with prestige - and profit potential

A Rolex has long been an accessory for showcasing status, savvy, and style. But recently it has also become a fast-appreciating asset. The watch market is full of long-term investments -- Julien Schaerer, a watch director at the auction house Antiquorum, showed us where to look.

Auction 101
6. Auction 101
Want to bid like a pro? Adrienne Hines (pictured, right), who heads the watch department at Christie's New York, offers these tips.

Focus: Auctions feature hundreds of watches, so Hines recommends narrowing your interests to specific manufacturers, styles, or designs to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Use past catalogs as a background.

Request Details: Catalog descriptions contain only basic information, but auction houses offer more comprehensive reports on condition, rarity, and other features onsite or by e-mail. "We've had the piece for the entire cataloging process_ we've lived with it. Our report is a good key," says Hines.

Bring Tools: Seemingly minor details in the watch's dial or case can mean thousands of dollars in value, so bring a photographer's loupe to get a closer look. "It magnifies the watch for a better view of its condition, and anybody can use it. It's a good thing for someone to have when they're starting out," says Hines.

Use the Specialists: Onsite experts can help narrow your search, open watches to reveal internal mechanisms, and even teach you how to evaluate different models. "Ask them to show you different pieces so you can learn, step by step, what to look for, since it becomes more evident the more examples you see," says Hines.

Know your History: Ask the staff specialists about the watch's provenance and originality of parts_ both important factors in determining its value. Hines also recommends inquiring about original accompaniments, such as the box and receipts. "Those provide a time capsule of when the watch was originally bought," she says.

Rolex

Omega

Panerai

Cartier

Patek Philippe

Auction 101
25 Dream vacation homes Shangri-La really is for sale -- and so are these breathtaking getaways in Anguilla, Tuscany and France. (more)
Jaguar's XKR: Brit meets brawn Fortune's Sue Callaway returns to Jaguar for a sneak peek at a car she helped launch. (more)
Live in a castle - or a convent These lighthouses, barns, rectories and castles - have all been transformed into magnificent homes. (more)

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.