Market note: steel sport models are cooling, and that is good for buyers

Secondary prices on the most-hyped steel sports references have settled. What it means if you are buying rather than flipping.

The froth of the past few years has come off the most-traded steel sport references. Prices that once moved weekly have been flat for months — a healthier market for anyone buying a watch to wear rather than to trade.

We buy outright, so a calmer market means we can hold the right pieces at fair, stable numbers instead of chasing a moving target. Condition, originality and a complete set now carry the value.

Our advice is unchanged. Buy the best example you can of a watch you actually want, check that nothing has been swapped, and ignore the index.