The decrease in the prices of Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet can be traced to market corrections following the incredible resale surge of 2020-2022. Demand experienced unprecedented increases, waitlists became longer, and many customers began to treat watches like other investments that are valuable and quick to sell. Prices skyrocketed well above acceptable market rates.

As supply started picking up, interest rates rose, speculation lessened, and the purchasing behaviour of the clients changed, prices on the secondary market started to adjust. 

An overview of the luxury watch market forecasts for 2026 states that the present market is between the phases of correction and recovery, with the speculative bubble largely eliminated and prices starting to stabilise.

This does not imply the end of the popularity of the three brands in question. In fact, Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet still rank among the top names in the resale market. The key difference, however, is the choice of customers who became more cautious.