New Chrono24 Fratello study: Gen Z is shaking up the pre-season watch market

A recent joint study by Chrono24 and Fratello shows how Generation Z will influence the luxury watch market in the first half of 2025.

For many years, sporty stainless steel watches were in high demand, especially among younger buyers. However, there is currently a clear trend toward dress watches – more understated and elegantly designed models are increasingly gaining attention. This is one of the findings of a joint study by Chrono24 and the online platform Fratello.

At the same time, prices for core brands like Rolex are stabilizing after the pandemic-era wave of speculation gave way to more realistic demand.

Cartier leads the dress watch trend among Gen Z

Generation Z is creating a dynamic in the watch market that has so far been known primarily from the fashion industry: the industry, which was traditionally characterized by consistency, is now facing an accelerated succession of trends.

Cartier significantly increased its market share among Generation Z within seven years: The brand's share of total purchases quadrupled from 1.7 percent to 6.8 percent. This development catapulted models like the "Tank" and the "Santos-Dumont" to the top of the secondary market.

Looking at all age groups combined, Cartier's share increased only moderately from 2.9 to 4.8 percent over the same period. This particularly highlights the strong influence of younger collectors on the brand's growth.

Demand for dress watches is increasing, especially in the lower and upper price segments

The dress watch trend isn't unique to Cartier. Since 2018, the share of dress watch purchases among total transactions has increased by 44 percent among Generation Z, while it has only increased by 29 percent for other age groups.

12 percent of all watches purchased by Gen Z today are dress watches – the highest proportion among all age groups.

Demand is primarily concentrated in the entry-level segment (€500 to €2,000) and the premium segment (over €20,000), while the share of dress watches sold in the mid-price segment is significantly lower.

Rolex returns to normal levels after Corona

Rolex maintains a stable market share of 33.7 percent, remaining the clear market leader. Prices, which rose sharply due to speculation during the coronavirus pandemic, have now returned to normal levels.

In the first half of 2025, the "Daytona" overtook the "Submariner" within the collections and now ranks second in popularity after the still-dominant "Datejust." This internal shift underscores the continued strong demand for the core models.

José Gaztelu, Chief Growth Officer at Chrono24, says:

"A new generation of watch buyers is changing demand—from a pronounced shift in dress watches to normalization in previously hyped segments. With our joint report, we create transparency for brands, retailers, and collectors to navigate the market with confidence."

Timo Holz, CEO of Fratello, explains that the Chrono24 data confirms his observations from the community:

"Gen Z's enthusiasm for dress watches is more than just a passing trend—it's a redefinition of taste and self-expression in watch collecting. Through regular analytics, we can track the impact of these changes in real time."

Broader market shows resilience and selective growth

The results of the study provide important data and facts:

Omega has the second-largest market share with 10.9 percent – an increase of 4 percent since the second half of 2024. The brand benefits from stable demand and loyal customers.

Tudor and IWC recorded the strongest half-year growth, with 6.8 and 4.9 percent respectively, due to product dynamics and growing communities.

In the premium segment, the extreme and speculative price spikes of Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet during the coronavirus pandemic are over. The market is now characterized by more consistent demand from watch enthusiasts and stable performance over several years, rather than by short-term peak prices.

This is what you need to pay attention to

After strong growth starting in 2023, the dress watch trend will weaken somewhat in the first half of 2025. Whether this is just a brief pause or a harbinger of a Gen Z trend remains to be seen.

One thing is certain, however: the trend toward slim, design-oriented watches is expanding the market beyond classic stainless steel sports models and is likely to determine brand strategies and collector behavior through 2026.

---

Methodology and data

All market share figures in this report are based on transactions on Chrono24. For example, a market share of 33.7 percent for Rolex translates to 33.7 percent of total watch spending on Chrono24 in the first half of 2025 (not limited to the top 10 brands).

Growth or decline is expressed as a percentage change compared to the previous period. For example, if market share increases from 10 to 20 percent, this corresponds to 100 percent growth.