Wednesday Wind Up - February 4th 2026
- Nishan Shah
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Hey Nintai Family!
The first month of the year is in the books, and what an eventful month it has been. Some prices are going up, others are going down. We even have updates on microbrands as well. And let's not forget about ourselves...
Let's jump into it!
Top News:
Rolex's Market is causing ripples
Rolex has moved forward with 2026 retail price increases across much of its catalog - generally in the mid-single-digit to high-single-digit range on average - with precious metals based pieces seeing the majority of the increase, while stainless steel based pieces see a marginal increase (1). As a result, Rolex's secondary market value retention has decreased, with some data showing value retention dropping toward the mid-single-digit percentage level compared with recommended retail prices (2).
A recent report highlights that wait lists and scarcity premiums for both Rolex and Patek Philippe have decreased significantly compared with 2024 (3).
Regardless of these pricing changes, Rolex was among the few major brands showing growth year-over-year in 2025 (4). Therefore, while the market is not booming as seen in years past, certain iconic pieces still command strong interest — even as newer buyer tastes evolve.
Price Rollback For Patek Philippe
The luxury watchmaker announced in recent posts that they will be lowering prices in the United States for some of their models by as much as 8%, following the decrease in tariff rates for Swiss imported products. This rollback in cost was set in place on the 1st of February (5).
Audemars Piguet Unveiled 21 New Watches
The company is celebrating 150 years and released a massive addition to their catalog with 21 (yes 21) new watches. This is headlined by their "Neo Frame Jumping Hour", a very different watch than their staples. Additional beautiful self-winding watches were also revealed, including their Flying Tourbillon, and chronograph. The list is capped off with a couple open-worked (skeletal) pieces and a pocket watch with 30 (yes 30) complications. Insiders report are that this includes 1,140 components, and that only two pieces have been produced (9).
Microbrands & Indie Energy
Toledano & Chan releases a standout piece
A new model, b/1.3r, was launched recently and has quickly drawn attention for its brutalist-inspired design, titanium case, finishing, and 18k gold dial — a signal that independent creativity continues to make waves in 2026 (6).
Glow-in-the-dark niche innovation
Split Watches introduced an all-lume watch (“In The Skies”) — a world-first full-glow watch (yes, including the case and bracelet) (7).
Personal Thoughts:
The Market
The watch market is influenced more than we realize by contemporary events. Whether it is decreased demand (due to less purchases), raw material cost fluctuation, or even political disputes that result in tariff charges, it is important for watch collectors and makers alike to stay up to date on the events of today and anticipate those of tomorrow. Your collection (and your wallet) will thank you.
Luxury Brands remain popular, albeit for different reasons
While Patek Philippe's exclusivity and high cost make it an "in demand" watch for high income collectors, Rolex's popularity provides an unfair advantage in the market, allowing it to stay atop the most purchased and most popular luxury brand. All while this is occurring, AP added almost two dozen watches to their collection. By far the most stunning in our opinion is the Neo Frame, a nice non-traditional route for the luxury brand to take. Overall this is a testament to the (almost) 150 year old brand's commitment to the art of watchmaking.
Watchmaking trailblazers
Microbrand watchmakers have been able to instill their collections with personality and creativity, while maintaining traditional watchmaking desires (engineering and artisanship). This deviation from the norm has set the stage for these brands to be trailblazers in the space, remaining us that there is an "art" in "artisanship."
Nintai News:
Last week, we made a hard yet necessary announcement to slow our pace and close our collection for a full re-design. We came to the realization that we needed to take our time to ensure we have a selection of watches that are representative of "Nintai" - watches that endure each day, or as we like to say, watches that are built for "everyday endurance." Just like you, our watches will be built to face each day, head on.
As a first step to our revitalization, I pulled back the curtain almost entirely and made ourselves vulnerable. I revealed myself to you all, and shared a bit of our brand's inspiration (with that, our About Me page has been fully updated).
Finally, our brand made a game changing announcement on Instagram and revealed a teaser of our first watch. While this is concept art, the essence remains the same; everyday endurance, and Nintai will be embedded into our collection. How that will occur will be revealed soon. However, we cannot reveal too many details at once! Please be sure to follow us on Instagram as we post more frequently than on our newsletter.
See you all soon,
PS: Go Pats!
Nishan
Fact of the Letter: 2026 will mark 70 years since Rolex release the Milgauss, a revolutionary watch recognized by it's lightning bolt seconds hand and anti-magnetism feature, both a which inspired it's nickname "the scientist" (8). The Milgauss is also one of our five "grail" watches.
Resources:
(1) Gear Patrol / WatchPro data on 2026 Rolex price increases for gold and steel models.
(2) WatchPro, “Rolex returns drop on secondary market as retail prices rise,” Jan 21 2026.
(3) Wall Street Journal, “The Wait List for a Birkin or Rolex Is Getting Shorter,” Feb 1 2026.
(4) Hodinkee / WatchCharts / Morgan Stanley report summarizing secondary market gains.
(6) GQ, “The First Great Indie Watch of 2026 Has Arrived.”
(7) T3, “New Split Watches model will give your outfit a glow up.”
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