Whether on social media, at collecting meetups, or in watch industry media coverage, we've all heard it: "it's a great value," or "people need to stop sleeping on this watch," but in 2026 the idea that some watches still fly under the radar is a tough pill to swallow.
The deep-digital era has brought watch collecting further into the mainstream cultural zeitgeist than ever, and our cup runneth over with the sheer volume of digital media platforms, content creators, podcasts, and other information channels that are reporting regularly on the watch industry. Every day it seems like a new brand or watch is getting its moment in the sun.
Photo: Sotheby’s
Photo: Sotheby’s
Breguet, as a key example, has rapidly moved from a solid underdog to highly desirable in the collector market over the last decade, and especially in the last three or four years. In 2024, Sotheby's sold a Breguet Classique Grande Complication for $120,000 and a Marine Équation Marchante for $107,950, both modern references clearing six figures. Subsequently, in November 2025, the auction house hosted a Breguet-only auction with pieces directly vetted by the maison, and what was estimated to be a 5 million Swiss franc sale (about $6.2 million) netted over 12 million Swiss francs (roughly $15.2 million) once the night was over. Granted, a large share of the roughly 70 lots were antique pocket watches and clocks rather than modern references, but those numbers are still hard to argue with.
Breguet is hardly alone. At Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction in May 2026, obscure references from houses better known for other things sailed past their estimates. A circa-1968 Grand Seiko 61GS in yellow gold (Ref. 6145-8030), with a hand-hammered case and a textured Kirazuri dial, carried a 5,000 to 10,000 Swiss franc estimate and sold for 38,100 francs (about $48,800). A 1980s Bulgari dual-time (Ref. 55-7471), its two dials run by separate movements signed Ebel and Gérald Genta, was estimated at 2,000 to 4,000 francs and closed at 21,590 (about $27,400), more than five times its high estimate. The pattern now runs well beyond Breguet, across brands and categories that once drew little attention in the salesroom.
Asked what he thought could be considered a sleeper watch in 2026, respected Italian author and vintage watch collector Auro Montanari cut straight to pocket watches. "Rather than trying to pick out a specific brand as underrated, I'd consider an entire category of the industry: pocket watches. So many brands and independent watchmakers are very hot in the market right now, but you can find very rare and beautifully finished pocketwatches manufactured almost a century ago, fitted with extremely interesting complications, made by artisans long before any computerized machining technology ever existed. These pocketwatches are so underrated and deserve far more appreciation than they get."
Photo: Christie’s
In contrast, George Bamford (of Bamford Watch Department fame) has long been the consummate collector of horological oddities, and was not shy with answers that stayed within the wristwatch category, starting with Heuer. "Sure, everyone knows Heuer so it's not exactly under the radar, but for me, something like a Heuer Camaro with its rounded-yet-square-shaped case — that is such a true sleeper watch. Also the dual branding is amazing; the fact that Jack Heuer named it after the muscle car to try and break further into the American market."
Bamford made a fair point. Vintage Heuer watches are obviously well known, but the name Heuer Camaro will leave most people in a crowded room picturing a car. Either way, it was Bamford's second answer that really stuck with me. "IWC does such good work communicating on the topic, but it never really sinks in with collectors: the original Kurt Klaus design perpetual calendars are really undervalued on the second-hand market. The white ceramic ones have picked up a bit of steam, but these things are so underappreciated given how important they were to watchmaking at the time."
Photo: TAG Heuer
While Montanari and Bamford were quick to find their under-the-radar picks, horological community builder and brand consultant Omar Traboulsi had a different perspective altogether. "A sleeper watch in the sense of being undiscovered or underrated is incredibly challenging today because the market is often influenced by hype and other narratives. A collective of individuals can create significant momentum around a brand or timepiece, sometimes accelerating its visibility and desirability. In today's interconnected world almost nothing remains unseen for long. Whether through collectors, social media, or watch fairs, brands are constantly being exposed and discussed, so the collecting community at large moves too fast for anything to really be slept on."
Looking at the big picture, it's easy to see both sides of the argument. If I can Google it, is it undiscovered? If I can find it easily and have it deliver a reasonable comparative value to more buzzy watches out there, is it a sleeper watch? In this case, the answer to our pressing question will remain open to debate.
