The Titanic. The Dodo. The golden era of business class. VCR. Daniel Craig as James Bond. Speaking of good things ending, Qantas has announced a program of events to give Australians the chance to farewell its last remaining Boeing 747.

Qantas had planned to retire its iconic “Queen of the Skies” fleet by the end of the year but the date was brought forward due to the world’s current situation.

Qantas yesterday announced it will operate three one-hour “farewell jumbo joy flights” departing from Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, in response to requests from employees and customers for one final chance to fly on the aircraft.

Qantas 747 Fleet Captain Owen Weaver said the 747 has a special place in the hearts of many Australians.

“The 747 has been a magnificent aircraft and it’s fitting that we celebrate the end of five decades of history-making moments for the national carrier and aviation in Australia,” Captain Weaver said.

“Since the first 747 joined the Qantas fleet in 1971, these aircraft have operated numerous rescue flights to bring Australians home during times of crisis and provided a safe passage for many travellers taking their first international flight to or from Australia.”

“These three flights will offer the final opportunity to fly on the Qantas 747 before it leaves, with some of our frequent flyers and aviation enthusiasts as fond of the aircraft as we are, having spent thousands of hours onboard over the years,” he added.

“There is an enormous amount of nostalgia and affection associated with our 747 and for those who miss out on a seat on the flight, they will at least be able to catch a glimpse of the aircraft as it takes to Australian skies for the last time.”

The flights went on sale at midday on Wednesday the 8th July (get in while you can) on Qantas.com and will operate on Monday the 13th of July (Sydney), Wednesday the 15th of July (Brisbane) and Friday the 17th of July (Canberra).

 

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Tickets don’t come cheap though: economy fares cost $400 and a small number of Business Class tickets will be available for $747 with additional extras included.

Seats will be limited to maximise passenger comfort (in line with other previously operated joy flights), and Qantas’ Fly Well pandemic hygiene policies will be in place (as they are on all Qantas flights right now).

Qantas says the farewell flights will be operated on a “cost-recovery” basis and profits will be donated to the HARS Aviation Museum at Albion Park (Wollongong) and the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach to support their efforts to preserve and promote the 747 legacy for future generations.

The final 747-400 in the fleet will depart Sydney at approximately 2pm on the 22nd of July 2020 as flight QF7474.

Prior to its final departure on the 22nd July, Qantas will host a hangar farewell event for employees.

And that, folks, is the end of an era.

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The post Qantas Boeing 747 Retirement: Airline Offers Australians Once In A Lifetime Experience On Iconic Jet appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Johnny Depp is normally a pretty dapper fellow: the 57-year-old actor has a reputation for being a slick dresser. Even when he dresses up as a pirate he looks on point.

But his latest outfit, captured upon his arrival at London’s Royal Courts of Justice yesterday morning, shows that maybe Depp needs to ask for a second opinion every once in a while.

In a move almost as strange as Kanye West singing about wanting to sleep with his sisters-in-law, Depp stepped out in an outfit fit for… well, not him.

Depp’s navy suit is ill-fitting. In fact, he almost looks like a teenager rocking up to traffic court in his dad’s old blazer. His trousers are also pretty creased, and we’re not a fan of what looks like a chunky pair of Clarks he’s decided to pair with his ensemble. It’s just all over the place: his hair, the slightly-too-casual scarf, the aviators, the dark shirt – the litanies go on.

He’s probably got more important things on his mind, though. He’s suing The Sun and its executive editor for libel over an article written in April 2018 calling Depp a “wife beater”, ABC News reports. They’re serious allegations, and it’s set to be quite a messy trial.

That said, if it was us, we would be wanting to make the best impression possible for the judge, so we’d invest a little more time in our outfit. Maybe he should have read our guide on how to make a good suit great (hint, hint).

Depp’s got form for wearing oversized suiting. In many ways, it’s been a bit of a signature look for him – he was even rocking it back in the 80s when he better known as Tom Hanson in 21 Jump Street than as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Depp’s recent faux pas isn’t the first time Celebrities have been caught out wearing questionable oversized looks either. Check out Michael Douglas’ oversized ‘straight outta Vinnies’ grey suit he was spotted wearing last year.

They must be stopped.

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The post Johnny Depp Style: Courtroom Fashion Gaffe Is Proof Even Celebrities Need A Good Tailor appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The first thing many celebrities do when they become rich and famous is splash their cash on expensive motors. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: celebrity buys flashy, expensive car; the paparazzi and tabloids have a field day taking photos of said flashy car; celebrity becomes even more famous.But money can’t buy taste, and sometimes the paparazzi are laughing at celebrities rather than with them. Some famous people have spent oodles of money on either terrible cars or making cars terrible – think Kanye West’s Lambo Urus, deadmau5’s awful “Purrari” or will.i.am’s butchered DeLorean.Dolph Lundgren might be an exception to that rule, however. The Swedish action movie star’s buff exterior belies a man of intelligence and taste (did you know he studied a master’s in chemical engineering at the University of Sydney?). He’s also a serious automotive enthusiast.Lundgren was recently spotted on the streets of LA enjoying his Fourth of July with a quick spin in a fine Italian automobile – one that demonstrates his impeccable taste and constitutes a masterclass in the art of the ‘subtle flex’.

Lundgren’s Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a beautiful car. Interestingly, Lundgren opted for a silver model instead of a more eye-catching colour: some people consider it sacrilege to spec a Ferrari in anything other than red, but we reckon the silver looks great on such a beautifully proportioned 00’s grand tourer.The 612 Scaglietti, produced from 2004 to 2010, is the perfect combination of performance, comfort and style: it can fit four people easily, but thanks to its sleek 2+2 profile (and whopping 5.7L V12 with an output of 397kW / 533hp) it’s got more than enough get-up-and-go to escape any baddies.It’s still a Ferrari but it’s a more subtle, grown-up model. The silver paint job lets it blend in with the more pedestrian American large sedans on California’s streets, but those in the know will spot that iconic yellow horse and know what’s up. Lundgren’s not looking to stunt on people: he drives his 612 because he likes it. And it’s that quiet confidence that’s truly cool.The ‘subtle flex’ is far cooler than being ostentatious. Take Conan O’Brien’s subtle Panerai watch flex in Japan last year. O’Brien’s not afraid to be goofy and have some fun (he’s a comedian, after all) but when push comes to shove, he knows his stuff.It’s also nice to see Lundgren give his old 612 a spin, considering he’s got quite the car collection, with beauties like a Ferrari FF (the 612’s successor), a Shelby Cobra MkIII and a Corvette C2 in his possession.Nice job, Dolph.

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The post Dolph Lundgren Ferrari: Actor Spotted In LA Driving The Most Sophisticated Car You’ll See This Year appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Complaining about your cloud-soft, simpering-service Pointy End experience looks gross at the best of times. Complaining about it, then, in the midst of a crisis, is like putting on industrial earmuffs, burying your head in the sand and repeatedly playing “We Are The Champions” at top volume.In all seriousness, today we reached a level of absurdity that would make a French intellectual burn his beret, make Charlie Sheen call it a night at 9pm and cause even the most optimistic among us abandon the notion that, deep down, people are good.A Singapore Airlines business class passenger has just taken to Facebook with a rant so infuriating it makes these Manhattan Prosecco Sippers (who were recently spotted chilling with the protests as a backdrop) look firmly in touch with reality.The awkward thing is though, he makes some good points.Posted on Singapore Airlines’ official Facebook page on the 2nd of July, the complaint begins: “This flight was daylight robbery. SQ324 20 June 2020.”

“Singapore Airlines should be ashamed of itself for charging so much for a flight that was worth very little. Just like all restaurants which were forced to do take out service at a discount during phase 1, SQ should be charging 30% less for its business flights.”

“Why?” he then asks, before listing all his complaints, the main one being the lack of champagne.“No champagne aboard business cabin. How then is my cabin different from economy? You have one red wine, one white wine, tiger beer onboard for business flights. I suppose this is what is also available for economy flights.”

“I don’t understand how having champagne would endanger safe distancing in the cabin.”

While this is potentially a legitimate complaint, his next remarks go off the deep end, as he rips into industry-standard social distancing practices and makes allegations we find hard to believe: “no drink service before the meal. I understand that sq is trying to reduce contact between cabin staff and passengers. Then why charge regular prices?”

 

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A post shared by Faze Londoner on the loose (@wanderupfront) on Jan 12, 2020 at 1:32am PST

“I understand sq wants to do a one tray service. So reduce your prices for business class. Why can’t there be a graciousness in the new normal?”

“You mean that business ticket prices do not justify an additional drink? Your cabin staff did not even offer an extra drink. I had to ask for it.”

“I don’t think this is worth a regular business flight price,” he continues. “Worse still, despite not serving us, I noticed whenever I went to the toilet, that there was no safe distancing amongst cabin crew; they were chatting, having personal fun.”“Then there is a double standard that they are afraid to serve.”“The only friendly cabin staff was the senior stewardess from japan. She was warm and personable despite safe distancing and wearing a mask, a visor, etc. the other staff from singapore were sullen as they served but enjoyed themselves in the kitchen,” he continues.

“I think this is really uncalled for and a lie that sq is having to serve in this way because of safe distancing.”

Finally, he comes to the conclusion that Singapore Airlines should, “not be so greedy for money.”

“I will definitely not pay for another business class flight until we are told this will be different during the new normal.”

“If there is a new normal, Singapore Airlines is not thinking hard enough to realign its service… what is business class service under the new normal? How can you continue to differentiate it from economy class? It’s not just about your wine and food being more expensive.”

“I think that given all this, Singapore Airlines should deduct 30% of its regular business prices.”

“I don’t want to quibble about the inflight entertainment being from March… or no towel service etc. I understand that the airlines is only restarting. But this does not excuse any of the above points that I have elucidated,” he added, before going into one final tirade about the “special goodbye” and lounge situation.

“Worst of all, no special goodbye by the chief steward for loyal customers. What’s happened to basic manners on a business flight?”

“I have other concerns about the lounge – no first class for solitaire pps. this is tolerable but no champagne again in the business lounge. This is ridiculous. It’s inequitable cost-cutting and fleecing of your loyal customers. Charging the same price for a much reduced service from check in (no first class check in available), to lounge, to onboard.”

“What is business service during the new normal? And how dare you charge the same prices for this present quality of service?”

While the man’s entitled tone makes us want to puke, some of the questions he raises are important ones that the industry, over the next three years, as travel restrictions clamp then loosen (much like the economy and Bart Simpson’s hairline) will have to answer.As part of the ‘new normal’ business class will have to change and carriers will have to cut costs to keep themselves afloat. To what degree passengers are impacted by this will vary airline to airline, potentially shifting loyalty dynamics.Champagne for thought.

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The post Business Class Passenger's Infuriating Demand Sparks Crucial 'New Normal' Debate appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Cheap flights were to 2019 what rude sunburn is to Mykonos. As 2020 coughed us into hiding, however, the future of ~travel~ became as uncertain as when you’ll get your next ‘naughty‘ tan.Throughout it all though, cheap airfares have remained constant. The trillion-dollar question is how long they’ll last.There’s no Lonely Planet guide to this. However, to get an idea, DMARGE spoke to Rico Merkert, Professor and Chair in Transport and Supply Chain Management at the University of Sydney.We put to Rico the argument made in a recent ESCAPE article, where Brian Pearce, chief economist at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) was quoted as saying cheap (international) flights will likely last about two years (before debt, subsidies ending and renewed demand see prices get back to normal, possibly higher).While Rico was quick to point out “no one knows what COVID 19 will do next,” he backed Pearce’s take up, telling DMARGE, “In principle I agree with that IATA comment.”That said, “This is not over yet and at least outside Australia [is] a very fluid situation,” Rico told us. “Domestically we may see prices going up in the core routes quite quickly (assuming the outbreak in Victoria is brought under control) but internationally no one knows what is going to happen.”For now, cheap domestic flights appear set – for the time being – to continue, with Qantas last week elbowing in on regional carrier Rex’s Sydney to Orange route with undercutting fares (Qantas is currently offering round trips in the $360 vicinity while Rex is offering the same for $412).Qantas also just announced a points partnership with Afterpay.Both these changes come after Alan Joyce teased (then delivered) $19 Sydney to Melbourne flights with Jetstar, made Qantas’ much awaited Sydney to Byron Bay flight route a reality, and delivered tantalisingly cheap (sub $100) Jetstar return trips on the same route, all in the last few months.

 

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A post shared by Qantas (@qantas) on Jun 4, 2020 at 7:08pm PDT

Meanwhile, Rex has been spreading its wings too (see: The Obscure Regional Carrier That Could Replace Virgin Australia) and Virgin Australia has been making moves to become leaner and meaner, focussed on stealing the middle market out from under Qantas on high traffic domestic Australian routes (it still has a hell of a long way to go, but that appears the plan).All these changes are positive news for Aussies looking to scratch their wanderlust domestically in the next few months.However, as professor Merkert points out, prices, especially on popular corridors, can jack up quickly (as soon as there is requisite demand). On top of that, as we reported in May, once airlines have coaxed us back into the air, there is going to be a lot of debt to service, so in the immediate years after The Return Of Demand prices could be, if anything, higher.Not to mention, as Traveller reports, “Any fire-sales [pricing] are likely to be shortlived by the new era of COVID-19-impaired aviation because the costs of implementing and maintaining an extensive new regime of health and hygiene measures are certain to be astronomical and passed directly onto the consumer.”Other experts have warned domestic Australian flight prices could rise by 50%, thanks to this year’s shakeup.Traveller flagged the situation in the US as a point of comparison: “Airlines in the US are already discovering that they can’t escape the realities of social distancing in the air.”

“Not only have many blocked out middle seats but also those on either side of passengers. Inevitably, and in a sign of the COVID-19, vaccine-free air travel landscape set to emerge, one airline has even started charging for the reassurance of a empty seat next to you.”

Traveller also pointed out Alexandre de Juniac, director-general and chief executive of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) declared in April that if social distancing on flights remains imposed, “cheap travel is over.”So, unless airlines can convince people to go back to the knee-to-knee days (and even then) $19 Sydney to Melbourne flights (say) as a widespread policy will probably never be economical.In the aviation industry’s defence, as Australia recovers from the pandemic, cheap flights will be a crucial economic building block. So while we shouldn’t expect them in the long term, we may as well enjoy them while we can.Byron Bay awaits…

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The post Cheap Flights Qantas: Expert’s Warning For Australians Riding Airline’s Cheap Flight Frenzy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The days of the sedan are well and truly over.First, it was the plucky hatchback that saw the demise of the humble sedan. Sedans just couldn’t compete with hatchbacks, which are more practical as well as smaller.Then the nail was driven further into the sedan’s coffin with the rise of SUVs. Their superior ride height, off-road credentials, and ability to seat scores of passengers in comfort have propelled SUVs into the limelight: SUVs are now easily the most popular cars in Australia today.The one section of the market where sedans still thrive is the performance and luxury segment. There are surprisingly few luxury hatchbacks, and until recently, ‘performance SUVs’ were considered a punchline. These days, performance SUVs are in high demand: people don’t want to compromise on comfort or performance.Aware of the demand for these big cars with even bigger outputs, famous BMW tuner Alpina has given the BMW X7 its royal treatment and transformed the already-impressive German SUV into a real monster – one that’s sure to give other performance SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupé or Lamborghini Urus a real run for their money.

If you haven’t heard of Alpina before, they’re a performance tuner that specialises in BMWs. Unlike BMW M, which is a subsidiary of BMW itself, Alpina is its own manufacturer, despite Alpinas being mostly produced on the same production lines as normal BMWs.In fact, a weird quirk about Alpina cars is that they have two VINs: firstly, BMW makes the donor chassis, which is given a VIN, and then Alpina modifies the car, crosses out the old VIN, and stamps in their own. Alpinas also have their own unique badging: a crest with a carby and a crankshaft, a nod to their motorsport heritage.Alpina likes to do things a little differently to BMW M, too – they put more emphasis on luxury, higher torque, and often come to different conclusions about how to achieve power gains. All Alpina models are turbocharged (not all M cars are), and Alpina likes to install their own manumatic transmissions.The XB7 still uses the 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8 engine from the X7 M50i xDrive, but has tuned it to produce a whopping 457kW and 800Nm (an almost 20% increase in power and 7% increase in torque over the standard engine). It also benefits from a subtle Alpina bodykit and huge 21 or 23in alloys, wrapped in custom Pirelli rubber.Imagine – 457kW (that’s 613hp, by the by), 0 to 100 in 4.2 seconds, and it fits seven people in more comfort than Emirates First Class.

Inside, the XB7 is sumptuously appointed. Alpina use a unique ‘Lavalina‘ leather for their interiors – a semi-aniline leather with a pigment-based protective layer, Alpina is perhaps the only notable manufacturer of Lavalina active today. It’s an oily, exquisitely tactile leather that’s highly water and fade-resistant, and looks great to boot.Other touches unique to the XB7 include an Alpina-tuned suspension system, four-pot Brembo brake calipers up front, and plenty of Alpina badging to let everyone know this isn’t your everyday Beamer.The XB7 will be available in Australia early next year, following the standard X7 M50i’s projected arrival in Q4 2020. They won’t stay in showrooms for long, though – unlike BMW M, Alpina normally do quite limited model runs, so keep your eye on the prize lest you lose out.

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The post BMW Alpina XB7: The Seven-Seater SUV Australia Has Always Wanted appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australians love a bit of online retail therapy. And who can blame us?Sure, there are still a few things you have to go shopping for in-person, like cars or high-end watches, but it’s never been easier to shop online. The reality is that it’s what most Australians prefer – the shrinking retail sector is proof that brick-and-mortar establishments haven’t moved with the times and don’t offer the level of customer service or discounts needed to keep people shopping.Why would you want to go to a clothes store when online retailers offer same-day delivery, free returns, better prices, and a 0% chance of having to deal with other customer’s bullsh*t?The value proposition of online shopping has grown significantly during The Pandemic – going shopping in public’s suddenly become a lot less palatable (or straight-up impossible for some goods, as many stores have closed their doors).However, there are a number of guilty online shopping habits we’ve picked up too, which have been masterfully trolled in a recent music video, produced by Klarna.Klarna, a new-fangled invention that lets you pay purchases off in 4 interest-free installments (via a secure ‘ghost’ credit card), is the app that offered Aussies the chance to win big from their love of homegrown fashion back in May.More recently, Klarna produced the aforementioned video in collaboration with singer / songwriter Thandi Phoenix, hip-hop artist Tuka and comedians The Inspired Unemployed.Called, Get What I Love, the cheeky track pokes fun at what Aussies have been spending their dosh on during lockdown shopping online: Tim Tams, DIY projects, g-strings…The video’s garnered attention online – not only because it’s a genuinely catchy track, but as an example of advertising done right.Young Australians are appropriately skeptical of flashy ad campaigns and thinly-veiled attempts at social engineering. Remember that cringe-worthy Pepsi ad where Kendall Jenner hands the riot police a Pepsi? It’s not hard to see why that failed so miserably.It’s also good to see Klarna support local talents, particularly at a time when many musicians, comedians, artists and other creatives are out of work due to COVID-19.“It used to be really hard for people like me to partner up with brands because I am considered an underground artist and it was seen as a sell-out,” says Tuka.“But today with no government support and arts funding eroded, big brands and corporations are feeding and supporting creative industries. Moving forward people like me will be collaborating with big brands more in the future. And especially during lockdown when we couldn’t perform this kind of job was really important, not just for my pocket, but also for my morale. It gave me confidence when I had a lot of uncertainty around me as an artist.”In any case, here are Australia’s guiltiest online shopping habits, as seen in the above clip:

• Excessive groceries. Whether it’s ‘accidentally’ ordering 10 packets of biscuits instead of 1 or hoarding enough canned beans and toilet paper to see out the heat death of the universe, Australians love a bit of grocery hoarding.
• Going all DIY and never following it through. How many times have we bought a new tool or paint and promised ourselves that we’re going to start a new project? You’d think we’d have the time during lockdown to actually get something done but there hasn’t been an explosion of deck-building around the nation.
• Excessive home studio tech. The fact you’re not exposed to judgemental shop assistants when you shop online is both a good and a bad thing. Sometimes, you need someone to discourage you from spending bulk cash on podcasting equipment. Your banter’s not that red hot, champ.
• Questionable fashion choices. Nothing quite matches the thrill of buying a new wardrobe online, but how often do you really wear those bright orange trousers? (They look great, though.)

Want to get in on the fun? Download Klarna here.

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The post Online Shopping Habits: Viral Music Video Exposes Australia’s Guiltiest Habits appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

With all the crazy stuff going on in the world right now, you could be forgiven for not sticking to your workout routine – there’s much bigger fish to fry.

Social distancing and lockdown have made it harder for the health-conscious to maintain our gains, with gyms and personal trainers only just starting to resume normal business here in Australia. That’s to say nothing of the added stresses of working from home, looking for work or studying during this pandemic; the anxiety and mental toll of lockdown; or the economic belt-tightening that has made working out a challenge.

A common complaint people have made is about feeling guilty about letting their fitness slide during These Unprecedented Times. But maybe we shouldn’t stress so much, as this Irish fitness expert sets the record straight on the science behind muscle loss and detraining.

Peter O’Reilly, an Irish personal trainer and mobility coach with a substantial social media following, shared some sage advice about detraining on his Instagram last week, which should be a cause for relief (and maybe even some inspiration) for any budding bodybuilder.

 

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A post shared by Peter O Reilly FRCms P.T. (@p.t.pete) on Jun 27, 2020 at 12:28pm PDT

“The average time before muscle loss occurs is 2-3 weeks,” O’Reilly explains.

“Strength can be maintained for up to 4 weeks before it starts to decline. This is if you’re someone who is trained. If you were only training for a little bit and are now taking time off, you won’t have the same turnaround.”

The science behind retraining is fascinating, O’Reilly relates.

“Your muscle fibers get bigger from training and subsequently gain more nuclei. Once you stop training, your nuclei don’t decrease that quickly… the nuclei help resist muscle loss. This is what we call “muscle memory”. Once it’s been about 2-3 weeks you can retrain and make your gains back fairly quickly in comparison to someone who has no training history [because] you won’t need to go through the process of forming new nuclei.”
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In short, if you’re already in good shape and following a decent exercise regime, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue to rebuild any muscle you lose. And besides, you only start losing muscle in a serious way after 3 weeks of not training.

As O’Reilly suggests, “many of us are unable to get to the gym [so] it may not be such bad idea to take this time to give your body a rest.”

This isn’t an excuse to slack off completely, however. We still need to make sure we’re eating well and following other good habits e.g. good sleep hygiene, staying off the sesh, practicing mindfulness… Any really fit person will tell you that building a good physique is a holistic process: it’s not just about training.

“The best way to also help [prevent] muscle loss is to keep up with your protein intake,” O’Reilly shares. And that’s a cinch – check out our guide to protein-rich foods here.

Once things approach something that more closely resembles ‘normal‘, get back into the swing of things, and fingers crossed you’ll be back on track to being swole in no time.

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The post Muscle Memory: Fitness Coach Explains Trick That Stops You Losing Gains appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

You may think it gauche to be talking about the economy when most people are more worried about health than shares. But the issues are intertwined: the pandemic’s caused the global economy to contract, which in turn means people’s livelihoods are suffering.We’re lucky that in Australia (well, at least not in Melbourne) we’re bouncing back and things are returning somewhat to normal, even if we’re heading into a recession.Perhaps unsurprisingly, trends in the watch market have seen a similar dip and subsequent bounce. What is surprising, though, is that after observing a noticeable decline in sales during the first few months of the pandemic, as WatchPro reports, international watch marketplace Chrono24 has revealed data that suggests we are now seeing a strong bounce back in demand for luxury watches on the secondary market.Chrono24 has kept a close eye on activity across its key markets (e.g. USA, UK, Germany, Italy, etc.) and their data shows how they’ve all experienced similar market trajectories: a dip during the start of the crisis, then a huge rise in demand, leading to higher than pre-COVID sales figures presently.

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A post shared by Chrono24 (@chrono24) on Jun 25, 2020 at 3:01am PDT

Perhaps it’s a reflection of the national mood in these different markets. For example, Italy was hit badly by COVID-19, but in recent months has recovered drastically and is now on a downward trend in cases. Perhaps now that things are less dire in Italy, people feel comfortable spending money on nice timepieces again.This doesn’t explain the rise in sales in the US, however, which has become the pandemic’s new epicentre and continues to observe an upwards trend in cases, as well as a huge amount of civil unrest. Instead, maybe Americans have just adjusted to this ‘new normal’ and want to do some watch shopping to distract themselves from their country falling to pieces around them.The global recession hasn’t affected watch prices dramatically – there’s no chance of picking up your grail for bargain basement prices, we’re afraid. There’s definite winners and losers: Chrono24’s stats focus in on how Rolex’s GMT-Master II “Pepsi” has seen prices fall by 7% while Patek Philippe’s Nautilus 5711/1A has risen by 9% as explicit examples.Prices have softened somewhat for some super rare models but Chrono24’s evidence largely suggests that prices are under downward pressure as customers are negotiating harder, requesting up to 16% higher discounts than pre-coronavirus levels – that said, more price negotiations are falling through too, so just because people are asking for discounts doesn’t mean they’re getting any.If you’re currently in the market for a vintage watch, DMARGE founder & publisher Luc Wiesman has some sage advice for finding gems and making sure you don’t get ripped off in the process. In short: look for watches with reliable movements, a history of price stability, and make sure you read up on your watches.

“The devil is in the details where investing in vintage watches is concerned. Small changes made between different versions of the same watch can mean the difference between a $5,000 investment and a $50,000 investment. Do your research ahead of time and know exactly what you’re looking for.”

Read Luc’s sage advice here before you jump online looking for a watch bargain. You can also check out Chrono24’s market reports here.

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The post Unexpected Ways The Pandemic Has Affected The Rolex & Patek Aftermarket appeared first on DMARGE Australia.