Alts.co

Luxury Watches vs. Crypto: An Unexpected Duo During the Covid lockdowns, consumer spending shifted from experiences to physical products, driving demand for both luxury watches and cryptocurrencies. As crypto prices soared, many winners invested their gains into luxury watches, causing a bubble in the secondary market with waiting lists up to 10 years and premiums of 2-3 times retail prices. The peak of this trend coincided with the 2021 bull market's end and the 2022 crypto recession's start. Since then, luxury watch prices have decoupled from Bitcoin, with recent crypto gains not yet impacting the watch market. However, the resurgence of crypto offers hope for recovery. Bitcoin's 157% rise in the past six months could soon translate into renewed interest in rare timepieces. The market dynamics have changed, with more people hooked on watch collecting and "watchfluencers" promoting the hobby. Auction market sales were up 6% in 2023, though prices remain lower. The biggest trend has been a shift from sports watches to dressier models and from stainless steel to yellow gold. Collaborations like OMEGA x Swatch are also gaining traction. Top auction houses like Christie's and Phillips saw record sales, with Patek Philippe leading the top sales. As we look ahead, 2025 promises to be an exciting year with many brands celebrating anniversaries and releasing limited-edition pieces. Despite current low prices, now might be the time to buy your "grail watch" before the market improves. While a repeat of the Covid-era escalation is unlikely, watch investing remains a long-term play. Both luxury watches and crypto share a key trait: scarcity. Time will tell how these markets intertwine in the future. ⌚💎 #Crypto #luxurywatches P.S. This was stolen from one of my favourite newsletters @AltAssetsInc and rewritten on GPT. Go check them out!

I just read a cool email from @AltAssetsInc about @finlete - on how to invest in upcoming athletes Here is what the Alts team had to say: --- Here’s how it works: 1. Finlete Funding, Inc. (“Finlete’), raises money from investors, selling up to 100,000 shares of a series of preferred stock specifically tied to an athlete’s career earnings (different share series related to different athletes will have a different value based on Finlete’s contract with the athlete, the athlete’s sport, and their potential). ​2. Finlete funds athlete contracts with money from investors. In return, athletes exchange up to 10% of their on-field Major League earnings for a set period (typically the next 25 years). 3. If and when the athlete gets to the Major League, Finlete issues dividends to investors for their series of shares, related to their specific athlete. 4. If the athlete doesn’t make it to the Majors, the athlete doesn’t have to pay Finlete or the investors back. It's not a loan, it's an equity investment. Let’s use a concrete example to understand the numbers. Suppose that Finlete invested in Carlos Santana, the current first baseman for the Minnesota Twins, during his Minor League career. Assume that each Santana share is worth $50 and you purchased 5 shares for a total upfront cost of $250. Currently, Santana’s estimated career Major League earnings are about $100 million. Since you own 5 shares out of 100,000, you’re entitled to 0.005% of that money – or $5,000, for a total gross return of 2,000%. If we assume that you invested in 2005, the year that Santana got drafted, your annualized return over the course of the last 19 years would amount to 17.1%. Not bad at all! And, since the 25-year clock hasn’t expired, there’s still a lot of earning potential left. ---- Would love your take on this @TheJacobTurner The full write up available here: alts.co/investing-in-athlete…