The Omega Constellation once appeared in advertising campaigns, films and events and stars such as George Cobalt and Nicole Kidman. This clock pattern has long been the symbol of luxury. However, as the price of gold has recently risen back, some of such classic clocks are melting. The value of the gold inside them is even beyond the sale price of the watch itself.
Survey of Reuters with many merchants, specialists in the field and investment advisors indicate that the old clock of such brands as Omega or TAG Heuer is most strongly influenced from this trend. Last month, Jon White, a British gold merchant, melted a 18K gold Constellation production in the late 1970s, although the condition was still very good. This is just one of dozens of luxury watches that he melted this year when the need for gold went up.
"It's a nice watch. But in fact, the client takes it to auction, how much will they get?", White told *Reuters. He stated that the amount of gold contained in this Constellation cost about £5,750 (7.749), which was 35% higher than the estimated bid of the clock of 44,000,500 pounds.
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Get out! [The luxury lake was melted at Hatton Garden Metals in London June 2026. Image: Reuters](htttmshtmovcdn1-kmdn.vnecdn.net/2026/06/15/ https://www.htttml-06-06-15-15-1515-1558-8198-8127-181496058.png?w=120&dpr=1&fit=nB4RTRTRTRTRBBBTTTGZ-1A)
- The luxury clock was melted at Hatton Garden Metals in London, June 2026. Image: Reuters*
James Lamdin, founder of the Analog Shift - the clock division has been used by the Watchers of Switzerland retailer - stating that the melting "often occurs with modern clock samples but has been used and sampled but is not sufficient for collection".
Back in January, [the gold price] (httts ://nvreexpress.net/chu-de/jan/hang-hom-nay-1403) once hit a 5.600-ounce record by investors who were concerned about the political, commercial situation and they sought shelter. Although the gold was then cooled off due to the Middle East conflict, the price was [returned back to three rounds] (httts ://nvnexpress.net/gia-valu-the-gioi-tang-3-phien-lien-tiep/5086172.00), and currently wavered around $4,300. This is nearly twice the average threshold of 2024.
However, the used clock price does not increase correspondingly. "It's a pity, because once something melts, it's gone forever", said Adrian Hailwood - the history of clock composition said.
There is currently no official record of the number of luxury watches melted. The data of the World Gold Council (WGC) shows global redevelopment gold in the quarter I increased 5% to 366 tons. In the meantime, the gold demand value of jewelry increased 31%, reaching 47 billion dollars.
A clock can contain from several grams to over 200 grams of gold, making their material value possible in tens of thousands of dollars. With the Omega Constellation line, the gold can be used in both shells and straps.
In the scene of the gold price predicted to touch $5,400-6,300 dollars a ounce this year, the need to remove a number of clock samples will continue. Especially when old watch merchants carry additional operating costs and production.
Even new watches but surplus production can be melted. "I've seen a lot of perfectly normal ones melt. The Swiss market currently has many inventory. Those watches were almost new, never worn and eventually removed", Lamdin said.
However, he also warned if there was an ancient, rare watch and carrying his own story or timemark, re-creating was "a tragedy of short-term thinking".
According to specialists in the industry, high-end brands such as Patek Philippe, Ophelia have always controlled the production and often maintained a much higher price of sale than the gold inside. "The waiting list buys some long samples to incredible. The buyer may have to wait 2-8 years", Simon Lazarus - PR director of the luxury clock platform on Chrono Hunter said.
Meanwhile, less exclusive brands such as TAG Heuer, Breitling and Omega are having difficulty maintaining high retail prices. Because buyers can easily find used goods at significantly lower prices. Some experts say that samples such as Omega's Speedmaster often lose a strong price after selling them, making them vulnerable to gold removed.
The high price of gold caused Mitchell Talisman, a retired engineer in New York, to sell two gold watches and a necklace in December 2025. These products contain a total of 35 grams of gold with a purity of 58%, which helps him to collect $2.660. "I've had a lot of stuff in the safe for over 10 years," he said.
However, many do not accept that their watch is melted after selling it. "It may be their family stuff, or their first watch. They didn't want it to be ruined, so they decided to keep it," Hailwood said.
**Shift Thutuk (on Reuters)
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