Cartier is more of a jewelery watch like maybe Chanel or some other luxury brand instead of something with a quality movement like you would find in Rolex or JLC.

 

cartier shops can authorize up to 15% discounts.
actually the prices on watches recently went on the 1st.

 

This is the one I have- the largest face without a chronograph. So if I decided to trade it, any suggestions on what I should try to trade for? I might be able to get a better value for it if I trade for a used watch, rather than sell it outright.

 

what price range are you looking at? Also, keep in mind that you shouldnt have to pay retail or anywhere near for the majority of watches out there.

A Rolex Submariner or Panerai Luminor will hold their values pretty well and are good, safe choices under the $5000 mark.

My favorite watch in that price range is the Zenith Grande El Primero Chronomaster. The retail on the watch is $8300 but you should be able to get it for $5500 new.

 

Just like the others have said your gonna get butt hurt when you sell. Rolex may be a dime a dozen but most of their models hold value or appreciate. I have a Zenith SS Daytona in my collection and if I ever wanted to unload it I can turn a nice profit. Since they went to a in-house movement my Zenith movement Daytona has gone up in value. Cartier save for a few models do not hold value. Hang on to it and consider it a lesson learned. The nerds at TimeZone are a great resource.

 

I'd advise against trading it. It will just make it a lot harder to find what you want, and its trade value will still be based on a depreciated value. Either keep it, or, if you aren't going to use it at all, bite the bullet and sell it for its depreciated value and just consider it the price of a lesson learned. Before you get into buying watches, you are going to have to invest a little time learning about what you are buying. Also, be very, very careful about buying fakes -- if you are getting a vintage Rolex, or other desirable vintage watch, be aware that there is a vast industry out there making fake watches. Rolex Submariners, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Omega 300 Seamaster or Speedmasters seem to be particular favourites, but even fairly arcane collectible watches like the Glycine Airman are more commonly found in fakes than in authentic versions. Even some reputable on-line merchants are offering fakes or things with redials that negatively affect value. Caveat emptor, so do your homework. Online collector groups are a treasure trove of information about these things.

Zeiss

 

lol at people thinking they can make money on watches. unless it is a super rare, limited to <100 type watch, then there is no chance that the watch will go up.
i have a rolex datejust and a daytona ss/gold. i dont even wear a watch anymore. i took it to a watch dealer, and he gave me about 20% for the datejust and 40% for teh daytona. i didnt need the money, so i decided to just keep them, perhaps someone might want them in the future.
watches and jewellery are over-rated imo

 

Well it all worked out okay. One of my friends was looking at buying my exact watch, so I sold it to him for $4,500. It was much higher than I could have expected to get from anyone else, and it was much lower than he could have purchased a brand new one from a dealer, so it was a win-win! I am happy that I was able to get rid of a watch that I would have never worn. Now I am thinking about taking about $2000 of that and getting a used Navitimer (let the flaming begin lol).

 

The Navitimers are very nice watches indeed. I just missed out on getting a very rare solid gold one (as opposed to the gold plate version). The steel ones are actually worth more than the gold plate ones. Again, this is a watch that has been faked, and you might wind up with a watch with a Poljot movement in it, so do your homework. But a good one should be a solid investment. Even if you get an original one, be very careful not to get a redial, as it significantly lowers the value of the watch for investment purposes.

If you want a vintage chronograph that is an eye-catcher, both Brietling and Omega made one pusher chronos for the Canadian airforce that are very nice, and in about the same price point as the Navitimer. Or look for some slightly less than premium brands, like the Benrus Sky Chief, which are very likely to appreciate.

Among new chronographs, you might want to check out the CSAR at http://www broadarrow.net, which is made by Marathon, provider of watches to NASA, and the German and Canadian armed forces, among others. It is very cool indeed.