/thread

 

Question for the experts:

I'm motivated by value.
The idea of purchasing a pre-owned watch for less than 'sticker' is attractive to me.
Been researching reputable dealers (mostly websites) and I was curious if buying used is a bad idea?


Also, I love the idea of wearing a vintage Rolex like this one:


...but I don't want to do anything stupid.
What should I look out for? Or should I just plan on buying new?

Thanks in advance.

 

Great buy! I have had mine for 7 years now and worn it almost every day. Love it. It has been through a lot and still looks pretty damn good in my opinion. I have the metal link band, but I really like the look of the leather!

 

Here's mine, it looks awesome and very comfortable.

 

http://timezone.com/

Buying "used" is a very good idea. Lots of watch fans simply want to own a watch, then the appeal fades and they want the money back to own another. A forum like timezone lets you learn about the watches and develop an understanding of what you like and what it costs so you don't spend money blindly. And buy clean watches from those people at 3/4 to 1/2 price.

I *like* that Rolex you pictured.

Here's mine (but mine's an auto, this one's a quartz):

Hamilton Khaki Action

Sapphire crystal, and sapphire display back. Had it for ~8 years now as a daily beater, the case is scratched but the sapphire crystal is *pristine*. And even the case scratches are shallow scuffs, it's a very durable watch. Sapphire is the bomb. Had it serviced locally last summer (for $85) because it slowed down over a month, then stopped while mowing the lawn. Out of production, but the best $300 I ever spent on a daily wear watch. The lume will glow all night long, good enough to read at 5 AM after being outside on a sunny day. Numbers are large and readable while driving at night with just a glance. Hamilton gets my vote for value for money in contemporary mechanical/auto watches. There are plenty of other worthy brands, however.

A vintage watch is a great deal. It is the rare model that can't be revived with a very modest servicing, but try to find one that has been recently serviced for getting your feet wet, i.e. someone selling a serviced watch to buy another watch rather than someone just selling watches, if you know what I mean. It's no fun strapping on your dream vintage watch and having it stop midday, making you late back for lunch and trying to justify spending more money fixing it. These are organic mechanical instruments that will perform within certain parameters but just like a car, require maintenance to operate trouble-free. One can realistically keep one running indefinitely with proper maintenance.

Either way, ebay price + $100 is how I figure <actual price>, and I've worn ebay no-name mechanicals for years before having to service. Handwind without date are best if you aren't going to wear it every day (don't have to set the date, just wind it when you want to wear it). There is no reason you can't wear a vintage Rolex (or any other '50-70's brand) every day. Servicing is <at most> every five years and less than the cost of a new dress watch.

If you buy new, I encourage you to go with a sapphire crystal. Sapphire *doesn't break*. It also doesn't scratch. Sapphire is second only to diamond for strength and scratch resistance. You'll hear it is more brittle, but "brittle" describes only how far things bend before breaking - it says nothing about how much energy is required to bend. I've never broken a sapphire watch crystal, but every daily beater I've had with a mineral glass crystal has broken.

I'm done with mineral glass in a watch. Sapphire or it isn't worth the money. And you can get sapphire in a sub~$200 watch so why spend that money if it's just going to break? The only exception is a plastic crystal in a shape that you can't get in sapphire. But "mineral glass" or any variation is just a waste of money and a sign of an inferior watch, IMHO.

Buy your vintage watch. Tudor is a "vintage Rolex" brand when you can't find or afford the Rolex brand, FYI. Watch enthusiasts will know and respect your savvy choice. Tudor IS Rolex, as much as matters. But there are so many other "premium" brands that are worth owning. Rolex made good watches, but so did many other companies.

 

I can't comment on getting vintage, cause I don't usually go for vintage.

But something is always true: "buy the seller, not the watch". And for me, "when its too good to be true, it usually is". I rather pass on a seemingly screaming deal, then to lose my money to scam. Go with seller with a long history on the board, and always ask for references.

I think for vintage, full box and paper (documentation, warranty paper with serial number) of the watch is a nice to have. But for more modern watches, I think its pretty much a must.

For vintage, take service history into your price consideration.

And for vintage, sapphire crystal is not a must, cause a lot of them simply doesn't have it. And there are some awesome modern watches come without sapphire crystal: Seiko SDX001 Marinemaster, Omega Speedmaster 3570 moonwatch, Panerai 372 to name a few.

BTW, for Tudor, its not being sold in the US, and I don't think they have service center here in the State neither. Great watches though, definitely check them out.

Have fun collecting. :-)

 

Thank you both!!!

I've been spending a lot of time reading http://forums.watchuseek.com/
I will ABSOLUTELY start on Timezone as well...thanks for that.

Seems like there is a lot to learn, but I'm getting there...slowly.


Right now my favorite styles are simple white or blue face with a leather band...I love Rolex, Tags, Zenith, Cartier, and Montblanc.
Won't even pretend I can afford a Patek or anything North of $5k so I didn't add those to my list.
I have a feeling my purchase will be sub $3k.

But thank you both again for all that info!
Updates to come. Promise.

 

I was refering to Tudor specifically as vintage, not new. Prior to the mid-sixties, Tudor watches had Rolex-design movements, just not chronometer rating or Rolex finishing. But even after that they mostly all have Rolex cases and designs. Modern Tudors might still have Rolex cases and designs, but use more affordable ETA movements. Fine watches, just not COSC-certified chronometers with in-house movements. And you have to go to Canada or Carribean to buy one new if you live in the US.

Yes, vintage watches won't often have sapphire crystals, hence my "if you buy new." Acrylic crystals are more common in vintage, and you can polish out shallow scratches with toothpaste if you care.

And really, the Seiko is what? A $5,000 watch identical to a $300 Seiko made for the last 40 years? and the Panerai a $12,000 watch? Neither the Seiko nor Omega Speedmaster are "modern watches," cool as they might be. And yes, you can get an Omega Moonwatch with a sapphire crystal. Unless you are actually going to the moon and NASA has some regulation against it, WTF wouldn't you? It's not like by buying the hesalite version you have anything other than a copy of something that was the cheapest off-the-shelf in the first place. If the original had been offered with sapphire AND for less money than the Hesalite version, the sapphire crystal would be the "Moonwatch." It wasn't and it wasn't so it isn't, which is no reason to go with hesalite unless you just want a plastic crystal on a $3,000 watch for Walter Mitty reasons.

 

For the OP:
My grand carrera is for sale if you are interested. PM me.
my tag grand carrera

 

My 2 Tag Carrera Chronographs

and my carrera next to my grand carrera

My panerai 111 F