What Should You Consider When Buying a Vintage Watch?
In our new article, we have prepared information that will help you when buying a vintage watch, whether for use, to add a new piece to your collection, or as an investment. Most of the time, people who want information about vintage watches contact us and ask us for help with what to do. For this reason, we have prepared a guide that we believe will be very useful for you.
5 important topics you will pay attention to when buying Vintage Watch
1. Don’t Go to the Purchasing Phase without Researching
A nice-looking clock you see in the window of an antique or watch store may make you want to buy it. However, you have to be sure that the watch you are going to buy is reliable. So do your homework and find out all about the watch you want to buy. It is now very easy to get enough information about a brand or a special watch model thanks to the internet. You can easily get detailed information about the watch you like.
Apart from the internet, there are also certain brands, diving watches, chronographs, iconic watches, etc. Many books have been written about it. Oftentimes, these books can be found on their website. Also, try to make comparisons. Try to find similar watches in watch shops and note their condition and price. After a while, you will have a fairly good understanding of the market prices and the general condition of these watches. Pay attention to the details, learn the distinguishing features of the watch you like, and see if they are correct for the time you want to buy. Even if you don’t have eyes like an eagle, it will be enough to have such information.
Many collectors share information about watches and brands they are passionate about on social media. You can go to the big watch forums on the internet and read other people’s experiences. Take advantage of a forum’s search functions before asking any questions; some questions have been asked and answered before. Make sure the questions you ask are very specific. If you’ve seen a watch you like, add a few pictures and clearly state the model name and, if possible, the reference number and the caliber inside. This will help experts answer correctly. In the end, make sure you don’t just remain a questioner, share your own experience as well.
3. Contact the Manufacturer
Watch brands have a rich archive of the products they have produced in the past. For some brands, you can ask to see some of the archives that have information about the year it was made, where it went, how many parts were made, how many calibers it has, and the reference number. Also, some brands have contact channels for your questions about vintage watches or movements. These brands get a lot of similar emails from collectors. So if you haven’t received any response within a certain period of time, you may want to send an email to ask again.
4. Get Help from a Watchmaker
Probably the best tip we can give you, besides educating yourself, is to find a watchmaker or someone who works for a big brand. Some watchmakers specialize in a particular brand or have strong knowledge of certain movements. You can get help to find out about the watch you are looking for or to show the watch you are considering buying. Also, feel free to ask about prices.
5. Find the Right Price
Price is the most interesting part of this business. Watches that look very similar can differ greatly. The foremost resource to assist with this will be the comparison of watch prices available on online sales platforms and retail stores. If there is a gap between the prices, the watch is either not what you really want (it is fake) or the person trying to sell it does not have enough information about the watch.
To avoid making an expensive mistake, make sure to pick the dependable option over the cheaper one. Ask about any warranties the seller can give you for the watch you are considering buying (such as a warranty on authenticity, repair, or spare parts). Of course, giving a two-year warranty on a 50-year-old watch often doesn’t make sense. Be realistic; at least agree on returning the watch if you are not satisfied. Also, know about the person you want to buy the watch from. Try to get information about the seller by meeting with the people he has sold to before.
You may want to bargain a little before buying the watch, but in some cases, this can have a bad effect. When talking about the price, be sure to consider the repair and service situation. The watch you want to buy is perhaps the most beautiful watch you have ever seen, but problems that seem small can become very big when you go to the service. So get a good deal and ask for after-sales support as well.
We hope the information we’ve compiled for you will help you make an informed decision when purchasing a vintage watch by removing any doubts from your mind. Using this information, you can make a successful purchase.
You can also review our website for the Best Watch Brands.
