Check these 7 things before buying a used watch
I’m not talking about the stickers
The Seller
I put it first, because this is probably the most important thing to check ! Always buy the seller first if you don’t want to lose your money. Scams are unfortunately not that rare in watch collecting. Google his email and name. Ask him for his references (he has probably already sold other watches). If you can’t buy the watch directly, ask for an uncommon picture of the watch (with the seller’s name next to it, with a journal, with a special date and time, etc..) to make sure that he didn’t steal the pictures from someone else.
Case and crystal
The case is one of the most important part of a watch. Too much polishing and it will lose value. An unpolished case, even with scratches and dings is better than a polished one. Be aware that today, it’s possible to refill the case with metal if it has been previously overpolished. It can be easily spotted if this refill is not uniform, but if it’s done properly you won’t see it.
Concerning the crystal, all vintage watches before the 80s have a plexiglass one. Light scratches are easily buffed out, but profound scratches or cracks require to change the glass. After the mid eighties, plexi began to be replaced by sapphire crystal. A scratch or ding can’t be buffed on this kind of glass.
Dial
Checking the dial ideally requires a small loupe. You can find good ones on ebay or amazon for around 15$. A 10X Loupe is enough, no need for more. With a LED, it’s even better. So what do you have to controle on the dial ?
Make sure that it’s not a fake: ask for high quality pictures of it, and then compare with gold standards. You have to take your time, and control every detail (size of the writing, spacing, position).
Then, you need to verify that there’s no scratch on it, that it is not redone (imperfect slobbery writing, lines not straight) or damaged by humidity (rust on the indexes, blisters). Check also the hands: if the lume was redone, it won’t be homogenous; if hands are repainted, the painting will be pasty.
Movement
This part can be tricky: movement is harder to access. So you have 3 choices, first the seller is a professional one with a good reputation, and you can trust him, secondly he can open the caseback and show it to you, and thirdly you go to a friendly watchmaker that will do it.
The movements are not the most counterfeited parts of a watch, because it’s really hard to copy an in house movement. At the opposite, on mid range watches, movements like ETA are easier to duplicate. In vintage watches, with common movements like valjoux 72, some parts with the brand name on it can be replaced by fake ones.
As I explained previously, always take a gold standard picture and compare every part of the movement with it, if you can’t ask an expert.
Papers and box
Accessories should not be forgotten. They may increase the value of a watch by more than 20%. But they don’t necessarily certify that your watch is 100% authentic. Unfortunately, they can also be fake. If you have to chose the most important accessory, it would be the original warranty. However, don’t miss a great watch because you don’t have the papers! It’s a plus, not an obligation.
Bracelet
Stainless steel, crocodile, nylon, sometimes a watch is sold with different bracelets. Original metal band is the best, but during the long life of a watch, it may be changed at some point. It’s not really a problem, it is easy to change if you want. Vintage bracelets can, however, be hard to find, and don’t forget that it can cost an important amount of money (up to 10 000 € if it’s in a precious metal )!
Price
Is the price important ? Noooo ! Well maybe a bit ! The price should reflect all the elements I described earlier, a new old stock watch with full set may be twice as expensive as a used watch without its stainless steel bracelet.
Go on Chrono24, Ebay, and compare carefully. Don’t forget one thing or you’ll regret it !
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