Where To Buy Vintage Watches

Part of being a watch collector is hunting for watches. Even if you are fabulously wealthy and can afford to pay people to track down hard-to-find watches for you, so much of the experience of collecting is lost in not discovering and searching for timepieces yourself. Watch collectors are increasingly aware that Japan is a very good place to find pre-owned modern and vintage timepieces, but actually acquiring said watches from Japan is a less-than-user-friendly experience (for the most part).

where to buy vintage watches

When it comes to watches, there are undoubtedly thousands of options to choose from, and depending on your budget, you could go from a dollar store timepiece to a hundred-thousand-dollar investment watch. And depending on your style, really, the world is your oyster when it comes to choice.

If you contrast that with today, casual clothing is much more present. Designs have become less considered and are more sporty, so people turn to vintage watches as a way to elevate a casual look or to add a touch of authenticity to formal attire.

In recent years, modern watches have followed a lot of trends; one of them being really chunky, oversized watches. I think a watch somewhere between 39, 40, and 42 millimeters looks really good. 46, 47 is really big.

Take Jack on our team; he has an entire collection of vintage watches in different metals with different looks that really suit every one of his outfits, and he picked them up for a really great price. He only has a few that are big names with an Omega and a Cartier, but other ones from smaller brands that no longer exist.

Also, look into the retailer with a similar level of curiosity. How often do they sell vintage watches? Are they reputable? Do they have strikes against their better business profile? If you call them up, do they actually have knowledgeable answers about the product?

Oftentimes, the dealer who sells the watch to you can recommend someone or they might even have their own watch service program. I know that this is the case with our friends over at Delray. They have a watch service program, so you can buy a vintage watch from them and have it serviced from them.

The cost of time plus the cost of the watch might not leave you with a whole lot of profit in the long run. Plus, no one knows what the vintage watch market is going to do long term. Many vintage watches will come with a little bit of upfront cost, so just popping it out of the box and putting it on your wrist might not always be the case.

I used to be able to get my vintage watches serviced for around $50. Those days are GONE! So, you might find a deal on a running vintage watch but when it needs servicing, and it will, the cost of that is often more than you paid for the watch.So, buy locally from someone who will guarantee it and also service it at a decent price when it needs it.

Whether you are a very knowledgeable collector, or aspire to buy your first Vintage Cartier watch, or Vintage Rolex watch, or any pre-owned luxury watch, Ken is happy to assist you in buying a used watch, and his experienced and knowledgeable staff will educate you to help you select a vintage watch that is right for you.

Wanna Buy A Watch? specializes in the finest Swiss and American vintage watches. Swiss brands include Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Breitling, Vacheron & Constantin, Jaeger Lecoultre, Audemars Piguet, Movado, Omega, Eterna, Favre Leuba, Tissot, Longines, IWC, Tudor and many others. American brands include Waltham, Hamilton, Lord Elgin, Bulova, Benrus, Illinois, and Gruen. We have one of the largest inventories of vintage Rolex and Tudor collectible watches, including Rolex Daytona, Rolex Submariner, Rolex Explorer, Rolex Milgauss, Rolex Paul Newman, Tudor Submariner, Tudor Monte Carlo. We feature a vast selection of the most distinctive vintage watches fully restored and guaranteed to give you excellent service and piece of mind.

However, things are set to change. With online shopping being a common occurrence, the watch world is slowly joining in. This is particularly evident in watch giant Richemont Group acquiring Watchfinder & Co. last year, an online retailer of pre-owned luxury watches.

Better still, plenty of companies are doing the hard work for you, certifying and carefully inspecting these watches, along with providing proper paperwork and specifications along the way. All you need to do is shop accordingly.

I don't think I can remember a time in my life when watches weren't in my life. I've been writing about watches online for a handful of years now, enjoying every moment of it. I'm passionate about experiencing the world of watches and translating those experiences via articles and images for the wider audience to consume.

The most important aspect to buying a vintage watch online is self-education. If you are just getting started in the process of watch shopping, surf the web in a general manner first just to find some watches where the aesthetic appeals to you. Then do your homework on those brands and styles. If you already know the brand and even the watch model you want, then you have probably already done your investigations and are familiar with the nuances of the collection. This is always the best place to start because you can never have too much information.

Large brick-and-mortar retailers who have an online e-commerce site for their second-hand collections. Generally, these stores, such as a Tourneau, Bucherer, and the like, inspect the vintage and pre-owned watches they buy and often offer a certification with them.

Because of the incredible uptick in the idea of buying vintage watches online, this area of the watch world is regularly shifting and growing. For instance, Hodinkee (a watch site for all things horology from a blog to creating its own collections with partner brands, its own watch accessories, and its own insurance program) sells vintage watches on its site. However, recognizing that this was not their specialty, the company reached out and acquired one of the largest and most reputable sellers of vintage watches: Crown & Caliber. Crown & Caliber has its own watchmaking department where watches are inspected when they come in and checked for authenticity.

A vintage watch can be a very broad term. If you look it up online, you can find lots of vintage watches from various brands at different prices. Know what you would like to focus on so you can plan for it and set a budget.

How many watches are you planning to buy? Are you trying to start a vintage watch collection? Or do you just want to invest in one good quality, luxury brand? There are lots of options for vintage watches with lots of brands to choose from. Prioritize the type of watch you need and its features based on your personal preferences, lifestyle, and budget.

Finding a brand for a vintage watch can be overwhelming. There are numerous labels available in the market. Every brand caters to an ideal customer profile. Their brand story, logo, and design are all focused on a specific target market.

Finding a competent watchmaker is also a crucial part if you want to start owning and collecting vintage watches. Vintage watches are delicate and need proper maintenance. Should anything go wrong, a good watchmaker will be able to fix and repair it.

Every watchmaker has their expertise. Some like to restore vintage timepieces, while others prefer to work on modern high-end watches. It is important to find a licensed watchmaker that is capable of ordering new parts from watch manufacturers.

For some vintage watch brands like Universal Geneve and Pierce, some parts and movements are very hard and nearly impossible to find. Your watchmaker must have a large stock of parts for these movements or at least have a wide network to be able to source them.

If you plan on purchasing your first vintage watch, it would be best to get it from a trustworthy dealer. eBay might seem like a good place that offers plenty of options, but it is also filled with fake and unauthentic watches.

A good watch dealer provides more reliable services. You can get a warranty, or you can return the watch for a repair or a refund if something goes wrong within the specified period. It might cost you more but it will guarantee that the vintage watch will be genuine.

You can also find reliable sellers in watch forums and communities. Experienced collectors may be able to help you find something and give you more information about your preferred watch. Most of them also have watches for sale.

Check for any plating loss. This usually happens to gold plated or chrome plated watches. Although, it highly depends on the watch itself. There are still good chrome or gold plated watches out there.

Ideally, the lume of the watch should be the original one from the manufacturer. Look at the color to find out if it has been re-serviced or try exposing it to UV light. If it appears to be too clean and glows brightly, it is likely a relumed watch. An untouched vintage watch should have a naturally faded luminescence.

If you have a watch that you bought new many years ago or a vintage watch that you inherited and want to sell, we would love to talk to you about buying it. We have a number of exclusive clients who would chersish the watch and give it a new home.

If you have a good condition vintage watch that you have decided you want to sell, we would be very interested to hear from you. We are always looking to buy nice watches by Rolex, Tudor, Omega, Heuer, Longines, Eberhard and other well know Swiss watch brands.

We love vintage watches and would love to hear from you if you want to sell your Rolex Submariner, Rolex GMT Master, Rolex Explorer, Rolex Daytona, Rolex Datejust, Rolex Oyster, Omega Speedmaster, Omega Seamaster and other fine quality vintage watches.

*The 20% discount applies to one transaction only and may only be redeemed against products in our Lifestyle shop and does not include any vintage products, watches or guitars. 041b061a72