Jul 2019
There are many types of luxury watches on the current market. Vintage timepieces are incredibly popular today, sought after by both collectors and fans of brands alike, with many willing to go to great lengths to get the watch of their dreams.
If you’ve decided to splash your cash on a luxury watch, the last thing you’ll want to do is get a counterfeit or broken timepiece. While pre-worn watches can offer buyers the chance to own a statement piece at a fraction of the ‘new’ price, there are a few things to consider before you part with your money.
Be careful where you purchase:
It’s always recommended to buy from a recognised dealer or shop when it comes to luxury watches – pre-worn or new. Buying from online stores like eBay or gumtree could cause no end of problems when it comes to authenticity, faults and price.
But a watch isn’t just a functional accessory; it’s a very personal item than can hold fond memories so it’s essential to get your purchase right.
If the price seems too cheap, it probably is:
We all know how hard it is to find a bargain priced Rolex or Chopard watch. It’s a good idea to get an idea of the current market value and the price of new watches of your intended brand before you start your search.
A timepiece that seems considerably underpriced runs the risk of being either counterfeit, stolen or a ‘Frankenstein’ watch – that is, that is contains parts from other watches. If you then chanced the purchase and found it to be stolen or fake, you could have the watch seized or destroyed.
Look out for faults and scratches:
One fear factor when it comes to owning vintage watches is the condition. There is likely to be wear and tear due to the age and with age comes scratches and scrapes. But the condition is a major factor in how a watch will appreciate.
Check the service history:
A good indicator of the work your watch has undergone, it the service history. You can discover recurring issues that a watch has had as well as any modifications that it has had. A timepiece that has been tampered with or contains parts which are not the originals can lose significant value at re-sale.
Check the seller is offering a warranty:
Some sellers claim to have serviced a watch, but you need to be sure that whoever worked on it knew what they were doing and used genuine parts. Our time-served experts here at Luxe Watches offer a warranty with every watch sold, so you can be sure of its authenticity.
A genuine seller would be able to tell you where they purchased your pre-worn watch from. This means they could also run checks to ensure the watch was never stolen.
