I really like wearing watches and bought a couple previously for purely aesthetic purposes. Iām at the point now where I have some disposable income (from a success income in a start up ā¦ which is roughly why I feel this is ok to post on Freetrade) and found potentially a bit of a grail watch on Chrono24 that Iām being tempted by.
Iāve been looking for a good example for the last 6-8 months and found one which is used but in āgreat conditionā , is based in the UK (so I wouldnāt have to pay import duties) and it comes in the original box ā¦ but it doesnāt have original papers.
So, I guess my question is - given that this would be an Omega made in the mid 2000ās and probably around 2.5k in price. How important are the papers?
If you are looking to buy a vintage watch that you might potentially sell at some point in the future then as much āprovenanceā as possible in terms of receipts, service records, the original box/packaging, papers, etc. is pretty crucial. Watch collectors can afford to be a picky bunch and with so many fakes and badly restored watches floating around it pays to be cautious. If you can go for a quality well know respected luxury brand this always helps as people will always buy quality.
In an ideal world you would buy the watch through a reputable agent whom has properly authenticated it (inc. the internal mechanism, dial, etc.), from the first/original owner and it would come with everything as this shows that the watch has been looked after as well as its complete history. Itās also a good sign if the watch hasnāt needed to be restored at some point and that it still has all of its original parts. Collectors like their watches not to be messed around with and to be as they were when they originally left the factory.
I worked at a big well know auction house many years ago (not as a watch specialist) and so I got to spend a few years around the watch collectors, dealers, etc. Hence, I still have an idea of what the ātradeā looks for with these kinds of things.
In summary, āqualityā never goes out of fashion and be picky about what you buy as the condition and provenance/authentication really are key to it holding its value over time.
For future resell purposes Iād always want a box and papers. I would also personally only buy from aāreputableā source on say chrono24 such as a brick and mortar store getting rid of old or second hand stock
I Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove watches. Only got the one though. Bremont MBII OR. Bought it for myself for my 31st bday after my ex took back my Chanel J12 Diver
Iām a big watch fan but donāt have the savings to justify buying anything thatās extremely expensive. Agreed with the other comments thus far. Always look for original parts and papers, they will make it easier to selI later on / show its authenticity - there are a lot of fake watches online.
