Buying a Pre-Owned Luxury Watch

ACCESSORIES · GLOBAL

Buying a Pre-Owned Luxury Watch

Authentication, papers and service history, condition and where to buy

The pre-owned watch market is large, and the difference between a good purchase and an expensive mistake is documentation rather than appearance.

Full set, papers and box

A full set means the watch with its original box, warranty card and papers. It commands a premium and makes reselling considerably easier.

A watch without papers is not necessarily suspect and is harder to verify and worth less. Price should reflect that.

Service history

Mechanical watches need servicing every five years or so, and the cost is substantial. A recent service by the manufacturer or a recognised specialist, with a receipt, is worth real money.

Ask when it was last serviced and by whom. An unserviced watch of unknown history should be priced with a service in mind.

Authentication

Counterfeits have become sophisticated. Serial and reference numbers should match the papers and the model, and a specialist should verify the movement, which is where fakes still fail.

Buy from an established dealer offering their own warranty, or use an independent watchmaker to check before completing a private purchase.

Condition

Ask whether the case has been polished, since over-polishing rounds the sharp edges and reduces value permanently. Original unpolished condition is preferred by collectors.

Check the bracelet for stretch, the crystal for chips and the dial for damage or replaced parts.

Value

Most watches lose money. A small number of models hold or gain value, and buying on that basis is speculation. Buy something you want to wear.

Wearing and storing

An automatic watch needs regular wearing or winding to keep running, and a watch winder is convenient rather than necessary. Store watches away from magnets, speakers and laptop lids.

Rinse in fresh water after the sea and keep leather straps out of water entirely.

Selling one on

Keep the box, the papers and every service receipt together, since a full set sells considerably faster and for noticeably more. Photograph the serial number and keep that record separately from the watch.

Servicing

Mechanical watches need servicing every five years or so and the cost is substantial, frequently several hundred. Budget for it as part of ownership rather than as a surprise.

Water resistance depends on gaskets that perish with age, so have them pressure tested if you intend to swim with a watch.

Practical

Pay by a method offering protection, get everything in writing, and insure it — contents policies cap jewellery and watches low.

Check the water resistance gaskets have been pressure tested if you intend to swim with it.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop Pleasance and Harper Watches? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop Pleasance and Harper Watches — official site

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