Is Pre-owned for you?
Hi fellow Crunchers.
Do you mind buying a watch that has had a life before you?
When I first got into watches I was very much in the mindset of wanting new but as the years have gone by I’ve realised how silly that is and that there are bargains to be had in the pre-owned market.
I even buy and sell watches to put in a pot now to help fund my addiction……… sorry hobby!
And I have found so many bargains in the under £500 market that I feel it would be silly not too buy pre owned. If you look hard enough you can find watches in fantastic condition with only a few minor scratches on a clasp and still with their original boxes and leaflets. I’ve looked in places like Facebook marketplace, eBay, chrono24, gumtree, hell any site that sells stuff and for the under £500 watches they are all great places to look.
I would be more wary of watches over £1000 as you get in murky depths of fakes and frankensteins but you do have eBay and Chrono24 that help with authenticity guarantee’s!
As with anything you always need to be careful and ask lots of questions and make sure photos are clear showing everything, little video of it working etc.
But there are people who love buying pre-owned and love the bumps and scrapes they come with as for them it tells them a story about the watch. Me personally I can do without the bumps and scrapes, unless very minor and ideally on the bracelet or clasp.
But what about you guys? Do you buy preowned or not? And if you do what was your best find??
Been watch collecting for about 5 years now, don’t necessarily follow the masses with trends, tend like the older style watches as they seem to have a bit more style to them! You do get some gems in t...
Definitely buying used as well as new. I have a few used watches that I would not otherwise have found, or even have had an opportunity to buy.
Always try secondary market, but in perfect conditions, no bumps or scrapes.
Exclusively used for the last decade. Saved a fortune & enabled me to climb the ladder. I use eBay for over a £1000 & Facebook forums otherwise (mainly swaps).
It would be hard to buy a vintage watch without that prerequisite…
I have bought used watches in the past. I do much research in trying to know what is authentic and what is not for the watch in question.
I have bought used watches in the past. I do much research in trying to know what is authentic and what is not for the watch in question.
Best way to be!
I bought vintage on eBay a few years back. It wasn't for me. Seiko 5 and Fortis. Totally forgot about these watches 🤣 They're still working and automatically ticking away 🤙🏽
I reckon 75% of my watches have come from the preowned market. There's nothing smart about paying full price for something brand new when it loses 30% of its value the first time you wear it. My only brand new purchases were for sentimental reasons where the cost was no issue.
I don’t mind used or new.. some of my watches weren’t available new anymore
While I would prefer to purchase new I often fall in love with something no longer available. I’m careful who I purchase from and try to limit those purchases. In most cases it’s been a good experience.
Almost entirely preowned. I’ve saved thousands and have no problems if a watch isn’t new. I’ve done this dozens of times and not once regretted it
Aside from Casios, and other budget watches, I'm buying used. My SMP 300, Glycine Vacuum, and most of my Swiss watches have been bought second hand.
The majority of mine are pre-owned, sometimes they're no longer available as new. I always put on a new strap or put the bracelet through the ultrasonic bath.
I don't mind but depending on the value I'm paying and the brand (higher vs lower risk of fakes) I prefer to buy pre owned watches with a high level of former owner and origin traceability.
Absolutely! I think the best watch i have bought pre-owned was my Oris Aquis Clean Ocean which I bought on eBay. The funny thing is there was almost no YouTubes on the watch at the time but i found one on a small channel from an enthusiast and fell in love with the watch. As it turns out he was the one I bought it off on eBay! coincidence!
I love the pre-owned market because it is a kaleidoscopic selection of designs, periods and types. Adventure and more!
I definitely go pre-owned and do a bunch of research on the listing to make sure that if there’s any wear & tear on the watch that I can live with it (ie. if there’s scratches on a bracelet, it can be swapped out for something else, but scratches on the case is a different story).
There’s tons of good deals to be found on Chrono24, eBay, etc, and as long as you do your homework the buying experience is pretty much seamless. On the less common occurrence that I buy new, I hunt for good deals on the grey market or even Amazon. Again, doing research to make sure what I’m buying is from a reputable seller. I’ve had good experiences on eBay, Chrono24 and Jomashop, but your mileage may vary.
It’s all about doing your due diligence and making sure you’ve checked everything before pulling the trigger!
Another way of looking at less than pristine watches on Chrono or Ebay . . . you might be saving thousands of dollars even if you have to pay for service and polish just b/c the seller failed to do so.
I like buying used watches. Sometimes you get a real gem. Other times not so much. Just keep it in mind that you may need to fix a used watch at a cost of more than you paid for it. If you're not prepared to do that you should stay away from them.
Pre-owned whenever I can, new only if I have to. Just like with cars, I hate being the shlub who takes that initial hit of depreciation.
That being said, caveat emptor definitely applies. I got a great deal on a display model Longines late last year, but it had a broken mainspring. All covered under warranty, but I was without my new watch for over a month.
I’ve had a litany of truly excellent experiences buying from chrono24. Can recommend.
All my watches thus far have been bought used. It’s cheaper for me and I’m not picky. Plus you get cooler vintage pieces like Raketas or old Seikos you wouldn’t find at shops nearby
My rules for secondary watches:
Purchase from company that has authentication
Purchase preferably needs original box and original papers
Any nicks or scratches can only be on the sides
Zero damage on bezel or crystal
If a watch is over 10 yrs old, only purchase if recently serviced
The only time i would go pre-owned is if the watch was discontinued or massively less expensive than new. Otherwise i really prefer to be the only owner, it just feels like there is more of a connection that is formed.
Most of my luxury watches, vintage watches and some G-shock I bought used. It is a great way to buy brands that see most models drop in value such as Omega, Tudor, Breitling, and Grand Seiko. If I buy a luxury brand, though, it is from either eBay or Bezel. I need to make sure it is authentic.
I think if you buy preowned and there is no bumps and scrapes for me I can get past the whole it was someone’s else’s and enjoy it. I think if it had noticeable scrapes you saw every time you put it on you might be thinking. I didn’t put that there. The other guy did!
I agree. I think of "ownership" in terms of those (noticeable) dings and scratches that get accumulated over time from active wear. When there are no noticeable marks on the watch, then it is like a pair of shoes that haven't been broken in and I don't that person ever enjoyed or truly "owned" it (basically like when a dealer owns the watch) which means it's effectively new. If on other hand someone else puts scratches in the watch, unless the person is a close friend or relative, why would I care for that?
Agreed 👍🏻
F yay it is! Just scored a Longines 38.5mm small seconds from the master collection for $850 msrp is $2,500. I have many stories of scoring watches people didn’t know, understand, or just need to get out of the watch fast. If I like a watch I immediately scower used markets not just to find a deal, but also to see what the loss would be if I didn’t enjoy it anymore. But I’m a stickler it pretty much needs to be in almost new condition.
Always other than rare exception 👌