Ladies 2nd hand watches

This pile looks a lot like what I see in my local secondhand market. Ever since telling people that I'm getting into watch repair, I haven't been lacking for free ladies quartzes, inevitably powered by a Seiko PC21 or something even cheaper.

You can certainly see gender disparities everywhere in the market... I like to point out that Chrono24 offers two search options, "womens" and "unisex". Ouch!

I think women are more comfortable acknowledging that watches are fashion accessories - wearing them is just part of the social contract (which is much stricter for one sex). Conversely most men have managed to delude themselves into thinking that their frivolous watch purposes are based on utility. (Obviously, they're wrong, but male obstinacy will probably keep mechanical watches alive to the end of the 21st century.)

The male collector will rarely admit to "shopping"... it's all about his "Journey". This seems to justify higher price points and a collection of boring watches that don't accessorize well. I think the aversion to shopping is the most likely explanation for why men rarely own a large pile of ultra-affordables.

Maybe due to impulsive spending? When they walk into a new watch dealer, they might buy a watch on the spot. Later when they sell their watches, they will create more supplies on the secondary market.

Whereas, for guys like me. I would do my research. Find out all the specs of the watch. And at the end I pull the trigger. Often, I buy used watches. So guys like me create demand for the secondary market. Bringing the secondary prices up.

I am not quite on board on that. Before I collected watches, a watch was a useful accessory to me, but I did not afford much research before buying one either. I went to the watch shop with the intention to get a watch, and got one there and then. In a way an impulsive buy, but perhaps more a different attitude towards the thing. I think most normies have a similar relationship to watch-owning.

But I get that there is a type of watch collector that is more likely to be male. The type who curates their collection, by brand, watch type, movement etc. The type who may create a database of their collection, with information about movement, lugwith, case material, crystal, when bought etc. The type who records timegrapher performance, regulates for accuracy, etc. In other words, the type of collector for whom their watches is more than a pile of shiny things. The type who may have other collecting obsessions of coins, motorcycles, beermats, cameras, guitars, etc.

I'll add a few more possibilities that may get me in trouble.

• Untested because a woman is much less likely than a man (who are probably generally unlikely) to have the knowledge/confidence or tools to open a case back. Never mind that a butter knife or fingernail will often suffice. This stuff intimidates some.

• Women live longer. I guess this leads to more accumulation, but also a delay in getting the "granny died" segment to market.

• Women's watches often bought by men. This means unwanted gifts as well as the lower demand in the used market.

Based on my interactions with the fairer sex, they are massive consumers and have absolutely no interest in repair, maintenance, or anything but buying new stuff. You know, in general. Exceptions may exist. I just haven't met them.

Also, as bad as the big watch thing has afflicted men, I'd assume the case size inflation as a percentage of diameter has hit women even harder. Coincidentally I have a watch of my mother's in my posession for battery change. The dial is smaller than a jelly bean. I found it hard to read. Her vision is worse than mine, so I don't know why I'm bothering.

For some reason there is at least one exception. I really need a 3/8" ribbon band and clasp for a 1920's woman's watch. I could stitch on a new ribbon, it's the clasp I need, which is two little bits of metal that snap together. The damned things are rare to come to market and tend to start at $100. If anyone has a goldtone set, message me.

Agreed

I also politely disagree that women are impulsively buying watches at faster rates, as the watch world has been and remains a male domain.

I’m wondering how much of this phenomenon is that men will pass down watches to their sons as a method of legacy.

I don’t believe this is as common between mothers and daughters, or fathers and daughters, for that matter (unfortunately). 🤔 Leaving many ladies watches unclaimed or unwanted.

Opinion of a watch lady:

For a very long time, women's watches have SUCKED. They're small, quartz, rose gold, bejeweled evening wear that were often gifts. Many of them over priced for what they are

If you look at the Rolex Lady Datejust market, you'll see women's watches that actually held value. Same holds true if you look at Cartier.

The watch market for women is a huge untapped market that has so far been taken by Rolex, Cartier, and absolute garbage. Don't blame the women for the fact that we've been offered and gifted absolute garbage for fifty years.

If you post or message me a picture of the ribbon and clasp type you're seeking I'll search through my parts bins and If I have it I will just send it to you gratis.

Telling that you left out mothers and sons - quite a few of those made-for-women watches are nigh male-unwearable, the hyper-feminine-style aside the bracelets would simply not fit an average male wrist. These would be lesser issues for father-to-daughter handovers.

This is a fair point, applying more though to higher value watches. At the lower end, passing on your Seconda or Timex to the next generation is less a thing, either way. And I'm seeing the discrepancy of depreciation especially at that end, so there's more going on.

I‘m dying laughing…

I'll let women (as a whole) off not quite that easily. Yes, I have noticed the awfulness of many of those watches too, but these were once bought and worn. I see these still being worn, but almost exclusively by elderly ladies - which indicates a change of fashion. In other words, modern women disliking those vintage styles, fashion has moved on. The bejellewed stuff has not gone away completely, these are still a substantial portion of what amazon sells (on AliExpress it's even worse), but the tiny ones with 1cm dials or so have died off.

Yes, unwanted gifts account for a portion of the garbage, but surely the majority of these were bought by women in the past.

On a small note, I rarely see rose gold (colour) in those vintage watch listings on ebay (ladies or gents) - yellow gold watches are aplenty though. Rose gold seems a much more recent trend.

I'm renovating at the moment and ironically, a spare room that my great aunt stayed in when she visited was left untouched (she passed away in there at 98 about 15 years ago...lived looong happy life). She has daughters and sons and I found 2 of her most worn watches. I thought to myself, how come no one laid claim to these and I think I know why.

My opinion: Growing boys are raised to be keen and responsible with time, as such, your dad wore a watch and dad was normally a stickler for time (exceptions ofc to every rule.) As such, a watch was an integral part of a young man's attire simply for what it represents. A father or grandfather passing on a watch to his son or grandson remained a tradition through time. Young ladies on the other hand, everything they wore was regarded as jewellery and unfortunately watches tend to get caught in that category a lot, so a ring or necklace would be passed down instead. Fast forward to more recent years, last 2 decades, I think the market for women's watches has been more saturated by fashion pieces more than reliable and long lasting that'd be passed through generations (again with exceptions ofc). Needless to say at the more affordable end of the spectrum, a woman's watch, a proper one didn't really exist. As a collector, I think men can dabble with wearing the women sizes, however, a better option I think as Men, we should just strive to share and include more women and educate them on quality and durable long lasting pieces.

I'm a relatively young father and my eldest daughter is 13 yrs old, I'm slowly brainwashing her into this terrible hobby as we speak, she's insisting her first "real" watch should be a Cartier tank (HELP...ME!) but my 30+ yr old seiko 5 will be her first automatic I think, and when she's starting college we can see about that Cartier.

One of the watches I found in a side table. Really wish it could fit me.

Wow... Just.... Wow! I've been searching for a strap for a RADO my grand aunt left for years now! Or at least a way to replace the one that's on here now so I can give it to my wife to be.

Totally agree, we should really be holding watch makers accountable. Honestly, women's watches were rubbish for the majority and for the money. Unless you shopped high horology you weren't going to find gems like men had.

Sorry mate, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I found it hilarious that someone else is also re-using supermarket food packaging to store watch straps & accessoirs. For your RADO watch strap replacement: maybe take a normal strap you like and ask a shoemaker or tailor to help you. Or a watchmaker, obviously.

Maybe this is what you're looking for: https://www.mastersintime.com/rado-diamaster-black-leather-strap-07-08745-10.htm

My wife has several watches that I have bought her that she doesn't wear. I think that @seattlegirrlie is on to something. Some of these watches are frankly not that great, or reflect what I find interesting, not her. Only a few are worthy of passing down.

There is a paralegal in my office who wears a pearl dial Datejust everyday. Until I showed her how to set it a few weeks ago she had only worn it as ornament.

If I live long enough I may figure out what this all means.

There is a paralegal in my office who wears a pearl dial Datejust everyday. Until I showed her how to set it a few weeks ago she had only worn it as ornament.

This was a gift. I cannot bring myself to get rid of it because it was a gift, but I never wore it. It was inaccurate, the clasp wouldn't stay shut. The watch I'd bought for myself was a g-shock square and I'll never understand what made him think I'd want a mother of pearl piece of crap

I'd say in the grand scheme of things this is not too bad - the dial is broadly in line what you'd get in a tank. Mother of pearl dials - even I own a watch with one, and compared to some ladies watch monstrosities I've seen this dial is tastefully done.

The worst part of it is undoubtedly the bracelet, not just because it is badly built, but super-narrow and looking uncomfortable, and rather difficult to replace. But difficult is not impossible, and there are quite a few watches connecting the band to the case that way.

Hard to tell how small that is - sometimes ladies watches are just too tiny. But if the size is OK, I'd try to find a leather band (perhaps one like these?) to dress this down and make it wearable and a better fit to your personality.

Take my word for it, it's absolute garbage. The clasp never wanted to stay shut, it kept horrible time, in person it's clearly made of cheap stuff.

It's also girl tiny and all mother of pearl.

Some people with great hearts aren't great at gift giving while others intend a quid pro quo and yet others are just lazy. Hope the Relic was the first scenario. I rarely advise a watch as a gift for someone however your gallery reveals some gorgeous alternatives. Keep being true to yourself!

OK I believe you. Just found the model on ebay - sells for a fiver.

1cm lugwidth gives me some idea how tiny that is...

I try to get my wife things that she will actually wear. So far, of the two watches I have bought for her, she loves wearing both: Stuhrling Original Depthmaster, and Invicta Angel Chronograph. (Pictured below):

But the reason I got her these is because she often said to me that she liked the way my watches looked, and that she wished she had the ladies' versions so that we could be "matchy-matchy" (her term) when we go out together.

So, armed with this knowledge, I got her the two watches above, which resemble some of my watches, pictured below:

I am all about the legacy aspect of this hobby; it was always my intention to pass on my watch collection to my son. However, after buying a couple of watches as gifts for my wife (see my comment above) I realized that I wanted to be able to give watches as gifts to both my children (my son AND my daughter) while I am alive, so that my whole family will have a collection of watches that they love to wear, and which they will treasure because of their memories of me. My son already has a job, and spends most of his money on watches, and on fishing gear. But he has told me that his favorite watch is the "Green Machine," our pet name for the Invicta Pro Diver that I bought for myself, originally, and then decided to give it to him. Conversely, I bought my daughter an Invicta dive watch as well, and even though the thing looks like a pie pan on her wrist, she adores it and wears it all the time. She likes its "bling factor." She had to take out 4 links for it to fit her! 🤣 We're a watch collecting family, and I am the one who actually has the least watches! LOL 🤣 I have 8 watches, my daughter is tied with me at 8, my wife has 11, and my son has 13. (Unless he's purchased another one without my knowing!) 🤣 Interesting fact: my wife has about 4 watches in her collection that she doesn't wear anymore, because she doesn't like the "fashion aspect;" she has told me once before, "They used to be trendy, back in the 90's when I got them, but now they look gaudy and horrible."

Below is a picture of the watches that I mentioned, left to right, the "Green Machine," and the "Bling Machine." LOL 🤣

My wife doesn't ask for much but will reliably express her preference which makes it way easier for me. Here she is leaving the house this morning with her favorite car, sunglasses and watch. Happy wife, happy life.

YOU ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT MAN! Thank you for that link, really helped me out there. I tried reaching out to a shoemaker but to no avail. It's more on the pricey side this strap but might turn out to be a very necessary purchase.