A Guide for Beginners – 4 Quick Tips Before Buying Vintage Watches

I would like to share some tips with you before buying a vintage watch!

1. Choose the brand and the price range!

It’s always important to choose the watch brand and the targeted price range at first. If you decided what kind of watch and how much money you could spend on it, it will make your work easier. After that you can do a research. And always do a research!

Always read reviews about the chosen watch! There are a lot of people on the internet making reviews about different watches to help you!

If you did the research you can immediately notice the bad offers. If the watch’s price is too high or too low compared to the usual price there could be some tricks and you shouldn’t choose those watches. Actually you can find great watches for a low price at the flea markets, but that’s another story!

2. Check the movement!

Doesn’t matter if you are buying a watch through the internet or in person, you should always check the movement! This is the heart of the watch and it always tells the lies!

After seeing it you can tell if it’s a fake watch or an original one. Always check it on the internet as well, search for movement pictures for a similar watch or ask someone who is more experienced than you. Make sure if the movement matches the reference numbers and this is the right movement for the right watch.

There are different forums on the web where you can ask for some help. ( You can do it here as well)

3. Is it working?

A really important question. Does the watch actually work? Always ask this question and check it by yourself as well. If you are buying online ask for some videos. Ask if it works correctly. This question is also serious , maybe the watch works, but it doesn’t keep the time or some functions are not working.  Or it just stops after a decent time.

If the seller is not so experienced he/she could say a yes to your question even if it’s a big no. So always be careful!

4. The condition

Always ask the question: “Are all the parts original to the piece as well?” Maybe some parts were replaced, the watch has a new dial or the seller changed the crystal because it was scratched.

These things are quite usual nowadays, it is important to find out! Make sure if these parts are original as well, and stay away from the “Franken watches”

I hope these quick tips would help you before you make your next vintage watch purchase!

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