EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
BUYING A VINTAGE WATCH
Robb Report, Eric Wind
As prices for vintage watches have skyrocketed in recent years, new and more sophisticated forms of restoration
have evolved. Not surprisingly, the market can be difficult for emerging collectors to understand. After all, it’s
likely that no one anticipated that these little mechanical wrist-worn objects would potentially be worth the
thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions they are today when they were initially produced. As a
result, how watches have been cared for – including the cleaning of dials, polishing of cases, and reapplication of
luminous material or “lume” to dials and hands – can have a drastic effect on value today.
When it comes to bezels, watches such as the Rolex Submariner
and GMT Master have graduated rings that turn, helping a diver
track time underwater or a pilot monitor 24-hour time in another
time zone. Given that the aluminum bezel inserts would often fade
or scratch with wearing, it was common for Rolex to replace them
during a service, but the originality of these parts is important to
collectors, and in some cases, such as 1950s Submariners, that
original bezel insert can be worth more than $30,000.
Two-tone Rolex Submariner
The movement of the engine that powers the
watch, can at times become so worn or damaged
from water and rust that watchmakers have to
replace the whole thing For brands where there is an extract (or certificate of authentication) from the archives,
such as Patek Philippe, a movement with a serial number that doesn’t match the case serial number will make the
watch harder to sell, if that’s your intention.
Rolex GMT Master
Look out, too, for polishing. Watchmakers often polished old cases (and some still do) to make them look shiny
and new, but most collectors love the authentic, aged look. Beyond the aesthetics, another downside is that the
process removes metal from the cases and causes them to lose the beautiful edges many had at the time of
production, such as the chamfered edges that Rolex Submariners and GMT-Masters had in the 1950s and 1960s.
A watch with an unpolished case can be worth multiple times what the same watch is worth with a polished one.
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