Buying Vintage Watches! (Advice/Discussion)

Auction houses and Instagram.

Now that you are here, it’s like Hotel California. You’re in deep, congratulations on being a bit pregnant 😉

Agree with all the above. The sales forum here has some great watches on the regular, but they are all collectors, know what they have and price accordingly (there are some deals to be had when someone just wants it gone- gotta have cat-like reflexes to get those). If you want honesty and integrity- just shop here and get to know the sellers. eBay is for experienced pro’s who really know how to spot the gems and the basket cases.
Getting to know the signs of redials or poor polishing, mismatched hands or the wrong movement for a reference will help you in your hunting out in the world. Study hard grasshopper, it will be rewarded when you go out into battle.
And always remember- a sweet deal can look less so once you factor in the cost of servicing and replacement parts (which can run anywaywhere from $250-$1k for most watches depending on the watchmaker and parts availability). All watches need service unless the seller can provide you with an invoice of a recent service. Try to avoid potential “project” (aka money pits), as much as possible unless you have the skills and resources to do the work yourself.

If you want to make a (financially) good purchase, you'll need to trade in a place where you know more than the seller.

Seek out those places. Simple.

When your passing a antique store, pop in. Look what they have and ask if they have anymore.
Have found some good watches with a

“do you have anymore.“

Then

“Got a few out the back as we don’t put them all out”
or
“ I have a few more trays under here”
or
“These came in the other day and I haven’t priced them yet”

Holidays is another good one for me, usually the more remote antique shops that don’t get as many visits as a city store.

I picked this up on holidays once. Nothing like a Swiss watch for less than the price of a meal