Help with understanding vintage watch valuation

watch7seeker · Jan 10, 2022

Hello! Happy New Year to you! I am very new to vintage watches and I want to understand how vintage watches are valued. Here are two examples:

watch1: https://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-omega-seamaster-ref-2846.140659/
watch2: https://omegaforums.net/threads/ide...-is-a-genuine-omega-268-and-its-value.140360/

Both watches are, roughly, from the same era (1956 and 1960). watch1 is automatic and watch2 is a manual wind watch. There are a few other differences like gold vs ss plating, sub-seconds vs center seconds, seamaster vs non-seamaster, etc. watch1 is considered a steal at $450 and watch2 is valued, at best, at $250.

Can you please help me understand the considerable difference in the valuations? TIA!

cristos71 · Jan 10, 2022

Like any common antique or vintage collectable ( ie something generally old that is traded, be it regularly or irregularly), there will be a broad value, based on numerous factors.

These factors can be, amongst others: originality, attractiveness, condition, rarity, desirability, material, past realised price, whether or not it is in or out of vogue, etc, etc.

Having an understanding of the vintage watch market as a whole will give you an idea as to the price make up of those two watches and I'll give you a couple of clues to start with...

Regarding the 268: gold plate is always the least desirable material

Regarding the 2846: the watch dial and it's condition can be anything from 40-60% of the value of a watch.

Good luck with your further research!

Canuck · Jan 10, 2022

An appraisal on a commodity that regularly trades in quantity in a certain area, is easy. A gallon of gas, for example. Expressing a value of an item that rarely (or never has) traded in your area is trickier. An item that is offered for sale is subjected to two appraisals of its worth. The appraisal of the person who might sell, and and the appraisal of the person who might buy. A sale may transpire at a value somewhere between the offering price, and the asking price. That is the appraised price! But it only happens when a sale takes place.

Dan S · Jan 10, 2022

Gold-plated watches are a lower-level category unto themselves. They were not really made to last and are generally not desirable to collectors. Gold-capped is a different story.

SkunkPrince · Jan 10, 2022

I think I would put gold fill roughly between plate and cap?

ConElPueblo · Jan 10, 2022

There are a lot of issues, most of them mentioned above. Consider also that some references are more popular than others and also that everything else being equal, a watch with a model name ("Seamaster") will almost invariably be more attractive than the same watch without the name.

The two watches are a bit "apples and pears", but I would suggest that if the photos were better and a suitable advert text was written and then posted in the right sales place, your watch could bring more than $250.

Help with understanding vintage watch valuation

watch7seeker

cristos71

Canuck

Dan S

SkunkPrince

ConElPueblo

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