I'm a fairly new vintage watch collector and I've yet to venture beyond Omega and Movado, but my wife recently purchased this Lecoultre from my watch dealer for our anniversary. At first I was concerned a little that she may have paid too much, but I'm having trouble finding many out there that appear to be this old, or in stainless steel. The size is fairly small compared to others I own, but the movement is beautiful and the dial is in great shape with even patina. I didn't think I would like the "bumper" motion, but it's actually quite satisfying to wear. I would love any feedback from this forum - you are all unbelievably knowledgeable! I'm not sure if this is breaking any rules but she paid around $1300 I think. Thank you all in advance!
You quickly confirmed my fears! I haven't seen one this clean that hadn't been refinished. I'm going to give the dealer one hell of an earful later...
I'm not seasoned enough to comment on the dial but even if it was original I've seen examples of similar variety sell for $300-$400 less, albeit those were mostly forum or ebay sales.
In this instance, the quality (or lack thereof) of the signature was a dead giveaway. On another note, the dealer may not have known.
Okay, I will definitely give him the benefit of the doubt. He's been dealing in vintage and antique watches for 25 years, so we'll see what he has to say. He has such an extensive inventory that I'm hoping I will be able to keep working with him. There aren't many options in Denver.
Or may have been dishonest. If the OP's wife had been told that the dial has been restored, but it is still original, she'd have to be reasonably savvy to translate that into "value has been degraded considerably. "Clean" isn't what you are looking for. A watch can have a beautiful, even patina whilst still being original. I have seen more than a few great examples of this reference to know it to be true. I have an original LeCoultre of similar age that is absolutely stunning, and so have a more than a few other members here.
"Clean" isn't what you are looking for. A watch can have a beautiful, even patina whilst still being original. I have seen more than a few great examples of this reference to know it to be true. I have an original LeCoultre of similar age that is absolutely stunning, and so have a more than a few other members here.[/QUOTE] I completely agree! The Omega that's in my picture has an uneven patina that was probably helped along by some moisture, but for some reason I'm obsessed with it. I happily wear that watch all the time! Thanks so much for all of your help! I'm at the point where I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. Apparently I have found a new addiction...
The redial doesn't look so good to my eyes, hope he at least pointed that out to your wife. A great gift idea from the wife though!
These aren't rare watches - here are two good examples that were sold on OF last year: https://omegaforums.net/threads/reduced-lecoultre-powermatic-us-version-jaeger-lecoultre.48108/ https://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-lecoultre-power-reserve-bumper.37711/ Good luck in your hunt!
If my wife ever hints at gifting me a vintage one that interests me, she'll mysteriously have the OF sales page pre-loaded on her computer...
The dealer didn't mention the redial - but I'll discuss with him tomorrow. My wife was smart enough to ensure that I could come choose another watch (or two) at the same total value. She is absolutely the best - she just had a baby and she's out buying me watches!
I'm not one to dismiss people outright, but I would be very weary of any watch the dealer is selling if they fail to disclose an apparent redial to an unsuspecting customer, especially if he's been in business long enough to know better. Hope you got her something excellent for the anniversary as well, you got a baby and a watch!
I'm going to give him one chance to explain himself and then we'll go from there. If he ends up making it right with a watch or two legitimately valued at what my wife spent, then I will go back to him - but I will never buy anything from him without posting it here first. I will probably never buy anything from anyone without posting it here first! I gave my wife a right hand ring she's had her eye on for some time. I thought I went over the top until she told me what she had done!
Great idea! We will be glad to 'vet' whatever strikes your eye, but you can always take a few 'stabs' at doing your own critique within your thread, and we can tell ya if you're on the right track! It's how I learned a few years ago when I was in your shoes... Always better to 'vet' before ya buy, to avoid the n00b tax... Welcome to the Forum!
It's unreal how much is out there that has been tampered with or refinished. At the moment, it seems there are more Frankensteins than genuine articles! Over the past week, I have learned more from this Forum than every other resource I've been using for a year. I'm hoping I can still work things out, but it seems my wife may have inadvertently paid the n00b tax! Never again!