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RuGaFe
·I suggest you stick to your day job.
Learning the Grey Market Trade
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BlackTalon
··This Space for RentJomashop is one of the ultimate grey market dealers -- for watches as well as other luxury goods. Look around on their website for contact info and see about becoming a sales associate. They are likely largely remote workers.
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RuGaFe
·Jomashop is one of the ultimate grey market dealers -- for watches as well as other luxury goods. Look around on their website for contact info and see about becoming a sales associate. They are likely largely remote workers.
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Dan S
·I have already reached out to a dealer in the San Diego area, where I'm located, but it was not successful. He was very polite but basically decliened to mentor me.
As already mentioned, why would an experienced dealer voluntarily spend their time and energy to teach you about watches, and how to buy and sell. They don't need your help since you don't bring anything useful to the table that they need. If you put yourself in the shoes of the dealer, you may have more success. They would be more interested in someone who already had some knowledge about watches and the industry.
I just have this genuine interested in watches and I would like to make it more real in a situation, like a side hobby, where I buy and sell nice pieces. That way I have a chance to have a variety of tiempieces in my hands that I would not have otherwise.
More than the issue of buying and selling, this means that you will have to become an expert in high-end watches. This is not something that happens overnight, even if someone volunteers to "mentor" you. Knowledge like that is hard-won, not everything can be spoon-fed to you, unfortunately. I think you are underestimating the effort that will be involved for you to develop the necessary expertise. Pick a relatively small number of brands so that you can specialize. Start studying by reading books, articles, blog posts, etc. Participate regularly in forums where experts share their knowledge. Develop a network of collectors, most of them buy and sell occasionally. Watch all of the major auctions and keep careful records. Start adding a few watches to your collection here and there, and see if you can sell them later without taking too much of a loss. If you spend 20 hours per week and take it seriously, I think you will have developed a fair amount of expertise within about 5 years.
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STANDY
··schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collectorSo just to get a better idea….
Name a few watches that take your fancy. ?
New or vintage enthusiasm. ?
How many hours a week have you to spare for this venture. ?
Name a few watches that take your fancy. ?
New or vintage enthusiasm. ?
How many hours a week have you to spare for this venture. ?
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RuGaFe
·Frankly, I think that you would learn a lot more by joining and participating on internet forums just like this one. Many OF members are seasoned collectors who know everything that there is to know about Omega and, in many cases, other brands as well. Many members also buy and sell watches regularly and are very generous about sharing their knowledge.
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dennisthemenace
·That is a very good point. I have already jointed the Rolex Forums website too to start acquiring that knowledge. Do you know of similar websites for AP and Vacheron? Those other two brands I think are amazing in their history, especially Vacheron, but I know very little of about their watches. Thanks again.
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RuGaFe
·So just to get a better idea….
Name a few watches that take your fancy. ?
New or vintage enthusiasm. ?
How many hours a week have you to spare for this venture. ?
Omega Speedmaster MK40 "Schumacher," Ref. 3520.53.00. I like this watch because I grew up seeing my father wearing it and he handed it down to me about four years ago or so. I love the dail colours. The watch is all original as my dad and now me have been the sole owners. The color contrast between the hands and the dial is just stunning.
Rolex Submariner, Ref. 1680, the Red Sub. I think it's the only vintage Rolex I really like. I believe Rolex introduced a big change in the movement of the Submariner with this iteration and it was the first Submariner with a date complication. For some reason I love the old vibe with the acrylic cryistal too. I love the red lettering on the dail clearly labeling the watch as a submariner. It was produced up to 1975, my birth year. This is one of my grail watches. I seem to remember that Rolex then stopped producing submariners with the red lettering after 1975.
Rolex Day-Date. Ref. 118205, in rose gold. I like it because it does not sport he typical presidential bracelet and it is a most sporty looking Day-Date. I also like the fact that it is a rosegold watch because the majority of Day-Dates are primarily done in 18k gold.
Those are the ones that come to mind. I've recently started diving into AP and Vacheron. I've also seen Richard Mille, and they are very hot in the market. However, they look ugly to me and that brand will come after I have learn more about the former two.
As to your question regarding hours a week, I'm literally reading about watches in my spare time. I've been doing this for the past several months in a more dedicated, focus manner. It's very enjoyable and information sticks, which is great.
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Nobel Prize
·Rolex Yatch Master, Ref. 16622 Rolesium. I like this particular watch for the innovative combination of platinum and stainless steel. I believe is the only Rolex watch that has that amalgamation of metals. I really want to get my hands on one. I just love the "rugged" feel of the dial with the blue second hand. It's just a beautiful combination in my opinion.
Omega Speedmaster MK40 "Schumacher," Ref. 3520.53.00. I like this watch because I grew up seeing my father wearing it and he handed it down to me about four years ago or so. I love the dail colours. The watch is all original as my dad and now me have been the sole owners. The color contrast between the hands and the dial is just stunning.
Rolex Submariner, Ref. 1680, the Red Sub. I think it's the only vintage Rolex I really like. I believe Rolex introduced a big change in the movement of the Submariner with this iteration and it was the first Submariner with a date complication. For some reason I love the old vibe with the acrylic cryistal too. I love the red lettering on the dail clearly labeling the watch as a submariner. It was produced up to 1975, my birth year. This is one of my grail watches. I seem to remember that Rolex then stopped producing submariners with the red lettering after 1975.
Rolex Day-Date. Ref. 118205, in rose gold. I like it because it does not sport he typical presidential bracelet and it is a most sporty looking Day-Date. I also like the fact that it is a rosegold watch because the majority of Day-Dates are primarily done in 18k gold.
Those are the ones that come to mind. I've recently started diving into AP and Vacheron. I've also seen Richard Mille, and they are very hot in the market. However, they look ugly to me and that brand will come after I have learn more about the former two.
As to your question regarding hours a week, I'm literally reading about watches in my spare time. I've been doing this for the past several months in a more dedicated, focus manner. It's very enjoyable and information sticks, which is great.
Good list. A few of those are impossible to find on Gray market and difficult to source on the secondary market. Even more difficult to source examples where any service parts, non original parts, polishing etc are correctly identified.
With that list it seems you definitely want to go the route of secondary market rather than gray. To that end look at Bob's watches and HQ Milton as two great examples of vintage hard to find pieces sourcing. Note their services in terms of authentication, servicing and warranty as that would be your comepetition as a business.
As a single seller you can check any of the websites around, including here.
Note: Every two-tone Rolex has an amalgamation of metals. All modern rolexes carry at least gold on the markers of the dial, and flutted bezels, even on SS pieces, are often also White gold.
To source the pieces you have mentioned you will need an entry level investment of around 80 to 100g...and that's just to hold one example of each in hand. If you "bridge" sales rather than become the seller that is a lesser investment but you still have to account for a reasonable padding in case there are returns or scams (of which you would be responsible to the seller as intermediary.
Good Luck
Edited:
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RuGaFe
·Good list. A few of those are impossible to find on Gray market and difficult to source on the secondary market. Even more difficult to source examples where any service parts, non original parts, polishing etc are correctly identified.
With that list it seems you definitely want to go the route of secondary market rather than gray. To that end look at Bob's watches and HQ Hamilton as two great examples of vintage hard to find pieces sourcing. Note their services in terms of authentication, servicing and warranty as that would be your comepetition as a business.
As a single seller you can check any of the websites around, including here.
Note: Every two-tone Rolex has an amalgamation of metals. All modern rolexes carry at least gold on the markers of the dial, and flutted bezels, even on SS pieces, are often also White gold.
To source the pieces you have mentioned you will need an entry level investment of around 80 to 100g...and that's just to hold one example of each in hand. If you "bridge" sales rather than become the seller that is a lesser investment but you still have to account for a reasonable padding in case there are returns or scams (of which you would be responsible to the seller as intermediary.
Good Luck
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dsio
··Ash @ ΩFI will say that this bloke has taken it better than most who create threads like this so the fact that he’s not losing his temper and getting upset is at least one positive, temperament definitely is something that helps.
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RuGaFe
·I will say that this bloke has taken it better than most who create threads like this so the fact that he’s not losing his temper and getting upset is at least one positive, temperament definitely is something that helps.
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dennisthemenace
·I will say that this bloke has taken it better than most who create threads like this so the fact that he’s not losing his temper and getting upset is at least one positive, temperament definitely is something that helps.
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RuGaFe
·He is indeed very polite. I'm sure if he and I met together we would get on well.
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RuGaFe
·Thank you all for your input and your words. Your suggestions, whatever that was, are very welcome. As I keep learning more about watches, your posts will certainly come back in my mind. I'm still on the lookout for a "mentor" figure, someone whom I can help grow his/her business providing my time and expertise in exchange for access to a world a know nothing about. If you are out there, I'm here, ready to go and really motived. Thanks again to all of you!
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Dan S
·I will say that this bloke has taken it better than most who create threads like this so the fact that he’s not losing his temper and getting upset is at least one positive, temperament definitely is something that helps.
Who knows, maybe he will be another OF success story like @ev3rcl4r. He didn't know much when he first joined, and look at him now.
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