Mistakes I have made...

tmw57 · Oct 17, 2022

Anyone out there want to have a little laugh at themselves for impulse-buying and mistakes made when earlier in their collecting career?

I'll go first.

I am passionate about the IWC 666 Ingenieur and in earlier years, bought a number of stinkers. I'll try to dig up a few pics if I can of some of the absurd redials that I purchased.

Here now this Mido Datometer sold to me a long time ago as "near mint" by an unscrupulous dealer in the U.K. It even came with the box!

Noles_88 · Oct 17, 2022

Thinking I found an amazing steal and falling into a scam. Lol. 4000 dollar lesson. Expensive learning lesson. :whipped:

StudebakerHawk · Oct 17, 2022

Noles_88
Thinking I found an amazing steal and falling into a scam. Lol. 4000 dollar lesson. Expensive learning lesson.

OUCH!!!!!!

gbesq · Oct 17, 2022

Nearly all of us have made a mistake along the way and paid a newbie tax for impulse buying and/or lack of experience. The important thing is to learn from the mistakes and not repeat them. I have noticed that inexperienced collectors often assume that dealers are professionals and, therefore, honest. As you learned, that isn't always the case. I have purchased only two watches in my collection from a dealer (same dealer, actually) and I vetted him thoroughly before I made my first purchase. As it turned out, he is very honest and doesn't sell junk, but I still paid more than I would have paid a private seller for the same watches.

janice&fred · Oct 17, 2022

tmw57
Anyone out there want to have a little laugh at themselves for impulse-buying and mistakes made when earlier in their collecting career?

I wish my impulse-buying and associated mistakes was limited to my earlier collecting career! 😁

johnireland · Oct 17, 2022

gbesq
Nearly all of us have made a mistake along the way and paid a newbie tax for impulse buying and/or lack of experience. The important thing is to learn from the mistakes and not repeat them. I have noticed that inexperienced collectors often assume that dealers are professionals and, therefore, honest. As you learned, that isn't always the case. I have purchased only two watches in my collection from a dealer (same dealer, actually) and I vetted him thoroughly before I made my first purchase. As it turned out, he is very honest and doesn't sell junk, but I still paid more than I would have paid a private seller for the same watches.

Paying more from a dealer makes sense. They have significant costs a private seller doesn't. 90% of my purchases over the years have been from dealers and I have zero complaints.

Deafboy · Oct 17, 2022

gbesq
As it turned out, he is very honest and doesn't sell junk, but I still paid more than I would have paid a private seller for the same watches.

😕
Did you expect to pay less than a private seller? The dealer vets the watch for you, holds an inventory, probably offers a guarantee of some sort, needs to make a living, takes credit cards, etc. Jeesh!
People expect something for nothing...

gbesq · Oct 17, 2022

Deafboy
😕
Did you expect to pay less than a private seller? The dealer vets the watch for you, holds an inventory, probably offers a guarantee of some sort, needs to make a living, takes credit cards, etc. Jeesh!
People expect something for nothing...

I think that you missed the essential point in my post. Of course I didn’t expect to pay less or even the same as I would pay a private seller. I understand that dealer’s have overhead and that they have to eat just like the rest of us. The OP stated in his post that he was essentially taken for a ride by an unscrupulous dealer. My point was that “dealer” does not always equate to “honest.” In other words, you can pay a dealer a premium for his or her services and still be sold overpriced junk that is represented as an authentic watch in excellent condition by an unscrupulous business person. Whether you’re buying from a private seller or a dealer, it pays to do your research.

janice&fred · Oct 17, 2022

gbesq
My point was that “dealer” does not always equate to “honest.

Yes of course true. However, in all the watch buying I have done and do on a regular basis, I've found private sellers to be the most dishonest. Same with cars. Actually even worse with cars.

noelekal · Oct 17, 2022

I've seen "equal opportunity" dishonest connected with both watch and car sales.

StudebakerHawk · Oct 17, 2022

bananapeanut · Oct 17, 2022

As an art and antique collector, I can't tell you the number of fakes I have been offered by dealers. You better know your stuff and educate yourself before pulling the trigger on an expensive painting. Some authenticators are dubious too:

Imagine getting an extract from the Omega archives with this concluding line: "we reserve the right to alter our opinion on this, or any other watch."

kyle L · Oct 17, 2022

Still making mistakes to this day...😟

Omegafanman · Oct 17, 2022

I guess when an infection is localised and not in a major organ you do have an option to cut it out.
But it is still at a major cost for that individual. We all need to avoid passing things on despite the cost.
Of course unlike an infection you have an option to batter the seller as well :0)

tmw57 · Oct 17, 2022

kyle L
Still making mistakes to this day...😟

Yeah, but once you get it sorted, you'll have a beautiful watch.

SC1 · Oct 17, 2022

So many, too many...

initially, buying up utter garbage (even though I loved the looks of them) only to realize servicing them cost more than their worth.

These days, I try to be very careful but even then I'll blunder heavily - latest of which: knowing I don't care for the look of Mercedes hands but thinking there were so many other things/details to focus on I wouldn't notice it when I purchased a brand new Explorer last month from the Rolex AD ~ and of course the Mercedes hand is all I notice when I put it on.
The other recent one... absolutely being smitten with the 40mm Railmaster with the black dial since it was released in 2017 but also knowing that every time I tried one on it wore huge on my wrist -- and yet I bought one in June of this year and yep, it wears huge on my wrist so I put it in the box and haven't worn it since.
My wife is very tolerant of my stupidity but I do need to start selling some things soon to keep our marriage civil and healthy.

Canuck · Oct 17, 2022

kyle L
Still making mistakes to this day...😟

Looks like Felsa, basically a Felsa 690. Lotsa those around, and provided the damage behind the dial isn’t too bad, it should be doable.

Syrte · Oct 17, 2022

Most of my mistakes or regrets were watches I did not buy because I was trying to be cautious or fiscally responsible. But I probably dodged a few bullets as a result.

sheepdoll · Oct 17, 2022

kyle L
Still making mistakes to this day...😟

I actually look for watches like that. As long as the price is reasonable. I also chose to learn some basic watchmaking skills since I play with such stuff for entertaiment.
This is not to say I do not purchase the wrong thing. I did a few recently. I need a balance/bridge for a Valjoux 24 stop watch. So I took a chance a coupld cheap stopwatches from Goodwill might have a similar movement.

Actually turned out to be a better watch than I was expecting. The only thing wrong is it looks like someone took sandpaper to the crystal. But completly wrong for my purpose. Of course if one is not enough I tried for a second one,

So now I have two complete watches, and still need parts for the one I want to play with...

Waltesefalcon · Oct 17, 2022

My first Connie was a dog, and I don't just mean the lugs. It was an over polished 168.005 with a black redial.

Mistakes I have made...

tmw57

Noles_88

StudebakerHawk

gbesq

janice&fred

johnireland

Deafboy

gbesq

janice&fred

noelekal

StudebakerHawk

bananapeanut

kyle L

Omegafanman

tmw57

SC1

Canuck

Syrte

sheepdoll

Waltesefalcon

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