What would you do if you found out that a vintage, pristine, genuine watch you'd bought years ago, was, in fact, a frankenwatch? Let's assume you can't get cash back from the original seller (maybe too long ago/too far away/whatever). Would you wear it anyway, maybe annoyed that it's not what you thought but still looking good to most people? Would you suck it up to experience and put it to the back of your collection? Would you sell it as an obvious franken at half what you paid for it? Or would you stick it on ebay or an auction and let the buyers beware?
As soon as I knew it was a franken it would be if no value to me (unless my partner bought it for me, wore on wedding day etc), so I'd put it up for sale with an accurate an honest description and take the hit. Alternatively if we're talking a more expensive watch such as a Speedmaster, I might part it out, keeping any spares I wanted.
I have several frankens in regular rotation. Doesn't bother me. I enjoy the hunt for the correct parts. Keeps me out of the bars. Of course I didn't pay full retail for them........
That is a very interesting question and to me, depends on the degree to which it has been frankened and the importance of the watch. If it is a rare or valuable watch then I agree with @redpcar and would embark on a hunt for the correct parts. If it is relatively easy to find another then I would just wear it until I had found the replacement and then keep it for spares. If, as you suggest, you bought it a while back before you knew what to look for then, unless you jumped straight into the deep end of this hobby, I suspect it falls into the latter category.
Keep them as a lesson learned but what I do with them depends on how franken Very first vintage I bought was a Roamer anfibio mst . On closer look after two weeks wearing discovered the r logo was printed backward . Felt destroyed for being such a dill so opened it up to discover the movement was originally an eta auto auto with no rotor.Sits on bench as reminder.
You first three options are all possible depending on the watch. I think your last option is a total no-go. Don't need to add to the shysters already out there.
Honesty is always the best policy. Depending on the watch and parts recover as much as I could. this one of those that's happened to you ?
I knowingly bought a minty RG Omega with a redial before I learned that Omega Bienne would not reprint the dial and considered it 'fine" because it predated their records. After searching for a couple years for the impossible to find dial, I ran into a dealer that was in love with the piece and traded me something very nice in return, and all original. Can you find someone to appreciate it for what it is? May be the easiest course. If the parts are available-ish it could be a fun project to make right.
If I loved the watch enough I would try to restore it to its original glory. If not, or if that's just not feasible due to parts availability or cost, I'd sell it for whatever. I'd be sure my description was honest and accurate. And I'd take the very first bid I got.
You might consider an OF thread regarding your Franken watch. Many Frankens are production knockoffs and warning others helps our community. My first SM120 was bogus. Many other OF members now know the difference between a proper SM120 and a knockoff. https://omegaforums.net/threads/my-...ers-what-to-look-for-and-what-to-avoid.38032/
I used my franken as a parts donor. Worked out well in the end, but sucked at the time. Five plus years ago, and ended up using it last year. So I'd use as donor. I sold all my other watches that were not 100% original.
My first Omega turned out to be a redial. I never wear it, nor do I plan on selling it. Luckily it came with a perfect 7077 bracelet
Its part of the game I guess. Sometimes my enthusiam takes over in the buying situation, especially when I have to make a fast decision. Right now I have two watches thats not 100%. Playing the waiting game on ebay looking for parts.
Part it out or sell it...unless it was really rare. So far haven't run into that situation, though early on I was getting so called Mumbai specials and redials a plenty...thanks to OF for the repository of information that has contributed to changed habits and experience
I don't have a Frankenwatch, at least not to my knowledge A friend was talking a while back about getting a vintage Heuer Monaco, and was checking out a particular auction house and asking for my advice - but the stuff they were selling looked really pretty dodgy; if not outright Frankens then certainly mis-described, and some that looked like real parts bin specials. We got on to talking about what comeback you'd have if you bought a watch at auction that subsequently turned out to be not all that straight. Blatant fakes are one thing, but a put-together watch with dials and hands from different generations, or even movements that didn't look original... would the auctioneer be liable to refund the buyer, or would they put it down to them acting in good faith, the buyer having plenty of chance to inspect etc etc. Funnily enough, that auction house is no longer in business...
In fact, I think the Monaco my friend was looking at might have been in the same auction as ... http://chronocentric.com/forums/heuer/index.cgi?page=1;md=read;id=82557. As other threads have summised, it's no wonder that auctioneer went titsup...
You can't re-sell a frankenwatch as it is. It will only re-enter the market and catch someone else out. I wasn't paying attention as I should have recently and ended up owning this: Dial and movement are gorgeous (the movement looks brand new) but the case? The seconds hand? Well, I have resolved to keep it and wear it to remind myself not to be so complacent in future. It's not even that I will lose anything on the watch - the movement and dial would sell for more than I paid - it's the annoying feeling of being caught out by something that is so obvious when you actually look.