Hello All,

Where have you found some of your best watch purchases?

Besides the current Omega Forum and obvious roulette wheel of Ebay, where are some places you have found success in finding hidden treasures!

Post some pictures of your best or most unique finds!

 

Best for me is boring to others. Seamaster Professional 2254.50.00 from some other forum. So no good stories from me.

 

well it doesn’t have to be the best or most expensive! Just a good find!

 

Should I tell you and everyone else on the web where the best fishing holes are, or the locations of the most beautiful easily accessed secluded beaches while I am at it?

Just kidding, there are no secrets on the web. Try pawn shops and antique shops.

 

Ten years ago, I went to Vegas with some friends for New Year's. He wanted to play poker all day. She wanted to go to thrift shops and pawn shops. I have no interest in poker or thrift shops. At the second pawn shop we visited, they had a number of "higher end" watches including an orange Planet Ocean (I think it's a 2208.50.00, but I'm not 100% sure). Anyway, the thing was pristine and fit perfectly. I probably could have gotten it for less, but I still got a heck of a deal.

The funny thing is that the main reason I got it was "It's so cheap!" When I had seen photos of the watch, or maybe at a shop, I didn't think the orange looked very good. Of course, I have revised my opinion and love the watch.

 

One from my local watchmaker, one from a barber shop, and one from @140dave

In that order...

 

Stainless 2367-4 at local consignment shop

 

Some of the best finds for me are pawn shops. Also an occasional estate sale too

 

Most of my best watches have found me. Call it “networking”. Never, ever, in an antique store, never, ever at a garage sale, never, ever on line, only rarely at an auction. I have bought f to f from brother collectors. NAWCC marts, years ago. The odd one, new, from a retail store. F to f from people who have heard I collect, and they look me up. A lot of right time, right place acquisitions.

 

Found a JLC at goodwill for $6. I still have it, but never wear it.

Almost 8 years ago I bought a Speedmaster Gemini IV on eBay. The pics really sucked and it was BIN listed at $3200. I made an offer, and it was accepted.

 

Thrift stores, a rubbish dump & a 2nd hand store.
Always on the hunt.

 

Good God.

 

They all were or I wouldn't have bought them.

 

I bought a Gemini IV Speedy Pro on a local Facebook Marketplace page, but before I made an offer, I asked people here what they thought of the deal.

Here's the link to that thread.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/wha...s-speedy-pro-gemini-iv-watch-for-sale.116895/

 

Flea Market:


Antique market:


Op-shop:


Rubbish Dump:



2nd Hand store:

 

I just have to post this one since it's so absurd ... therealreal.com. I kid you not. But don't waste your time there these days, I haven't seen anything decent for years. Maybe I'll post my etsy find later.

 

Recently found my grail on Instagram on a 3 month old sale post and tried my luck with a DM and turns out it was still available!

Now it's here on my wrist!

 

Yahoo! Japan still has some occasional underpriced gems. I buy through buyee.com, a proxy service. I got a Zenith Rainbow Flyback and a number of vintage Seikos that way
Flea markets, antique stores. Also making friends and networking on Instagram has netted me a couple, offered directly by people who knew I was looking for a specific model

 

My best buy has been from Gumtree (Craigslist in Australia). Gotta be quick and take a lot of chances, but I guess that’s the fun of it

 

Craigslist and ebay still offer occasional ridiculous opportunities. This cost me $500 at the local Kroger, September of 2016 (there was also the grandpa's-sock-drawer Heuer 3147S 45 for under $1k but I didn't keep pictures of that one):