Bulletin #7 - Buying watches on forums
This bulletin gives you a few tips for how to deal with forum watch sellers.
Buying watches on Forums
Watch forums are the original and still favoured channel for watch collectors to exchange about the latest and oldest of the industry. With their vintage internet feel, watch forums are still very active, and great places for information, fellow collectors’ feedback, and buying and selling watches.
Forums are a great place to buy watches:
Forum ads are free; thus, buyers don’t pay a markup to cover a seller’s fee.
Forums are transparent and allow you to trace a seller’s reputation and past transactions easily.
Therefore, you should always try to join your local online watch forum, be active and show that you are real and serious to fellow collectors and potential sellers of your next timepiece. When you are ready to pull the trigger, be mindful of the following:
Avoid distance transactions with sellers with little to no reputation on the forum.
Transactions are often final; thus, ask as many questions as possible about the seller, condition, kit, etc.
Ask that a trusted watchmaker inspects the watch. It can be difficult to evaluate the condition and authenticity of a watch during a nervous meet-up in a cafe.
Demand a handwritten and signed receipt from the seller. You may also take a picture of their id.
My watch recommendations
1. IWC Ingenieur perpetual calendar in full 18k gold
What: a 37mm full 18k gold IWC Ingenieur with a perpetual calendar and moon phase complication. It is not full-set but with a box and its papers.
Where: Sold online by Bukowskis in their ongoing Curated Timepieces auction.
When: Auction ends May 27th at 8 pm CET.
How much: estimated at 85 000 SEK
Why: This watch packs a lot of value at such a low cost. It is a gold sports watch on a gold bracelet with an important complication. Now that IWC has just remade the Ingenieur, you can expect renewed interest in vintage references.
4. Audemars Piguet, Jules Audemars in 18k yellow gold
What: a 2010 41mm 18k gold Jules Audemars chronograph.
Where: Sold online by Bukowskis in their ongoing Curated Timepieces auction.
When: Auction ends May 27th at 7 pm CET.
How much: estimated at 140 000 SEK
Why: This is an haute horlogerie chronograph from a model line that is still completely under the radar, i.e. a potential auction bargain. When the market is turning towards dress, classic and gold watches, you should consider this very substantial audemars piguet dressy chronograph.
My best regards,