If you inherited the watch of someone who died a long time ago, a generation, or even several generations ago, then you probably have reason to worry. It could be anything with an important family history, something you cherish like a treasure. Or it could just be something of value that can be sold.
But if you are not an admirer or collector of watches, then you most likely will not recognize the name of their manufacturer – and even more so you will not understand how valuable this thing is. And just because you don’t see titles like Rollex, Opmega or Patek Philippe doesn’t mean you haven’t hit the jackpot. The market for vintage watch collectors is now more heated than ever, and a host of lesser-known brands such as Universal Geneve, Enicar, and even vintage Movado watches are starting to become serious investments. If a vintage wonder has fallen into your hands, then here is a quick guide for you on how to search and where to look for information about the price of your new item, indicating the time.
Start with Google
Sure, it doesn’t sound exactly clever, but in order to narrow down your search, the first step should be Google Images. Look for any combinations of words that appear when typing, if you have reliable information (approximate time when you purchased them), then this can really help. For example, if you inherited a Wittnauer watch. If you search for “Wittnauer watch”, then most likely you will have zero significant results. But if you add the word “Chronograph”, then this will bring you closer to the goal. And if you also add the year, 1960, then you will come to the site, where you will see several photos and names, as well as an EBay page with several comparisons. Not all of these sites will be accurate, unfortunately, but there you will find a lot of little facts that will help you make the right decision. Now that you know how to narrow down your search in order to find the right information, it’s time to dig in.
This Grana chronograph is a classic example of how much an unknown brand can cost. This chronograph was made in 1938 and sold at a Phillips steel auction for 86250 Swiss francs ($88,838).
Online market
As of today, you will find many watch retailers online. So it’s not difficult to find out the price of your vintage watches. But be careful. If you see a darkened site with photos of watches that look like yours, and their price goes off scale for 10,000, this does not mean that you will really earn so much. At this stage, there are a few main places where you should look.
This is called a winning lottery ticket in the world of watches. These Rolex Paul Newman Daytona recently sold for more than $118,000 at Christie’s watch auction in June this year.
Chrono24.com is one of the biggest sites for watch retailers from all over the world, and if you can find accurate information anywhere, it’s here. For example, this vintage chronograph, it again serves as an example of how the site shows several examples, samples, for a price not exceeding $ 1000, or $ 2,000. We have not yet climbed into the jungle, but this information is enough to alert us. Watchrecon is also good for some cases, as it contains all the online listings from sales forums such as Watchuseek, Timezone, and others. The difference is that most users are collectors, not sellers, so some examples may be worth a little more than you would expect. As we mentioned earlier, your best strategy is to ignore anything that seems too expensive or too cheap.
This vintage model produced by the industrial giant Zenith costs only 46,250 Swiss francs, priced at the same auction as Garda, photo above.
In cases where the watch has been carefully cared for, its price can be found in several other places. The most basic online retailers are HQ Milton and Hodinkee online stores, they tend to offer the best options, and their prices are perfect. If your watch has signs of wear, don’t expect to get the most out of it. But if the owner carefully monitored them, then you can earn the maximum on them.
Avoid EBay
Buying, selling, trading, many times over the years, whoever does this will tell you that EBay, with all its sales and special offers, is not the best way to buy watches, money is made from every purchase. So, before you click the coveted “Buy It Now” button , look at the price for which these watches are offered on other sites, for sure, you will find the same model much cheaper. Perhaps there will be those who will pay the price indicated on the EBay, for example, a perfect example of this is the gold watch Rolex Submariner East. 1680, price – $95,000. So spare yourself and focus on the more reliable markets specialized in watches
The original metal bracelet of your vintage watch will surely raise its price.
This is the main state
The correct evaluation of the watch in many cases is no different from the evaluation of the car. How well they go, whether they are dented or scratched, how well they are preserved, whether all parts are original. With watches, the main thing is their condition and documentation. So if your father or grandfather repaired the watch, and there are records, then surely you will need them. Even if the watch is running well now, if you don’t know the history of its repair and maintenance, it’s like buying a bomb – depending on the model, maintenance can cost you about $ 100. And it doesn’t matter if you hang them on the wall and leave them there for decades, or you want to sell them quickly, most often the best way is to check them if you don’t have records.
Sometimes there are exceptions, for example, faded numbers, as in this example, tropical numbers, can even turn just a watch into a premium watch, compared to the same product, but with normal numbers, and in the same condition.
When we talk about the original frequent, then we go back to an old friend of Google Images. This applies especially to the 60s and 70s, when many watches were produced in a variety of versions, when the hands could differ on the same model. And yet, if all the pictures you find are with a clock whose hands are different from yours, the crown will be of a different shape, and a flat glass instead of a convex one, then most likely you have a watch with non-original parts. And the bad news is that they won’t cost as much as the original watch. But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless, it’s just a watch that someone can buy to wear instead of keeping somewhere in a glass box. Think about it as you would think about the Mustang 69, because someone buys it just to ride, not to hold.
Ask real professionals
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Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Once you have done your own research, gathered the necessary information, you can be satisfied with the range of prices that you have opened, and stop there. You can try to communicate with the retailer, many auction houses in order to make the right decision (although in some cases you should prepare for a commission from the sale).
And yet, if you are even more interested in how much that little thing costs, then it’s time to start. I don’t mean the old man who sits on guard at the local jewelry store for days. That type, 9 times out of 10, will either have no idea about the real market, or will give you a low price in the hope of getting it cheap and making money yourself.
And know when your watch was made. Larger chronographs are distinguished by bright colors, like everything that was produced in the 60s and 70s.
Those who will give you the goods belong to those who have accumulated too much of it, and because of this they have to take too much risk, as well as risk their reputation, giving you such a quantity that can be described as anything, but not an exact number. All the big auction houses – Christie’s, Philips, Sotheby’s, and Auctionata – all have specialists who spend time evaluating all vintage watches. They will give you a clearer idea of how much your watch is worth, either for retail sale or for insurance, information can be obtained either by email or in person consultation. We wouldn’t recommend contacting them if you think the watch might cost $300 or $500, but if you suspect thousands, or tens of thousands…., they’ll be happy to give you the very definite answer you’ve been craving. 
More compact and old-fashioned chronographs like this have been in circulation for many decades, and although many are still available on the secondary market, and date back to the 1950s and 1960s.
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