It’s a nice piece by Sebastian — especially the watch budget point — but it feels like a few things were left out that I might have included. 1- Ask an AD (authorized dealer) what watches she or he likes that their shop DOESN’T sell. Tap the enthusiast in them not simply the salesperson. My experience: When I asked this, three makers came up regularly that led to purchases — Glashütte Original, Ulysse Nardin and Jaeger LeCoultre. You rarely see any of the three in general interest advice stories. But the watch people love these brands (and others). Don’t get caught in industry myopia on Rolex, AP, PP. 2- Buying quality used is almost always a much better way to go. Most watches lose a bunch of value at the point or purchase. Find what you like on a secondary market that provides protection. (Hmm, who might that be?) 3- Patience! There’s ALWAYS another watch. If you are buying a $500K one-off, you are not the person reading this story. 4- Be civil and polite when negotiating with a seller, particularly private sellers. If you don’t strike a deal immediately, you still might down the road. Don’t get irritated and shut doors needlessly. I’ve circled back on watches and managed to get the deal I wanted — but only at the time the seller was willing. 5- Watches are a wonderful obsession, generally. Watches are a lousy investment, generally. Do it for joy and acceptable loss.
Hi Mike, thank you very much for your positive feedback and your helpful tips! Unfortunately, it is often not possible to include the entire wealth of experience of our authors in a single short article. So thank you for sharing your own experiences and we hope you get to enjoy this wonderful obsession for a long time! Happy watch hunting!
Comments
It’s a nice piece by Sebastian — especially the watch budget point — but it feels like a few things were left out that I might have included. 1- Ask an AD (authorized dealer) what watches she or he likes that their shop DOESN’T sell. Tap the enthusiast in them not simply the salesperson. My experience: When I asked this, three makers came up regularly that led to purchases — Glashütte Original, Ulysse Nardin and Jaeger LeCoultre. You rarely see any of the three in general interest advice stories. But the watch people love these brands (and others). Don’t get caught in industry myopia on Rolex, AP, PP. 2- Buying quality used is almost always a much better way to go. Most watches lose a bunch of value at the point or purchase. Find what you like on a secondary market that provides protection. (Hmm, who might that be?) 3- Patience! There’s ALWAYS another watch. If you are buying a $500K one-off, you are not the person reading this story. 4- Be civil and polite when negotiating with a seller, particularly private sellers. If you don’t strike a deal immediately, you still might down the road. Don’t get irritated and shut doors needlessly. I’ve circled back on watches and managed to get the deal I wanted — but only at the time the seller was willing. 5- Watches are a wonderful obsession, generally. Watches are a lousy investment, generally. Do it for joy and acceptable loss.
Hi Mike, thank you very much for your positive feedback and your helpful tips! Unfortunately, it is often not possible to include the entire wealth of experience of our authors in a single short article. So thank you for sharing your own experiences and we hope you get to enjoy this wonderful obsession for a long time! Happy watch hunting!