Starting out in Collecatble Watches - Educate Me

[tdw28210]

So, I own a few off the shelf, department store quality watches, mostly Seiko. I've come to a point where I would like to own something thatis alittle more unique, won't depreciate, is wearable on a daily basis and has a shot of appreciating. Ideally, I would be automatic, but I can wind it if I have, is more towards the "sport" side rather than the dress side of the spectrum and costs something under $500.

Does a watch like this exist? Thanks in advance for the knowledge.

[tabs]

U will be hard pressed on that budget.

[wayne robson]

Good quility watches are a bit like a Porsche, if you purchase the correct make
and model, you will never loose money if sold after a few years,and have the
enjoyment while wearing it,also other persons will notice your watch and want
to know all about it. Right now one of the best Watches to purchase is used not new,like our cars about 10 to 20 years old,its Omegas Speedmaster Proffesional moon watch.But sorry you have to spend $2000 to $2500, buy the stock standard moon watch,hesalite
glass, not anniversary models,unless you can afford them,dont be affraid to spend that amount on one,and yes it is mechanical wind 50 hours every 2 days,dont purchase the automatic model it is only half the watch off the manual,that is why it was used on the moon, 42mm, black stainless,it will be worth about $3000 in 5 years. buy a excellent
looked after example,.The older sixties Omega Speedmaster pro are now $6000 to $8000
very hard to purchase. Go on line and find out all the specs on this fabulous watch.You can even time your Porsche and more with this watch.

[rwest]

I guess I can't see many inexpensive watches going up in value, unless you manage to find one that gets build in small quantities.

I think if you bump your budget up to around a thousand, you'll have more choices. I have a Raymond Weil automatic that I really like and my daily watch is a Movado, it's a quartz, though.

I highly recommend making sure you get a sapphire crystal- very hard to scratch. The Movado I have worn to work daily for three years and it still looks great- no scratches on the crystal and my job is about half desk half building repair, so it does get beat around a little.

[Gogar]

I agree, if you want a nice automatic watch you're going to have to move the decimal point in your number. Or at least budget $2000-2500, as you mentioned.

If not, I just got one of these for fun, at about $550. They're kind of cool and have a nice backstory, but really they are just the high end of department store watch. And they said the battery will last a long long time.






This is my favorite "non dress" style watch: Breitling super ocean heritage with the diver band. Might be more than you want to spend though.

[Chocaholic]

You will lose money. No question. Don't do it for financial reasons. Get active on watchuseek, watch net, rolexforum etc. You will not outsmart the pros and they often lose money too.

If there's a watch that sings to you, buy it and enjoy. When it gets old, you can sell it but don't expect a profit or even to break even. A fact of life. I recently sold my Panerai PAM 000 at a $700 loss, but wasn't using it and had my eye on something else.

The Ball below was one of my favorites and a very cool brand. It's a Ball 43mm Engineer Red Label. Not getting much wrist time since snagging a Nomos 38 Datum. Check out Ball watches. Great story/history. Would sell this one for about $1400...a $400 loss. Get the idea? Also, never buy any watch without box, manual, hang tags, etc.

BTW...the Omega Wayne mentions above is model 3570.50. Manual wind chronograph. A nice one with full kit will be closer to $3k. But they made lots of them. I doubt they will ever be worth more than that, at least in the next 20+ years.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Gogar

I agree, if you want a nice automatic watch you're going to have to move the decimal point in your number. Or at least budget $2000-2500, as you mentioned.

If not, I just got one of these for fun, at about $550. They're kind of cool and have a nice backstory, but really they are just the high end of department store watch. And they said the battery will last a long long time.

I bought some shyte watch at a thrift and you cant tell the difference between it and your Shinola.

[BeyGon]

http://www.thewatchsite.com/index.php

less expensive collector watches

If you want something you can wear and not lose money, step up and buy a Rolex.

[rwest]

I read about these in the local paper- guy designs and assembles them here in MN.

Padron Hennepin Automatic - Padron Timepieces

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by tabs

I bought some shyte watch at a thrift and you cant tell the difference between it and your Shinola.

well played, you old coot!

[Chocaholic]

Oops...here's the Ball...

[Steve Carlton]

All the collectible stuff is mechanical and needs to be serviced every 5-7 years, which will wipe out any appreciation you see in them, IMO. Personally, I like quartz because they always have the right time on them when you pull them out of the drawer. That said, most of my "good" watches are mechanical, as there's not much choice with quartz.

[LeeH]

I'm a budget collector. The idea that you can't get a good quality watch for under $1000 amuses me. What does a watch do? It keeps time. A Casio G Shock that sets itself to the atomic clock every day keeps perfect time for $100 or so. EVERYTHING else about a watch boils down to style and name dropping.

That being said, I probably have 30 or so watches that I cycle through on a regular basis and quite a few more that rarely get worn. Almost all were bought used for less that $200. Most for less than $100. Many are worth significantly more. I lean toward old Seikos, but will buy and wear whatever catches my eye. Oh... and they all keep very good time.

[Jfporco]

After 30+ years of collecting watches and vintage fountain pens here are the 3 things I have learned:
1) buy what you like. I have $100 watches, and $10,000 watches. The ones I love most are those that make me smile. They may have been watches I waited until I found one at my price point, or those I have been fortunate enough to stumble upon and had the funds to purchase.
2) Never pay retail. Check out auction sites (Heritage Auctions | World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer), find the one or two antique shops in your area and get to know the owners, hit the flea markets and ask around. Never Pay Retail. Even wait a year or two for the latest watch to gather some age. Every high quality watch I own can be brought back to newer condition if it has not been gouged, or severely damaged.
3) saying you want a good quality watch is like saying you want a good pair of shoes. Read, educate yourself, and understand what separates good, from great, from superior watches. The price points are pretty clear, you want an automatic under $200 , don't expect Swiss quality or anything that will last more than a few years of rugged use. (Rubber quartz watches are another story). An automatic over $1,000 don't expect 14k and maybe non-swiss parts, but it will look nice and turn a few heads). Over $5,000 and you have a lot of options.

You get what you pay for, and there are plenty of scammers and fakes around. I have purchased Omegas, Tags, Rolexs, Breitlings, and many others from retail, dealers and auctions. I have bought fakes in the past, but learned very quickly the power of bargaining when I knew more than the sales person or antique store owner. In fact more often I get a better discount because I educated the owner on the finer points of what makes one Hamilton 3-times the price of another. Or what makes a one Bulova Astronaut worth $1,200 and another $300.

Learn all you can...with the internet this should be easy peezy.
Good luck,
Jim

[bbturbo]

Straton Watch Co. – Straton Watch Company

These watches are pretty neat for the price and Porsche styling. Also, a good, friendly dude owns the company. Check them out! Come with several bands and they have driving gloves. No affiliation, just a happy customer.

[gassy]

Can't help you with the under $500 but appreciates thing really, but here's just one of many watches that meets your criteria except that it's $200+ more than your budget. So in a nutshell probably no help at all. You could get a vintage Omega Geneve for around $500 but they're more on the dressy side.




http://www.jomashop.com/hamilton-watch-h35405741.html?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googleproductsearch&pt_source=googleads&pt_medium=cpc&pt_campaign=(ROI)+Shopping+-+Sale+Watches+$500+-+1000&gclid=Cj0KEQjwlLm3BRDjnML3h9ic_vkBEiQABa5oedUK_5Ih oh8mdOQPMKo1mnGVkwyESzxoplGkN6nst8IaAmdx8P8HAQ

[gassy]

Here's a link to some Omega Geneve listings on ebay. Throw a nato strap on it and it'll be sportyish.

omega geneve | eBay

[tdw28210]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

You will lose money. No question. Don't do it for financial reasons. Get active on watchuseek, watch net, rolexforum etc. You will not outsmart the pros and they often lose money too.

If there's a watch that sings to you, buy it and enjoy. When it gets old, you can sell it but don't expect a profit or even to break even. A fact of life. I recently sold my Panerai PAM 000 at a $700 loss, but wasn't using it and had my eye on something else.

The Ball below was one of my favorites and a very cool brand. It's a Ball 43mm Engineer Red Label. Not getting much wrist time since snagging a Nomos 38 Datum. Check out Ball watches. Great story/history. Would sell this one for about $1400...a $400 loss. Get the idea? Also, never buy any watch without box, manual, hang tags, etc.

BTW...the Omega Wayne mentions above is model 3570.50. Manual wind chronograph. A nice one with full kit will be closer to $3k. But they made lots of them. I doubt they will ever be worth more than that, at least in the next 20+ years.

Thanks for the info on Ball. I've seen them before and the new ones aren't in the $500 range. However, I have seen some vintage Trainmasters in the past at estate/garage sales. I was told they were from the '1950's/60's. Never really researched them. They were automatic, but not sporty. Out of curiosity, what is an older Trainmaster cost today? I think the ones I saw then were around $250. I have a feeling I might regret what you tell me.

[tdw28210]

Originally Posted by Jfporco

After 30+ years of collecting watches and vintage fountain pens here are the 3 things I have learned:
1) buy what you like. I have $100 watches, and $10,000 watches. The ones I love most are those that make me smile. They may have been watches I waited until I found one at my price point, or those I have been fortunate enough to stumble upon and had the funds to purchase.
2) Never pay retail. Check out auction sites (Heritage Auctions | World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer), find the one or two antique shops in your area and get to know the owners, hit the flea markets and ask around. Never Pay Retail. Even wait a year or two for the latest watch to gather some age. Every high quality watch I own can be brought back to newer condition if it has not been gouged, or severely damaged.
3) saying you want a good quality watch is like saying you want a good pair of shoes. Read, educate yourself, and understand what separates good, from great, from superior watches. The price points are pretty clear, you want an automatic under $200 , don't expect Swiss quality or anything that will last more than a few years of rugged use. (Rubber quartz watches are another story). An automatic over $1,000 don't expect 14k and maybe non-swiss parts, but it will look nice and turn a few heads). Over $5,000 and you have a lot of options.

You get what you pay for, and there are plenty of scammers and fakes around. I have purchased Omegas, Tags, Rolexs, Breitlings, and many others from retail, dealers and auctions. I have bought fakes in the past, but learned very quickly the power of bargaining when I knew more than the sales person or antique store owner. In fact more often I get a better discount because I educated the owner on the finer points of what makes one Hamilton 3-times the price of another. Or what makes a one Bulova Astronaut worth $1,200 and another $300.

Learn all you can...with the internet this should be easy peezy.
Good luck,
Jim

Thank you Jim.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by tdw28210

Thanks for the info on Ball. I've seen them before and the new ones aren't in the $500 range. However, I have seen some vintage Trainmasters in the past at estate/garage sales. I was told they were from the '1950's/60's. Never really researched them. They were automatic, but not sporty. Out of curiosity, what is an older Trainmaster cost today? I think the ones I saw then were around $250. I have a feeling I might regret what you tell me.

As I recall, there were several different versions of Trainmasters. More current ones are in the 1500 range (stainless, gold much higher). Don't know about vintage though. Often far less. Have a look at WatchRecon - The Most Intelligent Search Engine for Private Watch Sales. You can search any brand or name and it shows you everything for sale on the www. Great resource!

An important rule of thumb...every man should have at least two Balls!