How to Make sure that the Watch you Own is Authentic before selling them?

 

The pre-owned luxury watch industry is booming and this is the perfect time to sell the pieces you own for the best profits. In order to sell your timepiece, you need to inspect the condition of the watch and its authenticity. There could be any number of reasons for wanting to sell your luxury watch, but making sure that the watch itself lands in the hands of a proper buyer is very important. There are some luxury watch brands that are in high demand like Breitling, Cartier, Rolex, IWC, Patek Phillipe etc. and if your own collection comprises of watches from these brands then you’re lucky and about to get luckier.  

For instance, take the Omega Speedmaster Ref 2915-1 ‘Broad Arrow’, its evaluation is upwards of 200,000 dollars.  

Complete the checklist below and you will be ready to sell your watch at its true value and to the right buyer.  

Collect as much information as possible: 

Step one involves collecting all the necessary information regarding your luxury timepiece everything from its reference number to age will help you authenticate your watch. Collect precise data regarding its model number, manufactured date and any other info regarding that particular model online. For instance, the Rolex Daytona came to be known as the Paul Newman in the 1980’s since the famous actor was seen wearing the watch everywhere, before this the Rolex Daytona had no significant demand or value. Collecting such specific information based on historical and cultural significance will help you authenticate your watch and determine its true value.  

Examine the condition of the watch: 

The condition of the watch with regards to its wear & tear and mechanical functioning plays a very important role when it comes to evaluation. A single broken dial or a scratched crystal could seriously derail the value of your luxury watch. At the same time, selling your luxury watch with the box it came in, along with all its accessories could drastically increase the value of your timepiece.  

Collect all the paperwork related to the watch:  

The ownership papers and the box the watch came in would solve most of your problems when it comes to authenticating your luxury watch. The value of your pre-owned luxury timepiece will also increase drastically if you still have the box and any other accessories that came with the watch. It is also vital to keep proper records of the services the watch has gone through, if any. Additionally, if the original warranty is still applicable and you have the papers to prove it, your pre-owned luxury watches’ value increases tremendously.  

Beware the Frankenwatches:  

Frankenwatches have gained popularity since the luxury watch industry started to flourish. Often times these include fake watches with OEM parts, meaning these fake watches would contain certain parts from the brand itself to pass it off as an original. The majority of these franken watches seems to be Rolexes where the seller simply uses 14 carat gold, instead of the 18-carat gold that the manufactures really use and try to sell these franken watches as an original gold Rolex. 

Bring in an expert or a third party authenticator:  

To have an extra opinion is always a great thing and especially from an expert, which would give you complete peace of mind. A third-party authenticator would remain unbiased and tell you the truth as it is, thereby adding credibility to your watch and its true value.  

If you’re unsure about authentication of the buyer or about trusting a third-party authenticator, you can always connect with authentic buyers like Pre-Owned Time who have the experience and the expertise in buying pre-owned luxury watches. They have partnered up with professional luxury brand authenticators, horologists and gemmologists to conduct a multi-layered, brand-specific authentication process to ensure that your pre-owned watch is valued accurately. Moreover, these experts are available to you at any time to answer all your queries and make the whole process of selling your pre-owned luxury watch much easier.