Tips for Buying a Pre-Owned Watch

There are tons of things to consider before making a purchase on a pre-owned watch. This guide will (hopefully) help make the process easier and more enjoyable. Now, this is not a fully comprehensive guide to making a purchase, but it is a great place to start. Before you buy: You first want to set a budget that you are comfortable spending. This could mean setting a full price range, or just setting a price-ceiling that you can’t, or won’t, go above. The main benefit for setting a strict budget is limiting the items that you’ll dedicate time and effort looking into. If you go into this process totally blind, you might end up considering every watch you look at, because there are no boundaries or limitations. Paralysis by analysis. Next, you want to start doing some legitimate research. This should be a fun process, because you have a target to hit, price-wise, but the rest of the journey is up to you. Start broad by looking at multiple different brands, styles, purposes, and filter out anything that doesn’t feel right. During your research process, there are a few things to consider: Do you have previous experiences with any brands, bad or good? What are your wants versus your needs? What will the watch’s purpose be? Once you have a general idea of price and needs/wants, the rest of the process will continue to get progressively easier, and easier. After these details are ironed out, you want to come up with a few non-negotioables that you will use to guide the rest of your search. This could be anything from wanting the date to show on the watch face, to wanting a pre-owned watch with all of the original papers and packaging. Adding these non-negotioable terms will allow the seller(s) to know exactly which targets they’ll need to hit in order to complete the sale. Non-negotiables, price point, and research will give you a much smaller target to hit, which will make everything else incredibly easy. You know how much you want to spend, what you want in a new watch, and which styles to inspect further. Ideally, you want to begin actually shopping with three to four models in mind. This gives you a better chance of finding what you are looking for. Often, if you decide on just one model and can’t find it, frustration will ensue. Having your research and due-diligence done will keep you on track to making a purchase. Finally, you want to make sure the seller is reputable. This goes for any big purchase you make… you won’t buy a house before doing your due-diligence and having an inspection. Buying a pre-owned luxury watch should be the same. Fully vet the seller beforehand. Look for past experiences buyers have had, and whether they are generally positive or negative. Do they sell watches often? What is their return policy? Are the pictures they have of a watch in their possession, or are they stock photos from the internet? Is this deal you’re about to get too good to be true? If anything sets off an alarm in your head, don’t hesitate to pull out of the deal. In the long run, you’ll be glad you were cautious… even if it meant you had to wait a while before another opportunity came along. How are Pre-Owned Watches Valuated? Brand Age Condition Wear on strap Model number Limited-edition? Collectible model/series? General wear and tear? Service history Original packaging Certificate/papers Warranty info Supply and demand There are three main categories that define all pre-owned watches: Modern watches: these are watches that might still be in production by the manufacturer. They have already lost some of their original retail value, but might still be in great condition. Check to see if the warranty is still in effect, that’s a plus. Non-production: these are watches that are new enough that there might be similar models still in production. Typically, watch brands will make small changes to popular models to keep up with the industry’s changes, so the older versions are slowly phased out of production. Vintage: These watches are usually over 30 years old. They are rarer, might require some extra upkeep/attention, and have ofted accrued value over the years. At Malak Jewelers, we understand that making a purchase like this is no easy task. That’s why we strive to walk customers through the process of buying a pre-owned watch. We have a great selection of used Rolex watches* as well as other big name brands. Most of them will be accompanied by the original packaging, and are in amazing condition. Our selection of men’s watches is phenomenal, and no matter your style we will have something you’ll love. Malak Jewelers also offers full watch servicing. Need a new band? We have tons of styles. Is the face scratched? We can polish and buff that out. Is it no longer keeping time? We can replace the battery, or you can browse our selection of watch winders. Not only is Malak Jewelers home to the largest selection of fine jewelry in the city, but we also have an impressive collection of pre-owned watches that you won’t want to miss. *Malak Jewelers is not affiliated with Rolex. Any Rolex products in the store are certified pre-owned.