Watch Talk: How to Shop for a Pre-Owned Luxury Watch

Buying a pre-owned watch is a great way to get your hands on an affordable luxury watch, yet it can be a daunting task filled with uncertainty if you’re unsure of what you’re doing. We want to make sure we equip you with as much information as possible and so we developed a quick how to on how to shop for a pre-owned luxury watch with confidence.  

1. Research Watch Brands, Models, and Styles

You have a wide variety of luxury watch brands, styles, and models to choose from. High-end watch brands are rich with history, which makes for some interesting timepieces. Generally speaking, a watch manufacture is one that designs and produces most of their own timepiece components and mostly constructs their own mechanical watch movements in-house (there are always exceptions). Some leading luxury watch manufactures include Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and A. Lange & Söhne. Other luxury watchmakers, such as Cartier, Breitling, and Omega, sometimes manufacture their own movements and sometimes take standard “ebauche” movements and modify them. Most watch brands also offer more affordable battery-operated quartz models along with their more expensive mechanical watches. The type of watch movement is something to take into account when buying a pre-owned luxury watch. In terms of style, there’s an abundance of options to consider. It’s standard for most high-end watchmakers to offer pieces in robust stainless steel and fine 18k gold, while other companies focus on other materials like titanium, carbon fiber, and ceramic. The size of wristwatches has progressively increased over its history — what once was considered the average size for a men’s watch, 26mm – 32mm, is diminutive compared to today’s average size of 40mm and beyond. However, there’s been a notable trend these days back to smaller men’s watches hovering around the 36mm – 39mm mark. Research some top watch brands to see if their heritage, styles, and models resonate with you.  

2. Taste and Lifestyle Fit

Many watches offer specific functions, for instance, diver’s watches have high levels of water resistance, pilot’s watches have multiple time zones, chronograph watches measure elapses events, and fine classical watches boast traditional complications such as calendars and indicate moonphase. When contemplating buying a preowned luxury watch, consider your lifestyle and what type of watch would best suit your needs. If this is your first pre-owned watch purchase, a versatile and affordable luxury watch may be the right choice for you. Some great starter luxury watches for men include the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the Breitling Colt, and the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M. For women, the Cartier Tank Française and the Rolex Lady-Datejust are classic entry-level luxury watch choices. Check out our beginner’s guide to starting a luxury watch collection to learn more.  

3. Select a Brand That Will Retain Value

If the possibility of reselling your pre-owned luxury watch in the future is an important factor, then selecting a brand that tends to maintain its value, such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Cartier, is something to keep in mind. When purchasing a second-hand luxury watch for the first time, look for watches that historically retain their design characteristics without too many drastic changes for easier reselling later. For instance, the Rolex Submariner, Breitling Chronomat, and Omega Speedmaster Professional, have all kept their iconic looks virtually untouched for decades. Stainless steel luxury watches have always been a popular choice with their demand steadily increasing, thus, may be easier to resell than other, more expensive, materials.  

4. Buy From a Reputable Source

There are a number of advantages of buying a pre-owned luxury watch over a brand new one, including better prices, availability of discontinued models, and a wider range of options. However, in this case, it’s very important to “buy the seller” to avoid getting cheated. Be cautious of companies that promise cheap luxury watches without the necessary measures to protect the buyer from fraudulent sellers. Aside from the price, examine other factors like condition, proof of authenticity, reputation, and after-sales service. Opt for reputable sources like Phigora that offer pre-owned watches for sale within a safe and secure online marketplace. If you’re in the market to buy a luxury watch online, then take advantage of Phigora’s valuable features to protect the buyer. Not only are all of our watches backed by an authenticity guarantee, they also come with a one-year warranty. Plus, we also have an easy return policy should you not be satisfied with your purchase. Consider the above buyer’s guide tips, browse through our catalog of pre-owned watches for sale, and buy with confidence. Ready to shop a preowned watch? Shop our Spring Sale from now until April: https://www.phigora.com/spring-sale.html