5 Tips for Buying a Preowned watch

Video Transcription

On this channel we talk a lot about watches. We geek out about the nerdy details. All the little intricacies that make these things so marvelous, and so marvelous in fact that Crown & Caliber was basically started to make these more accessible to people. We kind of wanted to dispel the myth of the old creepy dude on a street corner selling you fakes out of a trench coat. “Wanna buy a sundial?”

At Crown & Caliber our goal is to provide a uniquely better way to buy the right watch, at the right price, and the right experience. We want to make the preowned experience simple, trustworthy, and transparent so regardless of whether you purchase from us or someone else we want to lift the veil on that pre-owned experience and just share some of the tips that we’ve learned along the way.

Tip Number 1: Set a budget

Now this can seem boring and not fun at all, but it is really the best place to start because if not, you’re going to be a kid in a candy store. If you don’t know the direction, you’re going to go or the price you want to set you end up looking at a dozen watches and thinking every one is for you, and that’s just not great. It causes paralysis and you end up not making a decision at all. We have sweet glazed, cinnamon sugar, chocolate, white chocolate, fudge, M&Ms, caramel dipped, mint chip, chocolate chip, marshmallows, nuts, toffee nuts and if you think you’re decisive when was the last time you sat on Netflix and you scrolled for 45 minutes and weren’t able to pick anything. Ultimately setting a budget means two things. You pick a number, you set that number, and you don’t budge from it. Budget. Alright,

Tip Number 2: Do your research

And this is the most open-ended tip, and is the most fun. Basically, this is where you get to figure out what you want in a watch, what your style is, what you like. So, start to ask yourself questions. What do you like in the style of the watch? Do you like the history of a brand or a particular line of watches? What are you going to be using the watch for? If you already have an idea on what you like you’re already a step ahead and using a YouTube channel like ours is a great place to start. So, let’s say you’re watching one of the new Bond films and you really love Daniel Craig’s watch and you spend the next couple of days doing research about all the different Bond watches and now you’ve fallen in love with one particular watch. That’s awesome! Rolex. Omega.

Tip Number 3: Make a list of non-negotiables

Now when you are buying pre-owned you do give up a little bit of control. You can’t just walk into a jewelry store point in a jewel case and say I’ll have that one. We’ll take it! To mitigate some of the control we recommend having some non-negotiables. So, you’ve set your budget, you’ve done your research, and you’re beginning to refine what that style looks like. So, having some things you’re not willing to budge on is just a further refinement on what you’re looking for. So, in your research you determine that, you know, I’m going to wear this watch most often when I’m sitting at a desk. Maybe I don’t want a bracelet, so I’m only looking at straps. Or, I don’t like to check my phone as much, so the date is really important to me, so I’m going to want the date on my watch. You like the completeness, so you want something that is box, papers, manuals, you want a full set. We recommend having two or three non-negotiables and like the budget this really helps refine that list that you’re working towards. Alright,

Tip Number 4: Narrow your models

So you’ve set a budget, you’ve done your research, and you come up with your non-negotiables. This is where you start to actually narrow down a few models. And this could be, “Hey I know that I want something with a screw down crown and I know I want the date.” Well, there’s still dozens if not hundreds of choices so with your research and these non-negotiables you can start to say, “Hey I know I want this particular watch, or I like this particular watch.” And with this we think having two to three models is a really good idea. And it’s kind of like the needle in the haystack if you say, “Oh I only want this watch.” You’re going to probably get annoyed with yourself when you can’t find the exact one you’re looking for. Having two to three models is a great way to still give you some options but not lock you in to just one particular watch. All right so now you’ve taken this innumerable sea of awesome timepieces and you’ve narrowed it down to the ones that are perfect for you. So, you’re ready to buy a watch, but wait! Hold on. Not yet.

Tip Number 5: Buy the seller

Arguably the most important. Is buy the seller. Now that can sound a little hokey cokey, but really what this means is you want to vet the person you’re buying the watch from. You want to ask questions like: Are these actual photos of the watch? Can I get additional photos of the watch? Do they have a reputation? Are they new at selling? Is it a good reputation? Is it a bad reputation? Do they have a return policy? Ultimately you want to find out: Is this person or is this company trustworthy. And the old mantra, if it’s too good to be true absolutely applies here. If it feels that way walk away. And it’s worth noting this is definitely the hardest because you’ve done all the work and now you have to wait. And patience is key here. Remember there’s always going to be another watch. So, buying pre-owned is great for many reasons and if you follow these above steps, I’m sure you’re going to be able to find an excellent watch. We’d love to hear some of your success stories and let us know some of your tips as well.

I know personally here at Crown & Caliber there is an entire team of client service people that love to help you pick out the perfect watch. We kind of have a joke around the office that we’re just a bunch of watch nerds. One of our favorite things we like to do is help people pick out the perfect watch. If you like content like this then click Subscribe and then go ahead and click the bell again so you get notified when we release more stuff and as always guys thanks for watching.