Watches

5 Things That We Look Out For When Buying A Watch

If you are looking for luxury watch buyers, you have come to the right place.

But before we decide to purchase your luxury watch and offer you a fair and competitive cash price, there are various things that we look out for.

This attention to detail watch inspection ensures that we purchase only the best luxury timepieces.

Therefore when customers are interested in buying watches from Lugardi, they can have peace of mind that they are buying only the best pre-owned timepieces from our collection.

Before you decide to sell your watch consider the following

Remember that before you sell you watch, you need to have a look at the condition that it’s in. Certain factors will affect how much you will be able to sell it for.

But it’s also important to note that high-end watches such as Rolex, keep their value as they age, as long as they are in a great condition. Collectors of fine watches are always looking out for quality.

1. Be realistic about the price of your watch

When it comes to selling your watch you might get more than what you purchased the watch for initially, or you might not. This depends on various factors. It’s important to have a general market knowledge when it comes to different brands so that you can know what to expect and not have an unrealistic or uneducated expectations.

Lugardi has experience in this field, and we would be happy to give you any advice or guidance about what to expect when selling your watch, or buying into a certain brand.

2. Think about the features of your watch

Certain features add more value to the sale of your watch.

For example, luxury watch buyers will have a look at the complexity of your watch. Which material has been made from, such as gold, silver, or stainless steel?

How rare is the watch? Vintage watches that are special additions might be able to fetch a higher price. The brand of your watch will also affect its value. Is it a well-known brand, such as Patek Philippe or Omega? Or is the brand not well known?

We all know about the Rolex hype, and how the brand has many models that surprise with their constantly increasing value, but as we mentioned before it’s important to have a general market knowledge so that you know what to expect. If you are unsure of the value of your watch, please dont hesitate to get in touch.

3. What is the condition of your watch?

The condition of your watch will determine how much money you can sell it for. If it is damaged, scratched, or not in a working condition this will definitely affect its value.

If the condition is close to “as good as new”, then the chances of you selling it for a fair price will be higher.

If you would like to sell your watch to Lugardi we look at the following before we make you an offer:

Does the watch have scratches on the glass? Or if it is a black PVD coated does it have scratches?

If the glass on the watch is scratched, this might affect its value. If this is the case, the glass will need to be replaced and this can take between 4-6 weeks depending on stock. If the casing of the watch is scratched, this is easy to get fixed and can be done within 3 days.

But if the watch is PVD coated it can’t be repaired by locals and has to be sent overseas for repairs. This could take up to 3 months and is very pricey (roundabout R20 000)

It isn’t the end of the world if the glass is scratched or chipped, we will still purchase this. The only time we don’t purchase a scratched or chipped watch is if the black PVD coat is damaged. The reason? It’s just too expensive to repair and takes time.

Another example is Bezels. If the bezel is scratched it can only be fixed when it’s steel and not painted. This would then need to be replaced by an agent. We will still purchase the watch from you, but would offer you a little less due to damages.
Does the watch have scratches on the glass? Or if it is a black PVD coated does it have scratches?

If you don’t, it’s not a train smash and we will still buy your luxury watch, but if you do have the original box and papers the value of your watch will be higher, meaning that we would offer you a better price. This also depends on the brand of your watch. After all, you would want the best price for your luxury watch.
Authentication

If you are a new seller and you haven’t been referred to us by a reliable source, we might ask to schedule an appointment with you where you can bring your watch in and a watchmaker can authenticate your watch while you wait.

The watch inspection is carried out by an expert who used to work for Breitling and has been trained in Switzerland. The same watch expert also services the watch if needed.

This ensures that when we do re-sell the watch our buyers have peace of mind that they have an original, authentic timepiece.

Side note: If a service is needed this can take between 3 and 5 days. The cost varies between R1500 – R5000 for a service depending on the watch. The watch will also be polished, looking good as new.