Looking for the Best Place to Buy Pre-Owned Watches for Christmas?
Part of many people’s Christmas list is to own a luxury timepiece. Buying a watch for your special loved one new may be impossible, because they are expensive and your budget needs to be spread among many people.
Designer watch make a bold statement, signifying the finer things in life. Owning one isn’t out of reach when you shop pre owned luxury watches.
Pawnshops buy, sell, and pawn luxury timepieces. But how do you know what to look for when buying a pre owned Rolex or other watch?
Do a Little Research
Take some time to research the name brand watches that you like. If you are looking to purchase a used Rolex watch, research the brand. Rolex watch manufacturing includes only the finest materials, and premier craftmanship.
Understanding which watch makers use, what materials or what they are known for will help you spot fakes.
Counterfeits and Fake Watches
There are several types of companies that sell fake luxury watches. Advertising affordable options, people are taken by the price and forget to look for the details included in all fine watches.
Counterfeiters have developed refined skills, which makes it difficult to spot a fake. Pawn shops are experts and take every effort to ensure they sell only genuine pieces.
When you are looking for a pre owned watch, ask yourself who is selling it and why. If the price is in good, it probably is too good to be true. How are the luxury timepieces displayed? If they are out in the open, are they real?
What type of inventory does the pawn shop have? Pre-owned luxury timepieces are difficult to find in good working condition. So if an inventory has several of the same watch you may want to question if they are real.
Experience the Watch In Person Before You Buy it
Photos are detailed and clear when you shop online. But depending on photos to determine the condition and authenticity of a designer watch is dangerous. Photos can give a false sense of security, and when you consider paying a large sum of money for a watch, you want to experience it in person.
Stop into the pawn shop, who has the watch, and pick up, examine, try on, and ask questions about the watch.
Look at the materials used to make the watch, the watch case, the crystal, and the hallmark.
Designer watches weigh more than counterfeit watches. This is because of the cheaper materials used to make the watch. Think of it as “feeling” the weight of quality craftsmanship.
A Rolex watch, Omega watch, and other fine watches have engravings, typefaces, and brand specific craftsmanship.
When you examine a watch for purchase, look at the watch movement. Each brand has their unique qualities and specifications.
Reasons to Consider Buying a Watch
Luxury watches are one of the most socially acceptable accessories for men and women. A watch makes a statement about style, persona, self-expression, and what a man stands for. Women wear watches as part of their jewelry, which exemplifies their characteristics. For both men and women, a luxury watch is an expression of self-image.
People chose different name brand watches like Rolex, IWC, and Cartier because the watch has style, look, and craftsmanship. Some choose to purchase a particular watch because of the mechanism, its precision, and the materials used to make the watch.
A timepiece conveys a sense of self-respect.
The image it presents carries how others perceive you. A luxury watch can communicate individual taste, aesthetic appeal, a subtle display of wealth, and dress etiquette.
During business meetings, dinner, presentations, luxury watches are widely respected and quickly noticed. Luxury watches are conversation pieces to draw in likeminded people.
Skilled Artisians and High-Grade Materials Make the Watch
Luxury watches are crafted with the highest grade materials and undergo quality control tests to ensure the watches meet precision standards. Designer watch brands are made by skilled artisans and top-of-the-line materials.
Because of their quality craftsmanship, they wear better and are durable, and stand up against damage and daily wear.
Because of the craftsmanship and high-grade materials used in making luxury watches, the watches will last for several decades. Luxury watches like IWC, Phillips, and Rolex hold their value because the evidence speaks for itself.
In the watch world, luxury watches are a status symbol. A luxury timepiece is likely the first wearable piece of jewelry that you will spend too much money on. This being said, it is a piece of jewelry that will last a long time and be a worthwhile investment.
Audemars Piguet
There is nothing like the loyalty of friends. Childhood friends make us stronger. In the case of Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, they were not only childhood friends. They reconnected in the early 1870s to find that they were both watchmakers, who in 1875 joined forces to create the brand Audemars Piguet.
One hundred and forty-five years later, Audemars Piguet is the watch brand known today. The fourth-generation company leaders are both from the original Audemars family. The company is an active member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH. Audemars Piguet produces 40,000 timepieces annually.
Patek Phillippe
In 1839, Antoine Norbert de Patek and Francois Czapek, both watchmakers, established a watch factory and registered the partnership as Patek, Czapek & Cei. They worked together for six years, and then the company was liquidated. Patek continued on, and was the inventor of a pocket watch wound without a winding key. The next year Patek & Cie was founded. In 2009, the name changed to Patek Philippe.
The list of luxury watches goes on; some are automatic watches, some with mechanical movement, some with perpetual calendars, and others with a sapphire crystal. The perfect timepiece is out there, and high end watches are available to purchase both new and pre owned. A pawnshop is a great place to find a luxury timepiece.
Deciding which watch is the right watch is important, and predetermining a few things will help you make an informed decision.
How Much Money Do You Have to Spend?
Have you thought about how much you want to spend on your watch? Watch brands vary in price. A new watch will cost more than a preowned watch in most cases. Some vintage, pre-owned watches can bring a lot of money. When you buy a luxury watch, do some research and consider what options you want and what is within your price range.
A Deciding Factor To Think About Is What Is The Purpose Of the Watch?
Some people have a collection of luxury watches, and other people want a “first” watch. Some people will wear their new watch daily, and others on occasion or not at all. Some people may have only business meetings or special occasions to wear a luxury watch to.
Watches like the Omega Speedmaster have special options for specific activities like diving and racing. Deciding on a watch takes into account how the watch will be used.
Water Resistance
Water resistance means a watch is humidity protected. The watch can endure a small amount of water, like splashes from rain or those that happen when you wash your hands. It means it is moisture resistant for a certain amount of time. Waterproof means the watch is impenetrable by water, but there is no guarantee.
There are certain ratings for specific watch brands. A 30m rating means the watch can repel rain, but it can’t be used while scuba diving. A Rolex Dateline and Datejust II is guaranteed water resistant up to 100 meters. They are fitted with the Rolex Oyster case.
Luxury Watches May Be Complicated, So Make Sure What You Purchase You Can Use
Winding the watch, the annual calendar, the chronograph, automatic movements, mechanical movements, the mechanism, if it has a mineral crystal, or a perpetual calendar are all part of buying a luxury watch and understanding its idiocrasies. Knowing how to “use” your watch is important, and what you want to use it for is an essential piece of information to consider before you buy a watch.
Bands and Bracelets
Some luxury watch brands come with a leather strap and some with a metal strap. It depends on the high end watch and the maker. Knowing your wrist size and what band feels comfortable are all considerations. Each of the top brands uses specific bands. A pre-owned watch may have a band that needs to be replaced.
Heat and Magnets
All luxury watches have limitations. Heat from saunas and jacuzzis will infiltrate watches more than cold water. Sudden changes in temperature may damage movements. Knowing where you will wear your watch is an important watch purchasing decision.
Magnetic field may affect the accuracy of a luxury watch by causing the movement to gain, lose time, or stop altogether, so be cautious.
Sound
When you find a watch you like at a pawn shop, hold it up to your ear so that you can experience the near-silent movement of an authentic luxury watch. If you hear audible ticking, it may be an indicator the watch is counterfeit.
Buying A Luxury Watch
You may be buying your first watch or adding to the many watches you already own. You might be buying a pre-owned watch as a gift. Either way, finding a good deal and ensuring that the brand name you buy is what you want and will satisfy your desires.
There are limited editions, classics, watches with roman numerals, mechanical movement watches, battery powered, those with quartz crystals, those with ceramic dials, some with blue dial, some have more complications, while others don’t. Some purchasers will only buy Rolex because they believe Rolex has earned their “crown” as the best watch available. Other purchases will only buy Patek Philippe or one of the other top brands.
All luxury watches when purchased new come with a hefty price tag. Buying a luxury watch can also be achieved by purchasing pre owned luxury watches. Pre owned watches make owning a luxury timepiece an affordable option.
Watches can be purchased direct from the manufacturer, online, or through a certified watch dealer. They can also be purchased through a reputable pawn shop.
Pawn Shops have inventories that include pre-owned luxury watches.
The beauty of buying one of the brand names like Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and others is that a pawn shop authenticates the watches they bring into their stores before they agree to purchase or loan against them. They make sure they are buying genuine products, because if they don’t, they would lose money on fakes.
Lambert Pawn Shop
Lambert Pawn Shop is a full-service California licensed pawn shop open six days a week. Located in Whittier, CA, the pawnbrokers are dedicated to assisting their customers with financial options and an inventory filled with quality luxury products.
They have over 25 years combined experience as pawnbroker. They carry watches made of the finest materials available. They have the flexibility to lend cash on almost anything valuable.
The loan, buy, sell, and trade on items including gold jewelry, platinum and silver, diamonds and precious stones, electronics, musical instruments, and tools.
If you are looking to pawn an item, sell or trade it, or shop for a luxury item like a designer watch, you can email the store a picture and description, and they will get you a quote right away.