For many people, the prospect of buying a luxury, expensive watch is something that they dream about for years before finally getting to a stage in life where the dream might be able to become a reality.
A luxury timepiece remains a status symbol and fictional icons like James Bond and modern celebs like Brad Pitt who wears a Patek Philippe continue to inspire the desire for designer watches and high-end timepieces over fashion watches.
When you are facing the possibility of spending thousands of dollars on a perfect timepiece, then you really want to do your research.
If you have only ever owned inexpensive watches or more affordable watches, you won't necessarily have the knowledge about what you should be looking for and where you should be looking to ensure that you come away with the best possible purchase for a reasonable price. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of money on a fake luxury watch!
With high-performing timepieces, especially Swiss luxury timepieces, there are so many different factors to consider including mechanical movement versus quartz movement, choice of precious metal, water resistance, kinds of straps (metal bracelet or leather strap), Arabic numerals or luminous dials and more.
You might have a model or brand in mind but if not, you should know that there are numerous different kinds of timepieces including mechanical watches, sports watches, automatic watches, quartz watches, vintage watches, and field watches.
Purpose is also a consideration. Do you want to start a collection of luxury watches, a functional timepiece or a stylish watch with minimal complications to wear on dressier occasions? The style of timepiece you want may be practical - do you want a dive watch where water resistance is paramount or are you only interested in larger watches? Are you bent on a new watch or are you happy to consider pre-owned and vintage watches? There are some very attractive and very affordable luxury watches sold secondhand.
You may already know the answer to some of these questions. Others may not become a preference until you have begun to browse the ever-changing market of expensive and designer watches. Whatever direction your desires take you, there are some general guidelines to help you make a successful purchase.
Know the Brands
If you crave a luxury watch, it's important to know the major players. This is because all the legacy watch brands produce such a wide range of models you'll need to know what will fit your price range. It can be a very different story if you covet a limited edition or a standard luxury watch. Each brand has a catalog of iconic timepieces but they also add new models regularly.
The most sought-after brands are:
- Rolex
- Patek Philippe
- Vacheron Constantin
- Audemars Piguet
- Omega
- A. Lange & Söhne
- Bell & Ross
- Cartier
- Jaeger-LeCoultre.
For smaller budgets there are
- Less expensive Rolexes
- Tag Heuer
- Chopard
- Tudor
Whatever the brand and the price tag, the characteristics of a luxury watch are demanding. They are defined by their high design, intricate movements, use of precious metals and other luxurious materials, heavy-duty and robust materials, intricate movements and state-of-the-art craftsmanship which all add up to style and longevity.
Set A Budget
We are not exaggerating when we say that some of the most expensive watches can sell for millions of dollars, and unless you are one of the world's richest individuals, it is probably safe to assume that these are out of your price range!
The thing to keep in mind is that you should be looking to make a safe investment, and a safe investment is a smart investment. A wise investment means spending within your means and not getting yourself into financial difficulty for the sake of a timepiece. By all means drool over the most expensive timepieces or a sought-after limited edition but stick to affordable watches when making a purchasing decision.
Don't worry, there are plenty of affordable luxury watches including vintage Rolexes and Oyster Perpetual models that can be found for prices at auction in a more comfortable range.
Decide on the maximum amount you want to spend and do not exceed it unless you are able to afford the increased outlay.
Decide On A Model
The world of luxury watches is simply too large to just dive into head first without any idea of what you want. After all, this is not like the world of an Apple Watch where everything is pretty formulaic and uniform!
Think about how the kinds of timepieces by legacy watch brands will fit your lifestyle. For example, if you are planning on only wearing it for formal occasions, then one brand might be more suitable than others. If you want a status symbol, the name will be more relevant and you can pick a non-nonsense straight-talking fuss-free timepiece over a high-performing timepiece or functional timepiece.
Functional timepieces themselves are also designed to fit some lifestyles more than others. You might look at aviation-inspired timepieces, sports watches and iconic dive watches that are made of corrosion-resistant materials to cope with brutal conditions.
Always Try It On
Although many watches exchange hands online, if you are going to wear the watch a face-to-face purchase is preferable. (Although, most reputable watch retailers and auction houses will have a returns policy.)
Unless you are making the purchase as a safe investment, when such a significant amount of money is going to be leaving your bank account, it doesn't make sense to purchase a watch without seeing it in person and trying it on beforehand.
Even if you love the design or aesthetic of a particular model, you never know how it is going to feel on your wrist until you try it on.
Another benefit of making the purchase in person is that it gives you a better chance to authenticate the item. You are at a lesser risk of being fooled by fake luxury watches if you are able to examine the item.
Consider Resale Value
The primary reason for buying a watch should always be so that you can wear and enjoy it, but there is also no harm in considering the future resale value of the timepiece.
Any expensive purchase that a person makes is going to impact on their finances in the short term, so if you can find a luxury watch that is going to maintain the highest resale value as the years go by, you can feel secure in the decision to buy it in the first place.
Some names and models retain a much higher value than their counterparts, so make sure that you do your research to find the timepiece that is going to serve you the best in the years to come if you decide to resell.
The luxury watch marketplace is probably a lot bigger than you imagine and there is plenty of information available about every single detail so you should be able to make a solid investment with online help.
Always Buy From A Reputable Seller
When spending thousands of dollars, do not buy your watch from a seller that doesn't have a positive reputation within the watch community.
There will almost always be certain sellers and establishments that advertise their watches at significantly reduced prices, but you need to question exactly why this is the case and think about the reasons for these lower prices.
We aren't saying that the cheaper watches are always going to be fake luxury watches, but even if they are real, there might be a question of where they have come from and what their history is.
A reputable seller will also have a robust sales and returns process with guarantees.
Check Your Warranty Status
Your warranty is the thing that is going to protect you against a number of different potential problems with the watch and its ownership. It is really important to make sure that you know the terms and conditions of the warranty that is being offered, as it is the best way to ensure that your investment is being protected.
If you think that you now have enough insider knowledge to be able to distinguish a good solid investment piece from just another run-of-the-mill Citizen watch, then a great place to begin your search for the ideal stylish timepiece is Watches And Watches. Visit the website to find a huge range of pre-owned popular wristwatches across a very wide price range.
