Grab your coat, leave your valuables behind, and let’s go on a scavenger hunt to find a bargain!
Buying luxury watches online and in-store is exciting, but nothing comes close to finding watches in unexpected places. When you drop on a bargain, it’s a rewarding experience knowing your hours of hard work didn’t go to waste.
In this piece, we’ll examine some unusual places where you may find a luxury watch for cheap. We’ll also discuss what you should be aware of when buying watches in unconventional ways.
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Finding Hidden Gems
There is nothing more fascinating than discovering a valuable heirloom. Digging through a treasure trove of old bric-a-brac can sometimes lead to unearthing a hidden gem. For many, the enjoyment is in unraveling a story trapped in time or awakening a piece of history.
Have you ever dug through a deep box of old trinkets in the attic and uncovered a memory that means a lot to you? Maybe you’ve rummaged through a shelf in a charity store, and something piqued your interest. The ability to tell a story through a piece of history is pretty special, even better if it’s personal to you.
There’s also something particularly cool about discovering an item no longer in production anywhere. But what if that item was a luxury timepiece?
Finding Watches in Unexpected Places
Don’t get me wrong, you can get a good deal on a watch by keeping an eye on what grey market dealers are offering. The likes of Jomashop or Ashford are reputable, even though they aren’t authorized dealers. But there are other ways to drop on a good deal.
Buying a watch from a private seller will save you some money. Aside from online stores and third-party sites like eBay and Chrono 24, that is.
This way, you don’t pay the premium associated with buying from an authorized dealer. On the downside, they’re a little riskier and rely solely on the trust shared between the seller and buyer.
When you think outside the box, however, there are a great many places you can find a luxury watch without expecting it. You may even find a vintage timepiece that you can repurpose, repair, or resell.
Here are some options you may want to consider when shopping for watches in unusual places.
The Antique Markets — Visit London
If you’ve ever visited London, you’ll know that the pre-owned vintage scene for watches is big. While the trade can be quite an intimidating environment as a first-time buyer, you’re sure to get a good price.
Of course, you can also enjoy a spot of window shopping in Burlington Arcade. But unless you have a six-figure budget set aside, keep walking! There you can find icons like the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona or a vintage Omega.
However, for a good old rummage in a dusty antique shop, Portobello Market is worth a visit. Here, many reputable watch dealers specializing in mid-century timepieces have a wealth of knowledge ready to share. It’s a great place to drop on a rare timepiece!
Thrift Stores
Here in England, we have many charity shops and thrift stores, which is a great thing right now. The cost-of-living crisis has changed the way we shop, and in most cases, for the better.
Charity stores are all over the world, and they’re healthy on the wallet. They’re also a great way to create a sustainable wardrobe.
Saving unwanted items from going into landfill is one way we can take action to be more environmentally friendly. What many of us don’t realize is that charity stores and garage sales can be great places to find the odd watch.
Many watches found in charity stores, of course, hold very little value. Most people who are lucky enough to own a valuable luxury timepiece know what it’s worth and hold onto it. They may choose to pass it down the family line or wait until it increases in value. But you never know!
Cartier Tank Francaise Watch Charity Shop Buy
Just last month, something pretty unique happened in a London charity shop. A lucky bargain hunter spotted a Cartier Tank Francaise watch amongst the usual bric-a-brac.
The buyer, who remained anonymous, purchased the watch for £10 and put it up for auction. After 46 bids, the watch sold for a staggering £9,766! The Tank Francaise watch from Cartier is an important part of the brand’s rich history.
It was the same model worn by Princess Diana, Angelina Jolie, and Michelle Obama. Crafted from 18k yellow gold, many have worn its iconic square-shaped case as a symbol of elegance and luxury for years.
Considering that new models from the Tank Francaise series sell for around £28-32,000, this eagle-eyed shopper certainly struck gold with this special find. The money he made at the auction he donated to the British Heart Foundation.
Charity Shop Jaeger-LeCoultre Find
Rummaging around in a Goodwill Charity shop in the US, a guy named Zach Morris stumbled upon a $5.99 JLC watch. It wasn’t just any JLC watch, either. It was a Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm!
The Swiss brand developed the diving alarm watch in 1959, equipping it with the brand’s first self-winding alarm movement. The brand made less than 1,000 of these 200-meter water-resistant watches, making this special find even rarer.
The line fizzled out in the early 1960s, leaving only a few on the pre-owned market. JLC has made several modern homages to the original Memovox Deep Sea Alarm watch over recent years. None, however, are as striking as the original vintage model.
The watch has a retro black diver’s dial with beige indexes and triangular markers at the cardinal points around the bezel.
Morris, who purchased the watch from the charity store, knew it must have been worth something. Little did he know that the final price he’d get at auction for it would be $35,000. Now that’s a pretty sweet profit!
Auction Houses
Auction houses are a great way to snap up a hard-to-find timepiece. Taking a look at auction listings will give you an idea of how much to pay for a watch. They also give you a good indication of how much the watch you’re interested in can sell for.
Walking into an auction house gets you a more personal service, where you can pick up some industry contacts. Specialists in the trade can help you find what you’re looking for and steer you away from anything that looks risky.
Rolex Ladies Datejust ref 69147 Sold at Goodwill Auction
ShopGoodwill.com is a non-profit auction house that brings together over 130 stores to sell unique and rare items. In doing so, the proceeds made from these sales help target issues across the US, like unemployment and disability.
Amongst some of its listings are watches like a lady’s Rolex Datejust ref 69147 on a Jubilee bracelet. The vintage model, manufactured in 1993, features a stainless steel Oyster case and a black dial with the iconic 12 o’clock crown logo.
The grooved bezel on the 26mm case is a traditional feature that pairs with an easy-grip crown-engraved logo. The watch, still visible on the site, sold for a very reasonable $1,617.
It belongs to a collection that arrived in 1945 and sports the much-loved Jubilee bracelet. Jaeger-LeCoultre developed the bracelet, especially for the line, as an integral characteristic of the collection’s identity.
Garage Sale
Garage sales can be a great way to stumble upon a rare, valuable item. In most cases, sellers just want to get rid of a load of junk. But sometimes, they may not realize just what they’re letting go of!
Even if you don’t feel all that hopeful of finding anything of value at a garage sale, luck may be on your side. It’s always worth a quick rummage. It’s not impossible to find luxury watches and car boots at garage sales. If it’s happened before, it can happen again!
Car Boot Breitling Top Time Bond Watch
Back in 2013, a rare Breitling Top Time watch resurfaced after years of mystery regarding its disappearance. It was the only watch that the James Bond art department had ever modified.
The watch, seen in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, was one of many gadgets used by Agent 007 (played by Sean Connery). Used to help locate atomic weapons, it had a mysterious radioactive detector hand in the movie.
Crafted in 1962, the Breitling Top Time watch sold at a car boot sale for a mere £25! It later sold at Christie’s auction house in London for a staggering £103,875.
The collectible was a lucky find for the auction buyer, not to mention the chap who discovered the watch at the car boot sale! Its reverse panda dial, with a 45-minute register and small second functions, has a distinctive retro flair.
The watch is most certainly a rare and unique trophy for any Breitling or Bond fan.
A Car Boot Rolex-Panerai Watch
In 2016, a guy stumbled upon his late father’s old Rolex-Panerai watch. When he found it at the back of a drawer, he knew he was onto something promising. His father paid no more than £10 for it around 10-20 years beforehand.
Having researched the watch, the man was hopeful it would sell for around £500. The model, manufactured by Italian watchmaker Panerai, used a rare Rolex movement.
As one of just 618 pieces made, Panerai implemented the watch with plenty of luminous material. The Italian Royal Navy wore these oversized watches with large faces while operating torpedo craft during the night.
Despite needing a good repair at the time, the watch attracted huge interest at auction. Its final hammer price was an impressive £55,000!
The Takeaway
Finding watches in unexpected places might be more common than you think. But whether you fancy your chances at a garage sale or decide to visit a vintage market, there are things to consider.
You should remain vigilant about fakes and counterpart watches when bargain hunting. Even when buying from grey market dealers like Watch Warehouse has its risks.
Buying from an authorized dealer is safer and guarantees you a genuine timepiece, but of course, they’re more expensive.
Do you have your heart set on a specific watch? Then it’s always worth looking at online auction listings to see what it tends to sell for. This can also help you familiarize yourself with some of the industry’s most collectible timepieces.
You never know — you could be the next to find a good investment piece at the bottom of a dusty shoebox! As this article goes to show, anything is possible!
What has been your best watch find? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to sign up for your newsletter at The Slender Wrist today!
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