6 questions to ask yourself before buying a watch

Zach Blass

As a watch collector, it’s very dangerous to assume that you know everything – and I am not just talking about specifications, reference numbers, and brand history here. Watch collecting is not a sprint. It’s an evolving marathon. Your tastes and perspectives inevitably will change from the time you purchase your first watch to the time you purchase your fifth or tenth, so it’s important to have a moment of self-reflection and check in with yourself before you pull the trigger next. Whether a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, you are throwing down a fair bit of money with each new piece brought into your collection. That is why I would recommend asking yourself the following questions before you purchase a watch.

Can I really afford this?

I know this is a very “captain obvious” question to ask, but it is a very, very, important one you must answer. In our sickness and addiction as watch collectors, it’s easy to get lost in the hunt and develop a warped perception of what is safe and feasible for you to spend. If you find yourself thinking “I could eat pasta for a month or I will not go out with friends, travel, buy alcohol” etc. as cost-cutting measures to free up expendable cash, you better have the discipline to see that through. Along with being 100% sure your “math is mathing”.

There are even opportunities to purchase watches with or without interest, through monthly payments rather than totally footing the bill upfront. In full transparency, I did just that when I purchased my Grand Seiko Snowflake years ago on eBay. But I urge you to be very cautious when considering this tempting route. If you cannot afford it up front, and can barely justify the cost in monthly instalments over one year or two years, it’s not a safe thing to do. Sure, it may be doable at the point of purchase, but God forbid something happens – a family emergency, necessary home renovations etc – you do not want to put yourself in a bind when all of a sudden your cash reserves cannot be directed at those monthly instalments.

The last bits to consider here. Always factor in any applicable taxes when mulling over a watch purchase, and in terms of auctions, you should definitely be aware of any buyer’s premiums before bidding. Major auction houses like Sotheby’s and Phillips tend to have higher buyer’s premiums, but the tradeoff is that they often have more high-profile lots. That being said, if your budget is US$15,000, that means your hypothetical max bid at a Phillips watch auction in New York, which has a buyer’s premium of 27% for purchases up to US$1M, is actually US$10,950. This example does not factor in any additional applicable taxes, so your max bid would actually be even less. Fortunately, more and more auction houses are coming to the forefront where their marquee allure to participate is the elimination or significant decrease of the buyer’s premium. For example, I acquired my Credor Eichi II from a Loupe This auction, and its 10% buyer’s premium saved me 17% (compared to a Phillips watch auction) which equates to US$5,270 – a significant chunk of change.

At the risk of sighs of disgust, make sure you understand what the market value of the watch in question is or will likely be. I do not say this in the investment sense of only buying watches you stand to profit from. I mention it in the risk sense. If you need to raise capital for things you actually need in trying times, you need to have a realistic sense of how liquid your watches are – both in terms of how quickly they will sell and how much you stand to get back. Many watches depreciate in value the moment you walk out of the store.

Am I in love, is it lust, or just having a serious case of FOMO?

Okay. You have determined you have the cash to pull the trigger, now it’s time to evaluate if you should buy it. What I always ask myself before submitting payment is “do I really love this watch?” or “do I simply like the idea of owning the watch?” With so many limited editions these days, it’s also important to determine whether or not the watch’s limited status is influencing your purchase intent in the wrong way. If you are buying something rare, for the sole sake of it being rare, that may be a winning strategy from a collecting standpoint – but it is not a winning strategy from a wear standpoint. Ultimately, limited or not, if you are buying something because it ticks off a certain box on your horological bucket list but is destined to stay in your watch box, that is a potential red flag. It’s better to keep the cash than have something limited you will only stare at with regret later.

How will the watch fit into my collection? Will I actually wear it?

Envision how any potential watch purchase will fit into your collection, and, more importantly, into your roster/rotation of wear. As I noted in my recent The Collector’s Crossroads, it’s also key to have enough self-awareness to recognise whether or not you will actually wear the watch at all. For example, I have gone for easy wins in the past that I now find myself regretting. In one instance, I bought a Candino watch for less than US$400 purely because I was dying to have a watch with a power reserve indicator. Initially, I found joy in winding it up and watching its little hand progress forward like filling up a gas tank. Blinded by this tunnel vision, I did not think about just how much the 12 o’clock date complication would irk me, nor did I realise the side of the case is branded with “certified chronometer”. For me, that is the visual equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. So, inevitably, I have only worn the watch a handful of times, and now never wear it at all.

Another example is the Furlan Marri Havana Salmon pictured above. FOMO took over on that one, and I am ashamed to say, while a nice watch, it gets little wear time. In both instances, I failed to evaluate how and when I would actually wear the watch. I do try to wear a different watch each day, but I stick to a core segment within my larger collection – leaving some like the Candino fully ignored. With the power of hindsight, I now better understand my wear patterns, and how a new watch would fit into my weekly rotation. For example, I always wanted a Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi on a Jubilee bracelet. Its unobtanium nature and high secondary value made it a no-go, however. Since owning my Datejust 36, I realised that if a Pepsi magically presented itself at retail, it would spark a moment of consideration rather than an instant rush to buy.

The Datejust 36 is simply better-sized for my wrist, and it provides the experience of Rolex on a Jubilee. Yes, the Pepsi has GMT functionality to distinguish it, but for me, it would not make sense to own both, so I’d need to decide whether to sell the Datejust to offset the cost of the Pepsi. These sorts of internal dialogues are something you should indulge in while mulling over a new purchase opportunity.

Does the watch fit me?

Unless it’s a museum piece destined to be displayed behind the glass of a box (which kills me), of course, it makes no sense to purchase a watch that does not fit you. This is why we always say it is best to try a watch on in the metal. To expand on that though, back in my Piaget days selling in-store, I always advised customers to look at how the watch fits them in a mirror in third perspective rather than just simply looking down at the watch. Doing so, you’ll see how the watch wears in the eyes of those observing you – and it’s much more forgiving. Watches will always look bigger on you in iPhone wrist-shots as well due to the distortion of the camera. I would always joke when I looked at my 36mm Lange 1815 Up/Down ref. 221.021 that it looked like a 38mm watch. In a mirror, however, it became abundantly clear that it looked and wore like a 36mm watch – its actual size.

Of course, it’s not always possible to try watches on in the metal. So, my second piece of advice here is to get a sense of what lug-to-lug measurement is your extreme for your wrist. I have determined mine is 50mm for sportier watches, and 46mm for dressier watches. That’s why I was confident purchasing my 44m Sinn U1. The 44mm diameter screamed too big, but when I realised it was 50mm lug-to-lug, I knew I could likely get away with it (and years later, I still think it looks great on my wrist).

The above two points speak to literal fit, but it is also worth considering lifestyle fit as well. Are you a fashionista who will never wear a bulky dive watch? Or on the flip side, a more rugged and active personality? Sure, a Vacheron Constantin 1921 is a lovely and amazing watch in my book, but if you never find yourself in a wardrobe befitting such a design, it would probably be a waste. I bought a denim jacket once, and I probably only wore it once. Not my style, and a total waste of money.

If going vintage, am I aware of the ongoing care they require?

I’ll be brief here, but, if you really want to beat up a watch and put it through its paces, vintage may not be the best idea. When it comes to vintage pieces and their fragility, you have to make sure you understand the responsibility of ownership. Servicing is typically more expensive with scarce original parts available, and sometimes vintage watches, like an older Submariner, are beyond the point of being able to be fully waterproofed to their original ratings. Looking back on when this vintage Longines Mainliner from the 1940s – my first mechanical watch – was my only watch, I am astounded by what I used to do while wearing it and how lucky I am it is not in worse condition today. If you are interested in purchasing a vintage watch it would definitely be worth checking out my vintage watch terminology guide here as well.

Have I asked the seller all of the appropriate questions?

This in itself could be its own article, but to just briefly touch on it, you definitely want to make sure you ask the seller questions as well. Below are a few key examples:

• Is the watch in factory original condition?
• Has the case or dial been refinished? Has the dial been re-lumed?
• Is the movement running and in working order?
• How many links does the bracelet have? What is the bracelet length?
• Are you the original owner?
• Do you have the box, papers, and warranty card? Is the warranty card dated?
• Can you please take a photo of the watch with the time set to XX:XX? (verifying they actually have the watch)

I hope that this has been a helpful guide, but if you find yourself not relating or agreeing with any of the above questions, ultimately I just want to ensure you think about having an appropriate checklist that you run through before each purchase. You, like me, will probably make mistakes, but having such a process will certainly minimise the number you make along the way.