Pre-owned luxury watches can provide tremendous value and cost savings. The market for these time pieces is large and lucrative, and the internet has further amplified it. However, there is a process involved with acquiring the best products, and when you consider the many counterfeit watches which have flooded the market it is essential to separate genuine watches from the fakes. Here are some tips that will help.

Research Service Costs

Some pre-owned luxury watches are no longer being manufactured, so it is important to find out if services are available to repair them. Mechanical watch servicing can be costly, particularly for luxury brands, so you should find out if services are available for a watch before you buy it. Luxury watches always come with documentation when first purchased, but many sellers will no longer have this in their possession, usually because they lost it. If the seller you’re buying from has no documentation involving service history, find out the cost of servicing the watch and then add this to their asking price. This will help you determine if the watch is worth it.

Pre-owned Luxury Watches Should Display Signs of Wear

A pre-owned luxury watch which shows no signs of wear whatsoever is likely to be a fake. Even if it is genuine, watches are meant to be worn, and anyone who spends thousands of dollars on a time piece only to never wear it and place it in a secure place does the product a disservice. When shopping for a pre-owned luxury watch look for things such as scratches and even dents. While you may think this makes the watch look less valuable it actually increases its value in the eyes of collectors and enthusiasts, and will be easier to resell in the future, so long as the damage isn’t too extensive.

Look For Watches That Come With The Original Packaging And Papers

Vintage watches (those which are 30 years old or more), will rarely have the original packaging or documentation, as the seller didn’t think to hold onto them. However, the packaging for luxury watches is becoming more elegant and keeping it will make the product easier to resell. The documentation is also important as it provides a paper trail that makes the watches authenticity easier to verify. Watch manufacturers are including more detailed documentation these days to combat counterfeiters, so be on the lookout for sellers that have documents for their products.

Buy From Authorized Dealers

A number of authorized dealers specialize in pre-owned luxury watches. These watches will typically be acquired from customers that traded up to a newer or more costly model. Authorized dealers are one of the best sources for acquiring these watches precisely because they are authorized, and there is a reduced chance of getting a fake. These dealers are almost always well reviewed and have excellent relationships with their customers and can put you into touch with someone that is looking to sell their time piece. Patience and knowledge is the key to buying a watch that suits your desires and needs.