There are many people who love the look and feel of high-quality pocket watches. If you are one of these people and are thinking of buying a pocket watch of your own, then the chances are good that the first one you buy will be the start of your own pocket watch collection.
Following are a few important things to consider if you want to start your own fine pocket watch collection, to make the experience as incredible as it should be.
Make Sure Your Collection Is A Good Investment – for your pocket watch to be a viable investment, take some time to learn more about vintage and antique pieces that you can find and purchase online. You should also learn how to find special symbols and marks that will help you identify fine pocket watches. In addition, since pocket watches are an extremely long-term investment, the timepieces in your collection should not be worn every day, but stored carefully, under the correct conditions.
Value Variables To Consider – the value of a pocket watch could be affected by a few variables, including:
- The maker
- The year the piece was manufactured
- The condition of the timepiece
In addition to the above, the pocket watch you are considering buying should be authentic and good value for money. If you are not familiar with these things, then it is a good idea to get the help of a professional, before you make a decision. If you have a question about buying or selling a pocket watch then please get in touch as we are always ready to take your calls and emails.
Popular Pocket Watch Brands To Look Out For – you should look out for the following popular brands to add to your collection:
- Breguet
- Patek Philippe
- Audemars Piquet
- Girard-Perregaux
- Vacheron Constantin
Although all the above brands are well known, it is the Patek Philippe brand that is the most valuable. A Patek Philippe timepiece in good condition can sell for many thousands of dollars at an auction. The least you can expect to pay for an antique pocket watch is $1500, and if you are looking to buy your first timepiece for your collection, be sure to have it appraised by a professional.
Build A Good Relationship With A Reputable Online Antique Dealer – forging an alliance with a well-known antique dealer is the best way to find high-quality pocket timepieces. A reputable antique dealer will have connections everywhere and be able to access a specific brand quite easily. Being part of a nationwide network means that the online dealer will be able to send you photos of the pocket watches that are for sale. He/she can even arrange for you to see a specific pocket watch that you want to see or can examine the piece on your behalf and send you an in-depth report.
Set A Budget And Stick To It – before you want to start a pocket watch collection, or want to add to an existing one, it is important to decide how much you want to spend and stick to the budget you have set for yourself. This will prevent you from overspending. Purchasing a fine pocket watch should not leave you with financial issues, but should instead, be a calculated investment that will increase in value over the years.
Building a collection of high-quality pocket watches is an extremely rewarding hobby that is not only a pleasurable experience but also a way of accumulating finances to provide you with a secure retirement. You can take your time to build your pocket watch collection, and if you do things carefully, you will eventually have a collection of pocket watches that is not only impressive but worth a significant amount of money as well.
Do Pocket Watches Hold Their Value Over The Years?
There are many wristwatch collectors who are quite happy to spend many thousands of dollars on their beloved timepieces. Even today, it is quite common to pay around $100,000 for a wristwatch from the counter of a jewellery shop, with some watches costing even more.
We live in an era where many people prefer fitness and digital watches, but what about the countless vintage and antique pocket watches that were made decades ago? Will they be worth anything to the generations of the future?
According to Collectors Dashboard, one should not consider every collectible as a solid investment. Some collectibles, including those with exorbitant prices, might have been purchased for the pure joy of owning the item, or simply for vanity’s sake, as a status symbol. No thought of the item having a good resale value in the future was considered when these items were purchased. It would have been better if the money had been used to rather invest in mutual funds, stocks, bonds, or property.
In Conclusion
Most of today’s adults have memories of an older member of the family owning a pocket watch that was worn on a vest or the inside of a coat. The watch was normally gold (plated) but was many times made of steel or silver. Adults of today will remember these pocket watches being used daily, and how all the moving parts had to be tuned.
If you are looking through old family jewellery boxes and heirlooms, and come across a forgotten pocket watch, it might be a good idea to examine it thoroughly. Check the brand name and do some research on one of the many online websites available. There is a good chance that the watch is not as valuable as you are hoping it would be. However, if it is made of gold or is a top brand such as those mentioned in this article, then you could very well be holding an extremely valuable timepiece in your hand.
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