A couple easy tips how to buy a luxury watch.

A couple easy tips how to buy a luxury watch.

If you are going to buy your first luxury wristwatch. Here are a couple easy tips that will make it so much easier for you to pull the trigger.

So pretty much do your homework, you know ? The Bigger is not always the better. Just because it is an enormous establishment, does not necessary mean that it's the best choice.  You kind of got to feel it out yourself. Or one of the best ways to get a good feel for a store is also recommendations. Ask around, you know ?  Ask a couple people that have a nice watch and ask where maybe where they bought it from and how was their experience. But, when all else fails and you do not have no one else to ask, remember you always have Google, Yahoo, etc. You have social media. There's many ways to research a company and make sure that there are legitimate establishment, and that would follow through with anything that can happen, you know ?  Many things happen in the luxury wristwatch world.

 So there is no reason to be discouraged by that. You just got to make sure you're buying from a legitimate place, not a fly-by-night wristwatch dealer. Second thing I want to mention is do not get blinded by the authorized dealers.  I know for some guys, and there is nothing wrong with that, you know they like the warm, fuzzy feeling of walking in to the large

authorized dealer and getting the full experience with the champagne glass and the Vaseline. There is nothing  wrong with that, absolutely nothing. Some people just simply want to buy they are own  that is it. And that is alright I respect that. I was like that myself at one point, but don't get blinded by the authorized dealers. They're always  going to say things to kind of deter you from going and buying secondhand wristwatches  or gray market wristwatches and stuff of that nature, because imagine, they are just selling at full retail . There is not much you can do there. That is the only thing that they have to offer, is that they sell brand-new and that you are buying from the authorized dealer. 

For some of you, that might be just exactly what you need for your first wristwatch. If that's what it is, fine ! Some of you guys do not live in major cities where perhaps maybe you know these smaller secondhand dealers or re-seller jewelers are not available, and I understand that. But do not make it like so concrete like it has to be in an authorized dealer because, for me, that's just you know let me just tell you, even authorized dealers have bad reputations.  Just because someone might have a line and might carry a manufacturer's brand, does not mean they are the best. They might have terrible customer

Service. They might have some butcher watchmakers working there, where you might thing when you send your luxury wristwatch for repair, they are sending it back to the factory, but they are really sending it to a guy in the back with a jigsaw. You

know so just keep that in mind. You got to do your homework. Got to ask around. get different opinions, because in my personal opinion, you could always get a better deal from a reputable re-seller, and the key word there is reputable.  

So we get to the third thing Is, you know internet versus brick-and-mortar stores. There is  many fantastic deals out on the internet and when I mean  an internet,  I mean an actual e-commerce site where you can go in, click buy it now. I kind of have I'm kind of iffy about that at times. Yes, there are many reputable internet stores where you can buy merchandise and there you know guarantees. There is no games, no gimmicks. I am just kind of more like a person where I like to kind of feel the wristwatch and see it in person. That is just my mind and my way of thinking. And you know what ? Many

brick-and-mortar stores do sell on the internet also. But, if you are going to buy through an exclusive internet store,  ask a lot of questions. Example Ask what is the return policy ? Again, let's go back to the first thing number one, buy the seller. Do your homework on that brand, see the reviews, see  if anybody recommends on them. 

Ask about the return policy. Another Thing, if you are buying it and it's an unworn you know new luxury wristwatch, but unworn, okay make sure that you are getting the guarantee, because I have seen many I have seen many websites where they will sell you a wristwatch as new,  new unworn, whatever you want to call it, It the same thing you know ? It has not been worn. But you are getting a discount, but you are paying a little bit more than a pre-owned, but you are  not getting the guarantee  the original warranty from the brand. I mean, me personally,  if I am going to be paying that type of money, I guess I just wanted all the little things. 

For that I just buy pre-owned and just give me the wristwatch alone  I am not so crazy about watch and papers.  I have had this conversation before. Yes, there are some wristwatches that you want the box and papers. But you know what, for a first-time Rolex,  under ten thousand dollars, if you want that box and papers  all that to give you the first experience, I get it man ! I am into That. But you know what, if you are getting a good price and you're buying with confidence, do not even sweat it. But  internet versus brick-and-mortar, it's complicated. I am a bit more of a brick and mortar type of guy, but if you are going to go to one of these internet stores, make sure you just ask many questions. A lot of those guys are available for you tospeak to on the phone and answer any of

your questions. If you can not get anybody on a phone to ask questions to, then that's kind of not a good sign in my opinion. So, keep a lookout for those kind of red flags that might bring up something to your attention. Fourth is the box and papers. I just mentioned this

previously, but I want to focus on that for a second. 

Guys, box and papers does not make a watch a hundred percent authentic. It does not mean that the wristwatch is not stolen. It does not mean that the wristwatch maybe perhaps was not handled incorrectly or damaged. So never use that as the determining factor. I got people that call me all the time and that's all the ask, Does it have the box and papers ? When you are new to this, if you have not bought enough watches,  the box and papers is that one little thing that kind of gives you that fuzzy, warm feeling, but if you are

buying from somebody that has a reputation and they are guaranteeing that the wristwatch is authentic a hundred percent. You read all the reviews or you have had many recommendations. The price is good. During an offering you a buyback price in the future. Perhaps maybe you could trade it back in, which is also an important thing to me, you do not really need the box and papers ! I can not

tell you how many boxes I have and papers just sitting in a larger box somewhere in my closet.  If it is a  a fancy Patek 

or when you are already getting into the high-end wristwatches, like really high, yes, it does make a difference, but the price will always reflect that. I do not mind buying a nice 5980 Patek without boxing and papers, as long as I'm getting it a lot cheaper discount price.  What I care mostly about is condition, price, and that I am buying it from somebody I can trust, because that is one of the most

important things. Never use box and papers to authenticate anything, including the seller. The fifth thing that I am going to mention, to me, is the most important thing of all and it's, always get a receipt from your seller with the serial number of the watch printed on the receipt. It has to match guys. You got to do your homework. You got to get the wristwatch on the Rolex, for example, it is going to be if it is a newer model, the serial number is going to be on the bezel engraved, and in the inner bezel. You want to make sure it matches the receipt, because anybody can write you a receipt with a serial number that it could be the wrong receipt. Because, when all else fails, that is the one thing that is going to protect your investment. If you are walking it's just obviously random scenario. If you are walking down the street and some guy starts accusing you that, this is his watch and that you stole it from him. I do not know. Maybe the guy does get the cops over there and they are trying to say  that's the one thing that's going to prove that you bought the wristwatch and who sold it to you.

 That is the one thing that is going to protect you from a watch being stolen, from a watch being fake, all those things. So that's the most important thing. Always get a receipt with a serial number. You got to treat it like you are buying a car, almost like a bill of sale.

 I know it's kind of extreme guys, but I try to treat it,  especially if I am in the three grand and up range I treat it like if I am buying a

gun or a car. I like to get a bill of sale with the person's name. If you are buying it from a private, get the person's name. If you are buying it from the store, then obviously there has to be an invoice. But you get the serial number of the luxury wristwatch and the amount of money that's paid. Last, but not least, is find out what is the warranty and the return policy that you are getting. A lot of times when I sell a watch at the store and someone is sitting in front of me, they already had time to look at the wristwatch. They already tried to watch on, so a lot of times, they got to make that decision. If they are going to return the wristwatch, there has to be a legitimate reason why, because they had plenty of time. There is no pressure. If I am shipping the wristwatch to a client that's not in the store, first I will provide many pictures of the watch, so that they can see it first. But I do get it. Maybe they try it on and when they like it, just wasn't what they expect it. So I do offer a hundred percent money-back guarantee for those type of deal. I can not have someone wear the luxury wristwatch to the Grammy's and then return it on Monday but those are kind of the things you want to ask. Many people asking what's the return policy we discuss it. We go over it, that type of stuff. Warranty. You want to ask what type warranty you get on the watch that you buy. If you are buying it whether you are buying it in person in a brick and mortar or you are buying it from an

online retailer. You want to ask what type of warranty you get. A lot of times, they will not offer warranty on the outside, on the case, the bracelet, because, let's face it man, if you've bash the freaking watch against the wall break the glass that's nobody's fault but yours. But you know, little dumb things, which part of customer service is a pin falls out, stuff like that. Usually, if they have a good reputation, they will take care of it. But most will offer a warranty of at least one year on the Mechanism and if it's not going to have a problem in one year, then it's not going to really have a problem. So one year is a good enough time to know you bought a good wristwatch with no problem. So ask those questions. Those are the questions you want to ask first, so keep that in mind when you're doing your homework for these luxury wristwatches.