Dr. N.
Many people make the mistake, when they decide to put their watch up for sale, of looking for their timepiece model on a specialized classifieds site, and believing that the price of used watches which they find is the one corresponding to the value of your watch. Only to then go to a seller and be disappointed by a lower estimate, perhaps leaving the shop annoyed and thinking "they're taking advantage of it"...
Let's see how to avoid these, let's say it clearly, errors of perception of reality.
What are classifieds sites?
They are simply virtual places where a seller displays his goods and offers a price.
Nothing more.
They are not representative of the real value of the your watch more than a car classifieds site compared to the value of the your car.
In other words, there is a substantial difference between one sales proposal and a sales contract concluded and signed. The seller who puts his advert online indicates for theclock un price which may be negotiable, for example. Or it ties the price to certain conditions: for example, if you ask him to accept a trade-in instead of a pure and simple sale, he could apply a higher price. Many factors can affect the difference between the proposed price and the one actually paid.
But is my watch really like the one I found on the site?
Secondly, as unpleasant as it may be, the your watch may not be as commercially interesting as what you have seen on the internet. Small signs of wear, the lack of warranty, the need to service the movement - a need that arises regularly simply due to the passage of time, or extraordinarily if the watch is damaged -, or even simply having removed the films from an otherwise new watch, can make a difference between your clock and what you found online, enough to justify a gap of price.
The difference between a private individual and a trader
Then there is a series of Costs that a dealer must bear and which, inevitably, force him to offer the owner of the watch a price that may not meet his expectations.
First and foremost, the watch dealer is an entrepreneur. He works. He therefore has the right to his fair profit, to reward the time he spends working instead of dedicating it to his pleasures. Within the limits of correctness, of course: but work must be remunerated. Let's not forget that the trader, as an entrepreneur, suffers from the business risk: if he doesn't find customers, he closes. This aspect must also be taken into account when we consider his earnings.
When the merchant buys a watch, he does so in order to resell it and obtain a profit from it gain. Not for personal collecting pleasure. So, the price of the used watch sold to a dealer is affected not only by the natural need for the dealer to earn a margin, but also by the more or less easy resale of a given model. The price of a Used steel sports Rolex, for example, will be closer to your expectations than that of a watch that is perhaps equally technically valuable, also made of precious metal, but little in demand on the market. This because the warehouse costs money: the capital tied up in a piece that is difficult to resell does not pay off until a customer is found.
The trader, when purchasing a watch, must bear the risk that it is not in perfect order. It is normal for a professional to offer 12 months of warranty on used watches which resells. If the watch that the merchant buys needs to undergo repairs before being resold, the merchant bears the costs. The need for an overhaul may be obvious or not immediately visible: for this reason, even if the watch appears perfect, the dealer cannot help but pay a lower price than what a private buyer would offer.
So, what is the right price for my used Rolex (or any other watch)?
The right" price of a used Rolex, or any other used watch, does not exist. Obviously there are maximum and minimum ranges within which one must move. Ad sites they can help you get an idea: but they are not oracles. It is not possible, without first having subjected the watch to the examination of an expert dealer, to have an exact estimate of the price of the watch.
If you are not sure of the correctness of the price offered by a merchant, all you have to do is turn to a different merchant to hear another bell.
At the center of the Chronosect philosophy is the relationship between seller and customer. This is why we decided to create an advertisement site, not an e-commerce, where the goal is to to meet seller and buyer, offering professionals an online showcase where they can display their watches and jewellery. Even though in this article we deal with the sale of a private individual's watch to a trader, we still think it is right to underline how our entire community of professionals is at your disposal should you want to have your watch valued.
