Hi All,
Just toying with buying a Datejust from Watchfinder but I cannot overcome my concerns. The watches look good but the photos are over-exposed and I am just wondering exactly how much 'refurbishment' has been undertaken in an effort to present a shiny attractive watch. I don't want to go to all the bother of ordering one and then having to return it as it has been over-polished. So what are your experiences?
Thanks in advance
They always look very shiny in their showroom in the Royal Exchange, but I don't know if that's over polishing or only selling really good examples there.
The cost of returning, in the grand scheme of things, is nothing, though, so you have nothing to lose, except the large markup they add...
M
As a buyer my experiences have generally been good. But a close inspection of the watch is always necessary before purchase. Don't rely just on the photos.
As a seller, I've been less impressed. They can be very, very slow in appraising a watch (sometimes a matter of weeks!) and in some cases their offers are seemingly completely off the mark (unless it's their way of saying they really don't want the watch!).
ive bought and exchanged with them. All 4 deals have been smooth even though one watch had to go for some warranty work.
if i am looking for something in particular, i always check their website first.
I've bought one and sold two watches via Watchfinder. No problems with any of the transactions.
I've bought one watch from them. Went into the shop to look at the watch then bought it online as you don't get the 14 day return option instore. Very happy with the watch and would buy again from them but I'll haggle next time.
I don't like watches that are heavily refurbished and they have a reputation of always over polishing watches so I wouldn't use them, I've come across some shocking examples from them over the years.
I've bought four watches from them and three have been back.
The good!
Rolex Seadweller 16600 advertised with 8 months Rolex warranty but came with 22 months.
The bad
Rolex GMT (1999). Arrived with a noticeable scratch on the sapphire and a different bracelet/clasp to the photos. It went back and had both issues sorted with no problems.
Tag Heuer Link Calibre36. Arrived in desperate need of a service so was sent back. I was emailed a graph of its post service performance which was considerably better than my findings on my timegrapher.
The very bad
IWC Ingineur. Arrived with the crystal covered in tiny scratches which only showed up under certain lights (my kitchen LEDs in particular). Watchfinder refused to replace the crystal as it had passed their quality inspection so I sent it back for a refund.
I've only bought during their better flash sales and I've not had any major issues as such but you need to check the watch very carefully on arrival and report any issues back to them ASAP.
Other experiences are a bit of a waste of time - the particular watch you want might be heavily refurbished or completely untouched; entirely dependent on the watch. They obviously don't overpolish minters. Their returns policy is absolutely cast iron and I'm afraid that's the only way to find out.
FWIW I have had many, many deals with them which have all gone well. But they are suffering from a SERIOUS lack of knowledge and experience in their shops now, the old gaurd who knew their stuff have moved on..
I've had three watches off them: a Submariner, an Explorer and a Speedmaster. Because these were big purchases for me, I wanted to have a proper look at each of the watches (don't trust their photos to be honest) so all three were purchased face to face in the Royal Exchange store - and I booked an appointment to view for each, which is probably a good idea if you plan on viewing at lunchtime as the place gets packed. Obviously, doing this removed any worries I had about over-polishing etc. As for the service... I can't remember who I dealt with for the two Rolex, but he was excellent - very patient and knowledgeable and happy to do a little bit of haggling. Sadly, it seems he's left now. The Omega buying experience was less satisfactory; it seemed as though the sales guy had targets to hit and consequently, was in a bit of a hurry - sort of took the shine of it all...
In the end though, I got three watches I wanted, in the condition I wanted, for the money I wanted to spend. All three have performed within expected tolerances too.
I`ve had no dealings with them and it isn`t fair to recount anecdotes.
On the subject of polishing/refinishing, it's fine if it's done properly. Sadly, doing it quickly and doing it properly are often mutually exclusive, it's far too tempting to use machine polishing wheels aggressively and take the sharpness away.
I`m 95% self-trained on refinishing, I spent a long time learning how to do a good job. I`m convinced the best way to get a good result is to do most of the hard work by hand, but that's far too time-consuming to make it worthwhile IMO. Having the top-notch machinery helps a lot, but that's a luxury very few have. Most repairers can make far more money servicing watches than refinishing them, that's another reason why good refinishing work is hard to find. The manufacturer's Service Centres are usually the best, they employ folks who do nothing but refinishing and they tend to have the best machinery.
When looking at a watch, it pays to know exactly what it should look like! That sounds obvious, but the only way to learn is to look at new/original examples that haven`t been worked on. A loupe helps a lot, but you can get too carried away with excessive magnification.
If a watch has been refinished, look for the sharpness of the edges, the depth of the graining/brushing (there's a difference) and how it matches the original finish. Under a glass it's usually clear whether the watch has had all the damage scratches removed or whether it's been refinished over the damage. Also look carefully at the points where brushed/grained finishes meet polished. There should be a sharp line, which isn`t always easy to get. Don`t forget the back of the case or the back of the lugs too.
I would never discount refinished watches, but view them with some caution. No substitute for getting the watch in your hand, photos can often be deceiving. You can`t turn a sow's ear into a silk purse; if a watch was in very rough condition it's a fair bet that refinishing will improve it but won`t make it perfect again.
Paul
I've had four off them, two went back and I had no trouble getting refunds for returns (a 'mint' datejust which had a ding in the bezel and an "unworn" tudor which had clearly been worn, they refunded the postage on the tudor) Kept two, a yachtmaster which was in superb condition and a speedster II. The speedmaster was described as having no box or papers, but it came with very recent Omega service papers and box - I was delighted with both.
I have tried to PX a couple in the past, I wasn't happy with the valuations so sold them elsewhere (the speedmaster went on here) for a bit more than they offered.
I'd use them again as they are prepared to haggle a bit (I've only done deals online) and I'll get my money back if I'm not happy.
Thanks guys - I collect vintage mainly and I always avoid 'refinished' watches. I am aware of the need for sharp edges and correct 'brushing' and I have seen some dire attempts in the past. Hence my request for your experiences. I'll give it some more thought.
Thanks again
I find their valuations excellent tbh. They always give the highest valuation too when given the range. I wouldnt buy from them however, too expensive.
Ive bought from them and also sold - both transactions went faultlessly
In relation to the latter they offered me an excellent price and everything was concluded in less than a week
Not with me they didn't, I got the lowest both times.Originally Posted by kaiserphoenix
I tried to do a deal on a 5513. They offered me a fair price for the watch I was trading so I provisionally said I would go ahead, pending seeing the actual watch.
In the end I decided against as the watch was awful when I went to view it; badly refurbished and over polished. Not cheap either.
For vintage pieces, they are fine if they have something you really want. But it's a case of having to actually handle the watch in person rather than just going in blind with an online purchase. They will happily tell you what you want to hear over emails/phone calls to get the sale.
Just my experience, others may differ!
Subscribed, as a few have caught my eye.
What's "wrong" with over polishing? i.e. what makes it overpolished vs polished...?
Well there wasn't much left of the watch I was looking at!
It takes material away. If you're polishing heavy scratches, giving the watch its second or third polishing session during its lifetime or just ham fisted you can ruin the watch.
I've just sold another watch to them, so as of now they have bought 4 off me. All 4 deals they offered the lower range of their initial price so I rejected the deals. 3 times they went to the maximum and once we compromised in between. I probably could have got a bit more selling them on a forum, but not much and for the lack of hassle and ease I was pleased with them.
I haven't bought from them, I have to say the prices seem a tad high, but I understand that they will negotiate a bit.
I had a good experience of buying a 16570 Explorer II from them in a flash sale - in the sale the price seemed fair for a serviced watch that wouldn't need attention any time soon. It arrived in 24 hours with the option of returning it immediately if I wasn't happy, but the watch was good so it's on my wrist now. It lacked papers but at least I felt confident buying from them that it was genuine, and could be returned if there were any issues - something I'd be less sure about with some of the slightly better deals from Italian and Spanish Chrono24 'trusted sellers', so it was worth the small premium for the convenience.
I can't really judge the quality of their servicing of the watch, except to say that it's running well and was neither over polished, nor glowing with that 'brand new' look I'd expect from RSC, who would likely offer to replace a bezel at the slightest sign of wear under a loupe.
Overall they were easy to deal with and I'd use them again if something caught my eye, though their prices are generally a bit over what I'd hope to pay with a bit of searching around. My only gripe is that the photos on their site make it quite hard to judge to quality of the watch, meaning seeing the actual watch and possibly returning it is the only way to be sure. They could learn a few things about photography from some of the members here.
I bought my Superocean from them a few years ago, rang up and placed a holding deposit as I'd missed the previous one I'd wanted by being hesitant.
Went down to see them at their Kent office, tried on the watch, inspected it and bought it. When there was an issue with the chronograph they fixed it FoC even though it was out of their guarantee period.
Haven't bought from them since, but only because they haven't had the model / year I've been after.
I agree, I've sold watches to them any they literally paid twice what other London dealers offered on a Black Bay.
I've also bought from them quite a few times (albeit always from the shop so seeing the watch first) and I've had no issues whatsoever.
I've sold to them, and bought a couple - all good experiences to date thankfully.
It's just a matter of time...
Plenty of Verified Accounts here https://uk.trustpilot.com/categories/watches both positive and negative
RIAC
I am about to do my fourth deal with them for my Dark side of the moon. I have found I have got more than what I can sell on here for, but I always do it face to face.
They can be very nasty sometimes. Will email a decent enough quote but once you get there price automatically drops 10%!
They offered me at a time 30% of retail price for 6 months old watch. I guess they just want to deal with Rolex and nothing more. It was Tag btw :D
It all depends on a brand and how popular the model is.
They offered me absolute peanuts for Tudor Sub. Somewhere in the region of £500!
30% off retail for a Tag? Thats a really good price mate....A brand new Tag can be had for 30% off retail, so if they were offering that its not bad at all. Unless you meant 30% of retail then is bit low.
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Not the experience with me. Always got the highest bid in the range they give me. It helps if you get to know the guys etc.
To the OP, I also spotted a Datejust today on their site, hope it wasn't the same one as I made an offer and it should arrive Thursday. Bought from them before and seemed to be a reasonable deal. I'm not an expert as many members on here are though, so can only go on first impressions when getting a watch. I'll be looking closely at this one, of course.
Superb service all round every time I've dealt with them. I recently traded in my Speedmaster and got £200 more than the highest offer I received on here against a ND Sub.
Can't recommend them enough!
Like someone else mentioned here , as a buyer I have nothing but good experiences with them but as a seller you need to be aware . My experience is that they will quite you a range online but when you take it in they always offer you the bottom of that range and twice they have told me there was a 'mistake ' and its actually worth less than the quote .
Nothing to stop you walking away from selling it to them though , which I did both times.
Also note there is room for negotiation as both a buyer and seller
Good luck
James
I found them good to deal with on a recent transaction.
The trade in deal they offered was quite good, and with a bit of negotiation, I was able to
obtain a better price on the watch I eventually purchased.
The watch was dispatched very quickly after the deal was done,was in excellent condition and was not over polished.
It was a TT Datejust I purchased, and have noticed that they have now sold my DJII. (Blue stick dial)
Exactly this. I've bought a couple from them with no issue...One of the reasons was if it's not as expected they'll take it back no argument.
Have to agree re:store knowledge ..was in Blue Water a while back and popped in and was suprised at how little the staff knew. It also annoyed me nothing was priced..Obviously to allow staff to give it the hard sell when you enquire
Well the DJ arrived and looks a cracking watch. Had a recent service, box and papers all intact - not bad for a 23 year old watch. All as described so no complaints here.
Have traded twice with them and both were Perfect deals. an IWC Aquatimer and Recently a Speedmaster, Appraisal was really fast and the deals done in 3-4 days
On the bad side, the prices that offer for you trade are very low.
But all in all, I would deal with them again
I see, thank you.
I have dealt with them a couple of times and found them a pleasure to deal with. Hero status on both counts from me.
+1
I've just, nearly, completed a deal with them. Good valuation on my 2 trades and good prices for what I've bought.
Easy to deal with.
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