Reply With QuoteLook at them. Are you a watch lover? If you can face ripping them apart, I doubt it would be worth your while buying any other nice watches....
Apologies if this type of question is against the rules. I am not looking for valuation.
I have these 2 vintage gold watches that I don't wear and would like to sell them and put the cash towards something I will wear.
But, is it worth me going through the bother of listing them for sale or are they worth no more than their scrap value (although scrapping them would sadden me)
First is an unusual J W Benson from around 1920/30 in 9 carat. It has an unusual screw back and front and hinged lugs. Movement is a FHF running great with 2 day power reserve.
Second is a 1940/50 Helvetia in 18 carat with teardrop lugs. Movement is a Helvetia 800c, again running great with 2 day power reserve.
So what you guys thing, scrap or sell?
Look at them. Are you a watch lover? If you can face ripping them apart, I doubt it would be worth your while buying any other nice watches....
stealth sale
Nothing sadder than seeing a job lot of movements with dials on eBay because the cases have been scrapped.
If you scrap that Helvetia I would be very unhappy.
This is the conundrum, I do love watches but if they are worth no more than their gold content then anyone who bought them could/would scrap them too. I would have no idea?Originally Posted by Der Amf
As I have been training in Horology for over 3 years I could keep the movements for spares and scrap the cases. Unbearable to do but...I just don't know!
Absolutely not.
And the PM's I have received already have been ignored and all future ones will be. The watches are not currently for sale.
Yes, I think they are worth a little but more than their scrap value. They are both good looking watches that are within what people would wear today, even if not regularly.
You can confirm this by looking at sales on eBay.
P.S. Just to be clear, the prices on eBay for watches like this exceed scrap value.
Last edited by markrlondon; 4th November 2016 at 14:37.
"Currently " being the optimum word then ?
Fair enough, but they are worth more than their gold content to most people here, possibly not financially though which is i guess your question.
I'm no expert but I do track some watches like this for sale. What I would say is that the price in the market seems to me to take account of the gold value in watches of this type (decent makes but no big brand premium). So you will probably get a similar amount whichever way you sell them. Let's face it, neither has enough gold to make you rich.
I did say in my first post that I 'wanted to sell' them to put the money towards something I would wear.
My 2 options are just stick them on eBay and they will probably be bought for scrap. Or get a consensus here that they are worth more than their scrap value, bide my time and sell them here to watch lovers (hopefully)
I'm in no rush and again, they are not for sale.
They are 2 lovely watches. If they were stainless steel you would not ask the question. What puts them in danger is gold, as the scrap value trumps their value as a watch. It doesn't need to be by much, but as long as gold is high enough it will happen.
Should you decide to scrap them you would join a very long list of people, some because they didn't know better, some because they were desperately in need of cash, some because they were just in it for the money and waved a 2 finger salute to those who argued it was a part of horological history that would never come back...
You choose where you want to stand.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I suppose the simple answer is, sell them as watches and pray that the new owners will cherish them.
They are both lovely looking watches. I really do have a soft spot for these old gold watches, so from my perspective it would be sad to see them scrapped. But at the end of the day they are your property, and yours to do with as you wish.
....Or save for a couple of extra months, buy your preferred watch and keep these two old beauties to admire and wear once in a while!
Both are too nice to scrap.
Place them in the right arena and you can be sure that they will be bought by enthusiasts.
There are specialist dealers who would buy them and sell them on, you could also go the commission sale route if you really must.
If it was my they'd both be in my watch collection as really nice examples of older watches. That's what I advise you to do - keep them both.
So let's get this clear , a nice photo, followed by a fantastic description, with the question scrap or sell , but you don't want to sell them.
I reckon that leaves you with the scrap option if I've got this right.
You want to sell them (possibly on eBay)
But also state they are not for sale?
Matron - bring me my tablets please
Wouldn't you have been better off making the decision to scrap them before you put your effort into getting looking so pretty?
And studied horology for three years, knows the ins and out of the watches and that they're running well, but doesn't know if they're worth more than the value of the gold?
Crack on guys, you obviously know me better than I errr, know myself!
Thanks to the Gents who have gave relevant answers. I will endeavour to find buyers that will keep them as watches but unless I know the buyer, god knows what will become of them.
Cheers
Ah, so they are for sale!
Not on this forum, they're not ;)
Interesting that the OP has been here 3 years albeit infrequently posting, asks a question and people start sniping. Is this really a friendly place to discuss watches?
They are both lovely - especially the Helvetia
I hope that you manage to sell them to an enthusiast
Well I would love to buy the Helevita. I think it is a shame when old watches get scrapped as the owner thinks the precious metal is the only value :-(
Agreed with this.
Put the pitchforks away you bunch of divas
To me the biggest shame is being a member for so long and not participating, if the op had a descent post count this would be viewed differently, it doesn't take long to find similar threads that appear to be thinly disguised sales posts, get involved.
Surely it is self-evident that if they sell for more than scrap value (which you can in fact control) then they won't be scrapped.
Not particularly stealthy
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There's potential for watches like this to become very valuable in years to come. If the majority get scrapped for gold content, gold watches from this era could become very rare.
A post that appears to look like a sales post by someone who has the relevant post count clearly isn't a sales post. The poster would just post it as a sales post if they wished.
Regarding these two watches; they are both very nice and stated as running well. I can see absolutely no justification in scrapping them. Personally, I'd love the first one as a dress watch and hope that the OP decides to keep them until he has sufficient post count to list them.
I'm sure he'd get plenty more than scrap value fir them if he does!
There's no way I'd scrap either - both are good looking pieces - but I understand the dilemma with vintage pieces that are not only in an unfashionable material but likely as not a lot smaller than most would feel comfortable wearing by todays standards.
I have my grandfather's gold Longines which I use as a "dress" watch. Yes, it's small by today's standards but it still looks great
Just deleted my original comments now I've seen the pictures.
I think the OP knows both watches are worth more than their scrap value, although he needs to know the weight of gold in the cases to be sure. Gold watches often contain far less weight than you think, because the cases are made in such a way to minimise the metal used whilst giving the desired appearance.
If the Helvetia was a fixer upper at fixer-upper money I may have been interested myself, but it clearly isn't in that category.
This time of year is always good for selling stuff like this, Get them on ebay or alternatively find a jeweller who sells a few second hand bits and pieces; you may be able to get him to sell on commission for you.
Paul
Not in my experience, but I do persevere. There are some good and sincere members here so it is worth posting.
I like them too and knowing your tastes, I think the are right up your ally.
Regardless if they are worth more or less than there scrap value ~ you can't put a price on sentimental or just plain appreciation value. It's like my grandfathers gold signet ring - worth far far more than the current 9ct scrap value dictates. I'm sure someone would pay a bit more for them as a vintage piece and prefer the gold case rather than rip the guts out
Haha I been here a long time over ten years lurking and prefer to read and don't post enough - doesn't make me a seller I hope
That's hilarious...
Simon
Again, thanks for the replies. They are appreciated.
Just for some background info. I am not passionate about watches, my daily watch is a Garmin Fenix 3 sports tracker. I have bought quite a lot of watches and movements for service/repair but, never sold a watch before.
My interest in watches is mainly the mechanical, complication aspect. Saying that I do have a soft spot for vintage divers.
These 2 watches were given to me around the time I started training in Horology. I serviced them and in the watch box they went, rarely seeing the light of day.
Except for what comes and go's on eBay, I have very little knowledge of value. There is a Helvetia on eBay at the moment the same as mine. It's been on there for quite some time so I obviously know, it's not worth that price, but was curious whether it was worth more than the sum of its gold.
The J W Benson is different though, I have never seen one like this with screw back and front with hinged lugs hence part of the reason I asked my original question. To discover whether, it's rarity? added to more than its value in gold.
Anyway, reading some of the comments here I realise there is a market for vintage watches beyond the metal of their case.
Cheers.
If I'm looking at the same one, yours is in much better condition, especially the dial.
I'm the exact opposite of the OP. Despite getting well into the service/repair side over the last few years I'm still primarily a collector/enthusiast at heart. I could give up the hands-on stuff and stop takimg 'em apart but I'll never lose the interest in owning and enjoying watches.
The OP's adamant he isn't looking to sell these watches, yet he doesn't seem to like them enough to keep and he's looking at the scrap value............seems odd to me.
Paul
yeah scrap them, melt them down into a bullet, ask scaramanga if you can borrow his gun............the rest is up to you.
You really need to go back to my first post and read the second line.
The sole purpose of this thread was to ascertain whether the watches are worth more as watches or are worth the sum of their metal.
From the replies I have received, the general consensus seems to be that they are worth slightly more as watches. I will not scrap them.
Good news
I'm now wondering if this is the place to be offering 3 ladies Omega movements that I took out of gold watches?
Yes I scrapped them as no one was willing to buy.
If someone genuinely needs them for spares or repair then I'm more than happy to send on.
I'll even cover the postage so not to profit from P&P..
What a fantastic offer, very generous and well done.I'm now wondering if this is the place to be offering 3 ladies Omega movements that I took out of gold watches?
Yes I scrapped them as no one was willing to buy.
If someone genuinely needs them for spares or repair then I'm more than happy to send on.
I'll even cover the postage so not to profit from P&P..
In answer to the OP , i'd personally keep them and would wear them occasionally for a change, bit of a dress up and they'd look marvellous .
What makes you think if you put them on Ebay they would be bought for scrap? Virtually all vintage watch lovers buy on Ebay. And many of them value gold watches in pristine condition such as those, I can't imagine they would be worth more in scrap or parts.
Ther months ago I was in talks with a seller on Ebay to buy a beautiful Longines art deco woman's watch with white gold case and an opal dial.
I was prepared to pay up to 400-500 dollars for it but before we even got into a price discussion I asked the seller to show a picture of the inside case back... and next thing I know, the original Longines case was irretrievably sold for scrap for a pittance!!
And then the seller tried to sell the now almost worthless dial and movement...
Before you kill those nice watches, proper homework would be in order -- as for any purchase or sale of vintage watches.
Best regards,
S
No I don`t, I need to stop wasting my time trying to contribute something helpful to such obtuse questions.
PM sent.
Mike
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