Buying a watch head only

[Der Amf]

I've noticed in my couple of years on watch forums that it's quite rare for a watch to be sold just as the head. I was wondering if the general wisdom is that a watch being sold head only needs to be treated with caution?

I never wear bracelets, no matter how appropriate they are to the watch, so the absence of a bracelet isn't going to be any kind of a problem to me (at least until the moment I want to sell it)

Is this a good route for saving money, or is "head only" some kind of red flag eg one meaning, this watch is so battered we can't be bothered sorting it out?

(Specifically, the watch I'm thinking about, in a very airy, just a vague plan for the future kind of way, is the old 36mm Oyster Perpetual ref 1018)

[notenoughwrists]

I've noticed in my couple of years on watch forums that it's quite rare for a watch to be sold just as the head. I was wondering if the general wisdom is that a watch being sold head only needs to be treated with caution?

I never wear bracelets, no matter how appropriate they are to the watch, so the absence of a bracelet isn't going to be any kind of a problem to me (at least until the moment I want to sell it)

Is this a good route for saving money, or is "head only" some kind of red flag eg one meaning, this watch is so battered we can't be bothered sorting it out?

(Specifically, the watch I'm thinking about, in a very airy, just a vague plan for the future kind of way, is the old 36mm Oyster Perpetual ref 1018)

Don't think it's anything to be concerned about, so long as you are not bothered about a "complete package" or resale value so much. Older watches especially. I've had many older ones that came on non-original straps or NATOs etc., and have flipped them along in similar states. These were all, admittedly, inexpensive pieces.
I have found that sourcing original bracelets to be a pain, so as a result would always pay considerably less for a head only. And factor in a service as a precaution.

I wouldn't buy anything modern without all the right aspects, but that old Oyster should be OK.

[Der Amf]

I have found that sourcing original bracelets to be a pain, so as a result would always pay considerably less for a head only. And factor in a service as a precaution.

Yes I was assuming that if a vendor hasn't invested in sourcing a bracelet they won't have spent the £££ on a service, let alone a proper one :)

[Belligero]

I don't see it as a red flag at all, and while I always prefer to have a watch's proper bracelet, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Rolex without its bracelet as long as the price reflected its absence and the seller was reputable.

Buying sans bracelet can be a great way to get a high-grade watch for relatively little, and I personally feel that the older 34 and 36 mm models are a bargain for the quality and are likely to become more sought-after as the big-watch trend fades. The bracelet can always be sourced separately if you change your mind; personally, I think the OP is brilliant on its proper Oyster.

[Dave O'Sullivan]

I wouldn't worry personally. A lot of those watches will have had the bracelets junked over the years and being quite expensive to replace, the owner probably doesn't bother.
I've just picked up an 1803 with no bracelet (or paperwork for that matter). Couldn't care less if I'm honest!

[Aquaracer2]

NP for me. I would not see red flags for a watch without bracelet. As long as the pricing is right.

[Lammylee]

Bought my Submariner 14060 head only, seems to be quite common with this model. Happy to do this as 1. Don't like the hollow link oyster bracelets. 2. This model looks better on a NATO (IMHO) 3. Not bothered about storing box/papers in a cupboard. 4. Saved around £700 in doing so over a 'full set' 5. Bought off a trusted seller on sales corner.

[bitfield]

Buying sans bracelet can be a great way to get a high-grade watch for relatively little

Yep. The bracelet makes up a surprisingly high proportion of the cost of something like a sports Rolex (maybe 20%), so head only is the cheapest way to get hold of the watch you want. It says nothing about provenance, or mechanicals; just that the previous owner, like you, wasn't bothered about bracelets.

[DB9yeti]

"Yes I was assuming that if a vendor hasn't invested in sourcing a bracelet they won't have spent the £££ on a service, let alone a proper one :)"

I fail to see the connection. Plenty of old Datejusts and Day-Dates that have been worn on straps for decades as their bracelets have just worn out.

[Der Amf]

"Yes I was assuming that if a vendor hasn't invested in sourcing a bracelet they won't have spent the £££ on a service, let alone a proper one :)"

I fail to see the connection. Plenty of old Datejusts and Day-Dates that have been worn on straps for decades as their bracelets have just worn out.

Ah thanks for that point. Am so inexperienced with bracelets it didn't occur to me that they could just wear out through age

[Belligero]

Ah thanks for that point. Am so inexperienced with bracelets it didn't occur to me that they could just wear out through age

They certainly can, especially if the watch is worn loose on the wrist and isn't kept free of grit. And that goes double for two-tone:


image credit: watchmakingblog.com — Tribology

[Guitarfan]

Yep, bracelets wear out/break and are expensive to replace. If the price reflects it, buying head only can be very cost effective.

I bought my 'beater' Sea-Dweller head only and in fairly used condition, but saved around £1000 on a similar example with bracelet and box/papers. Quite a saving!

[snowman]

Wouldn't greatly bother me, especially on an older watch.

On a newer one, I might want the bracelet, but that would depend on the watch.

Quite often I take watches off their bracelets and wear them on leather, simply because I prefer the look and the comfort.

For example, my Breitling B1 has a, frankly, wonderful bracelet, but I prefer the watch on a leather strap, ditto my Everest.

That said, both my Sinns and my Longines HC are on their bracelets and will probably stay that way now.

I bought a Steinhart Ocean black a while back and found the bracelet really uncomfortable, so I put that on one of Eddie's Rhinos.

Most recently, I bought a 1962 Novus and that was just a head. The only trick then was deciding on the right strap - not sure I've got there yet, but that's half the fun

So, no, buying a head only wouldn't bother me, as long as the price reflected that AND I didn't particularly want the bracelet/strap as part of the package (ie that I didn't feel it made the watch look better that way).

M

[Neilw3030]

I recently bought a 36mm Rolex TT 1601 head only at a keen price for the girlfriend, have looked at buying a genuine bracelet but they are big money or knackered, so for now it has a generic TT jubilee until I decide what to do, im happy with that and more importantly so is she

[Der Amf]

Thank you for all the replies, and thank you even more for the unanimity of opinion!

I note that my sense of there being something I didn't understand lurking around was correct, unlike my estimation of what that something was.

I just spent all my watch money, so I'll have plenty of time to research all this before I'm ready to make a move.

[Michael27]

I have bought several without bracelets and have just hunted around to find a replacement that I think suits it. I am not too bothered about the originality, more the aesthetics.

[Haywood_Milton]

Bracelets are generally the first thing to fail beyond repair on a Rolex. The main case and movement, even if a "soft" gold model, will often be going well after 40 years, but most gold Presidents or Jubilees have died by then. There is many an 1803 Day-Date head without a bracelet and dealers have been delighted to see a modern trend for putting them on straps!

This is the most expensive batch of watch heads without bracelets that I ever bought, almost all unworn and in stickers:



Haywood

[Der Amf]

Here's a nice pair of examples of the range of prices for a 1018.

One ad from earlier this year on Rolex Forums: "Crisp Case, Service History Unknown But Winds Up And Runs Head Only On leather Strap. $1800"

Currently available from a shop, advertising on chrono24: "perfect example. 1978" - the youngest 1018 I think I've yet come across - "£2,995 [negotiable]" http://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/oyst...arch/index.htm

[M4tt]

It's not unheard of to be able to buy a watch fairly cheaply and then sell off the bracelet to recoup a fair amount of the purchase price. A classic example would be some of the Kriesler bands found on, say, Accutron:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Kr...QAAOSwMpZUpbX9

or Bonclip found on old military stuff:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bonklip-St...EAAOSw5VFWHkBA

or even old Rolex:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bonklip-St...EAAOSw5VFWHkBA

It's yet another oddness of the market that many sellers don't realise the value of the bracelet. It's a very easy thing to underestimate.

Welcome to TZ-UK BTW.

[vortgern]

I bought a Seiko chronograph SND309P from Creation.

First thing I did was throw away the flimsy rattly bracelet and put it on a strap.

So now I have a head-only watch. No mystery and it doesn't mean I don't look after the watch, etc.

Given the price to replace some bracelets eg Omega I can quite understand why they might be head-only and wouldn't worry at all about this.

[James.uk]

Bracelets are generally the first thing to fail beyond repair on a Rolex. The main case and movement, even if a "soft" gold model, will often be going well after 40 years, but most gold Presidents or Jubilees have died by then. There is many an 1803 Day-Date head without a bracelet and dealers have been delighted to see a modern trend for putting them on straps!

This is the most expensive batch of watch heads without bracelets that I ever bought, almost all unworn and in stickers:



Haywood

Could be tempted by a couple of those as fancy making a DLC.