Bit of a long one, this...
After a mammoth WTB thread some 10 years ago (!), I bought a 6138-8020 Panda (including bracelet) in excellent, highly original condition from Village (longtime TZ-UK member).
I wore the watch on a semi-regular basis over the next couple of years, but started to lose interest in it. (In fact, I must admit to losing interest in all watches, having not worn one in at least six years - I'm still a regular at the George & Dragon, though).
Since then it's been sat in a drawer without any wear.
Cut forward to now, and I'm finding my interest in watches has picked up once more and my mind has turned to the Panda sat in my drawer.
For those that know...
Re timekeeping, I'm guessing that after 10+ years without a service it might well need one. If so, how much would one cost? Alternatively, might a regulation be enough?
(Re "service", I wouldn't want anything like polishing done to the case / dial / etc. as they're completely original and are in great condition anyway. Plus Watchworks in Bristol opened up and assessed the watch when I originally bought it, confirming the movement was in excellent condition and everything was as it should be).
Beyond that...
I want to weigh up the cost of getting its timekeeping up to a good standard vs what the watch would actually be worth after doing so.
Should I get it sorted I might very well keep it, but I'd also be interested to know roughly what you think it might be worth on Sales Corner etc. as I have no idea and the current asking prices seem to go as high as £1,400 on places like watchpatrol.net.
I should clarify, this is not a sales post in disguise, I'm just after some opinions so I can decide what to do.
Thanks!
If I were you I'd talk to Olli (.olli. of this forum and https://onatelier.co.uk) or Duncan (Thewatchbloke of this forum and https://thewatchbloke.co.uk) about the service, both do excellent work. I can't help on value though, sorry.Originally Posted by CamCG
"A man of little significance"
What to do? Post a picture or two of it. It sounds like a great example and I’d love to see it. Shame not to get it sorted and worn again.
If you like the watch why not just go for the service and wear it?
Or wait with the service and wear it for a week to see if you really have started to like it again.
Would seem that a recent service increases value in case of sale. I guess, as you bought quite some time ago, that would always be worth it regardless of a value estimate.
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Thank you for the advice. I'll likely contact them in them in the near future.
Not a bad idea to wear it for a bit to see if I still like the fit / feel / look.
However, I think I'd only go for the service if:
A). Should I not like the watch, I'd be able to sell it for a decent amount more than the service would cost (I've heard chronograph services can be £300 or more).
OR
B). I fell in love with the watch again and the value after service became less important.
Unfortunately the watch technicians I've previously used in Bristol (Watchworks) now only do Rolex, Speedmaster and Breitling work.
Please see below!
The first picture was taken by the previous owner, Village.
The other two were taken by me when I first bought it (hence look a bit dated!). The condition as of today is yhe same, though.
I'm not at the property where the watch is at the moment, but may take more "high resolution" photos in future!
I think you should sell it back to me for the price you paid for it......
Otherwise,Foxy gives good advice regarding servicing.
If it is your only watch - wear it and then get it serviced
If you have another watch that you prefer, then wear that
If you have lots of other watches that you wear in rotation, wear it for a day or two now and again
If you need the money sell it
If you collect watches it is a nice addition to any collection
If you are not going to wear it and just want to look at it now and again plus feel that it will increase in value, just put it away.
There are usually 2 or 3 on eBay all the time, so you can judge the value by going into "Sold" listings .........take off the eBay fees and that's what you should get
It's a Seiko - cheap to service, but you may have to wait some months to get it back - it's not Rocket Science
Last edited by BillN; 24th January 2020 at 15:53.
Haha, only if I can add charges for 10 years worth of "storage and security" on top! lolI think you should sell it back to me for the price you paid for it......
Otherwise,Foxy gives good advice regarding servicing.
I still remember wondering if that WTB thread would ever end - I think the Internet was running out of panda pictures at the time.
Even with a Samsung S9 and it's fancy camera, I doubt I could do better than you did on the picture front all those years ago.
All fair points.
I see current eBay sales prices / starting bids are anywhere between £900ish and £1,800ish dependent on condition / location / originality etc. Quite a spread! Recent 'Sold' listings seem to vary between around £800 and £1,300.
I'll keep an eye open to try and get a better idea re value, though.
Either way, it implies a service would be worth it.
if you are going to sell it on eBay I would not think a service would make any different if the watch is running reasonably well, as long as you describe the watch correctly
if you want to have the watch serviced you may have to wait a few months to get the watch back ...... so your sale will be delayed by a few months
https://www.60clicks.com/seiko-6138-...lectors-guide/
Last edited by BillN; 24th January 2020 at 16:52.
Thanks for the info.
I will have a look at the watch soon, give it a wind and observe the timekeeping over a few days. If it's way out I'll likely get it serviced / regulated etc. by a Seiko expert.
I may well end up keeping it, but if not I'd be far more inclined to sell via TZ-UK than eBay, even if the potential sales price was a bit lower.
There are quite a lot of people who collect 6138's .......the condition of the dial is very important ......... many have suffered from "damp' .......... there seems to be a lot of fake dials appearing on eBay - probably because they are now so much in demand - (I'm not saying that yours is anything other than genuine)
Oh, trust me I know! lol
As I learned more about this watch, I became more and more paranoid about the risk of buying a fake dial version. So much so, I totally discounted buying one from eBay.
In fact, at the time of purchase I called upon the help and advice of a well regarded Seiko expert called Jose Sotto to educate myself about the watch and avoid a few "traps" (he used to sell vintage Seikos under the name Watch Cooking but I'm not sure if he's still in the watch business).
After a long hard search via TZ, Village offered to sell me a highly original example in excellent condition. I also had the chance to speak to the owner previous to Village, Andy Armitage, to ascertain more details.
Despite all that, I still had a well-regarded watch technician in Bristol look it over to check for any water damage or unoriginal parts - as expected given the TZers who'd owned it previous to me, it got a clean bill of health!
I'm glad you feel that way. Now, how about that Zodiac of 'mine'?I think you should sell it back to me for the price you paid for it......
"A man of little significance"
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