[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When a watch buyer is considering the condition of a watch for purchase the watch head is just as important as the watch bracelet. Just like your own head, you have to keep the head of your watch healthy. First, it’s important to understand what the head of the watch is. The watch head is often called the face of the watch, but the head is actually the part of the watch that holds the mechanism that runs the watch as well as the parts of the watch where you read the time.
Although these are the most important factors of a watch, we prefer to see a watch that isn’t working rather than have you take it to get it serviced or fixed. If the watch is a good brand and has the other attributes that we are looking for, whether or not the mechanism works will not necessarily lower the value of the watch and we know how to get it serviced and fixed properly.
As a watch buyer, I always pop the back of a watch head off and look with a loupe at the movement of a watch to check the mechanisms and see if the parts match the maker of the watch that we are looking at, but that is not what I am going to discuss today. Today I want to talk about the physical beauty of the head, or those parts that you can see, and what a watch buyer will look for as far as value when they are assessing your watch.
Please note that if you have a watch that does not meet all of the following criteria, that doesn’t mean we won’t want to buy your watch, or that you won’t get a good price, this is just a guide to help you become familiar with what we do look for.
The Watch Buyer and a Healthy Head
- The crystal should be as free from deep scratches as possible. Light scratching is normal wear and tear. The crystal should have no chips around the edges and the edges should be smooth. The crystal should also be secure and water tight. A watch buyer can tell if the crystal is not water tight, because there will be watermarks where leaking will have seeped along the edges over time and marked the watch dial.
- The watch dial should not be faded or have brown spots and all the numbers or markers should be clear and defined.
- The Cyclops is the dome that magnifies the date wheel on the dial of your watch, if you have a date feature on your watch. If you do have a Cyclops, I look to see if it is attached securely and that it is not scratched and that the magnification is still clear.
- The crown controls the date wheel, which is often found under a Cyclops. I like to make sure that the date wheel turns smoothly both ways and doesn’t stick. I also make sure that all numbers are visible and none are faded or missing. The date wheel can be placed anywhere on the face of the watch, and it doesn’t always have a Cyclops to magnify it, like the Rolex.
- The crown is an important part of the watch. The crown controls not only the date wheel, but the hands of the watch as well. I make sure the crown locks into place and is tight. If it is a screw down crown, I test to make sure that the screw mechanism is not stripped and that it pulls out easily and adjusts to the right and left to move the arms as it should. The stem and tube that holds the crown into place needs to be firm and not loose, as well as straight.
- The arms of watch should be straight and not bend and, if there is a minute hand, it needs to move smoothly and not jump.
- Are the bezel and the bezel insert in good condition? Is the bezel scratched if it is ceramic and are the markers and numbers where it is painted worn and faded? How does the bezel turn? Does it turn in the proper direction and is it multi-directional or does it turn at all? Is the bezel worn or are the edges crisp and sharp?
If your watch head can pass the above seven criteria, then you are well on you’re way to getting an excellent value for your timepiece, so remember to keep your head clean, but let your watch buyer do the servicing and repair for you![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
