5 Watch Pro Tips I Wish I'd Known When I Started! - Grey Market, Swiss Made, Lug Length, and More!

[@davidcoleman2463]

Good video. 100% I have a Hamilton khaki field automatic and a Seiko sarbo35. I love them both. The finishing on the Seiko is a bit better but the Hamilton runs a bit better. That is the way it is .

[@nevillegrimshaw7758]

Great video, very informative.its so easy to overspend when embarking on a watch collection.

[@dunndicles]

Great information and presented in a down to earth manner. Damn fine video, Man!

[@TheBuddingWatchEnthusiast]

Thank you!

[@scottv781]

Great vid! I've collecting for a little over a year, and many of these more nuanced things took some experience to understand and appreciate. Love your channel...keep up the awesome content!

[@thehistoryprof6750]

Good information, well done. There has never been more smoke and mirrors in the watche industry regarding the cost/quality ratio vs branding/marketing. See J. Anthony's review showing a 99$ Invicta having the same or better movement and interior quality as a 2500$ Tag Heur. You don't always get what you pay for, but do pay for what you get !

[@karluzzo]

Also important is the case/dial ratio. A Diver with a bezel wears apparently smaller than a dress watch (wich not bezel at all), 'cause the dial is actually smaller than the global dimensions of the piece may suggest 😉

[@fpoynton1604]

Solid advice.Good job and thank you.

[@chasfoster9895]

Good video. I will say that reputable grey market dealers often offer warranties comparable to the maker. With a little digging you can find who’s who in grey market shops. Also, if you check out the maker you can find out whether the warranty is good or just lip service.

[@sparrowgab]

Thanks for the tips, which are very useful. Maybe the first shopping spree is something that could be addressed as part of the watch education (a hard part for that matter). I love your vids. Cheers.

[@chrispenn715]

As well as grey market sellers like the one you mention, there are also sellers who can supply quality brands at a discount and still include the manufacturer's warranty - for example Montredo. I bought a Hamilton via them and saved around 25%, yet still have the genuine warranty - they seem to act as a broker for authorised dealers to shift unwanted stock...... I agree with you that it is best to buy more expensive watches from authorised dealer - for peace of mind, plus the whole buying experience that goes with it - if only for your first 'luxury' watch.....

[@davidmckenna1549]

I always have a good laugh when the desk divers complain that a watch doesn't have at least 200 meters of water resistance

[@neilpiper9889]

I wish I had been told about the poor scratch resistance of Hardlex and other mineral chrystals. I only have Sapphire and Acrylic crystals on my new and vintage mechanical watches.

[@edf2953]

I agree with your thoughts and comments. Nice, interesting video. I don’t know if my thoughts are particularly on target, however, I’ll give it a shot. When purchasing a watch I always confirm which complications the watch has. Visual inspection will tell you if the watch has day and/or date complications. Other complications including hacking and hand winding must be described In the watches specifications, as they are not apparent in a photo or video of the watch. If one wants to be able to accurately set the time by utilizing a watches ability to hack, (stopping the second hand from moving), requires reviewing info on the spec sheet or on the manufacturer’s website. In summary, I think that verifying a watch’s ability to be hand wound and hacked can make the difference in being frustrated or happy after purchasing a watch with an automatic movement...Just a few thoughts for what it’s worth...Ed...PS: If I were to call this a ‘Pro Tip’ perhaps something like “Understand which features, (complications) you want in your watch...”

[@gentleman_of_the_pen]

My Seiko Turtle got full of sea water in a matter of minutes, so indeed the WR number doesn't always mean what we think. In my case, the temperature difference between the surface and sea water has probably affected the seals.

[@jeffintoronto5712]

Just some thoughts on your video. The other issue with Swiss content for Swiss Made label is the "value" for the percentages. As you can expect, you can have most of the watch made in China for dirt cheap. Than you bring it back and do some final assembly in Switzerland (at Swiss labour prices) and you conform to the "Swiss Made" rules. Many think it's "mainly" made in Switzerland, wherein fact it's mainly made in Asia. Also, people need to understand the water resistance better. It always drives me crazy when people say "I'm not likely to go down to 200m deep" The stated water resistance is incredibly misleading as you would never take a 200M rated watch down to 200M. A 100M depth rated watch is good for snorkelling, not diving, not even at 30M.

[@crvols]

All good advice. One thing I have learned that you did not address is that watches, like boats, cars, jewelry, etc., often depreciate dramatically after initial purchase.. You are taking a risk of depreciation when buying from an AD, and a risk of service cost/problems when buying grey market or preowned. I prefer to buy new old stock or from a watch enthusiast and absorb the inherent risk for the cost benefit but, it's not for everybody. Allso, I stay away from mechanical complications that are expensive to buy and service instead, opting for quartz in those cases. I have found I can own and enjoy some great timepieces at very affordable prices this way.

[@leyay7540]

Good tips! Especially regarding the water resistance, I guess most of us are not one-watch guys. There's at least one diver or watch with good water resistance in our collection. So 200M water resistance or screwed-down crown should not be a must for all watches.

[@CrimFerret]

The bottom line for me is I will never scuba dive. It makes absolutely zero difference to my enjoying a watch whether it's 100m or 2000m water resistant. As it happens, the watch I'm currently saving for is rated for the latter (Sinn U2-S), but that rating is not the reason I want that particular watch. And yes I have a wrist large enough and shaped appropriately to wear that. You are correct about lug length mattering for fit more than case diameter. So does the contour of the lugs and case back. That said, a watch that's too wide for your wrist is going to look to wide (or one that's too small will look too small) no matter what the lugs are like.

[@johnsweklo3213]

Where can I see the list of movements you had in this video?

[@kenspear5077]

All very good tips. It's surprising what the Swiss Made actually means.

[@itsalgud1459]

I’ve been collecting watches for about as long as you have, and I have come to many of the same conclusions. One big difference is your limit on purchases from green market dealers. My first grill watch was a Baum Mercier Capeland chronograph, for which the MSRP was $4350. I bought it from Authentic Watches, a fairly well-known and generally respected gray market dealer for $1530, about 1/3 the price. By your rule, I would’ve had to been willing to pay $4350 to obtain this watch, which I didn’t have then or now. I even had some trouble with this watch not long after I purchased it, and authentic watches honored their warranty and fixed it for free. For me, that rule is way too conservative.

[@A_Dude_And_His_Watch78]

I think watch size is important. I used to buy what I thought looked cool. Example: Orient Sun and Moon, 42mm diameter, 14mm thick, and long lug to lug. I stick with 40-38mm on my 7 inch wrist. Also don't get caught up in the hype of all the microbrands or any flavor of the month that the youtube gurus are fawning over at the time.

[@inkitatus1]

you pay for history & heritage which doesn't mean the watch itself is any better ... Cheers 👍👍

[@Jshortca]

8" wrist?! Wow, you're a big dude. As far as water resistance, is washing your hands with a 100m water resistance watch o.k?

[@TheBuddingWatchEnthusiast]

Washing your hands with almost any watch is fine. I'd personally only be cautious with vintage stuff or poorly made modern watches.

[@TruckeeDoggo]

The statement that authorized dealers have to charge MSRP is totally false. Authorized dealers do not have to charge MSRP, and it’s customary to get 15-20% off an authorized dealer price for some pieces like Hamilton, Omega, etc., from authorized dealers. Grey market sellers can usually do better than that but the delta isn’t nearly as large as the video suggests.

[@jeffintoronto5712]

It depends on the brand and the demand. Try getting 15-20% off on a Rolex. I knew an AD who had his Tag dealer authorization pulled because he sold 10-15% off. They have the right to literally look at every sale you make and determine if you discount. And they all absolutely can never advertise any discount.

[@TruckeeDoggo]

Jeff inToronto Maybe in Canada but that’s would violate antitrust laws in the United States. That’s why it’s called a “suggested” retail price, because the manufacturer cannot legally fix the prices that others sell their products for. Rolex also doesn’t need any discount because demand outstrips supply. But the other brands, it’s usually pretty easy to get a decent discount. No one in their right mind would pay retail for a Tag.

[@davidcoleman2463]

I just got a Hamilton automatic at 16 % off . You just have to try . What do you have the lose .

[@BoogurTWang]

NEVER trust a "Dive" watch on a Leather Strap. It might 'look' nice, but it ain't gonna hold up.

[@imranchowdhury4972]

You sound still novice, myself had been 15 years passed in this line. When it comes to W/R I would not buy below 100m unless the watch is very dressy like Cartier Tank, because I always wear watch while I am swimming. Coming to Grey market I would prefer Jomashop to Amazon. Concerning size you are quite right, but you know it not always case width, lug to lug but partially the height what matters size. I don't give a shit if the watch is from Switzerland or Germany but watch brands mostly from Switzerland or Germany is more important for me. Finally watch enthusiast and watch collector is not the same term. Watch collecting is a snobby hobby like collecting cars. So please do not always come up with Seiko, mostly they suck.

[@japd7897]

Edit the video, include some index with the topics that you are going to talk about, the video is too long, yo do not go to the point. I hope my advise may help. Best from Spain!!!