Box and Documents

[C997]

How much would not having the box and documents for a watch put you off not buying it?

Say a slightly used Sea Dweller with everything in place was worth 6K, would you not buy it on the strength of there not being a box, books or receipt? If you would buy it, how much less would you expect it to be worth? No question it's genuine but i'm interested in whether or not it affects the value much.

Thanks.

[P7ULG]

C997 said:

How much would not having the box and documents for a watch put you off not buying it?

Say a slightly used Sea Dweller with everything in place was worth 6K, would you not buy it on the strength of there not being a box, books or receipt? If you would buy it, how much less would you expect it to be worth? No question it's genuine but i'm interested in whether or not it affects the value much.

Thanks.

Depends if you intend to sell the watch at a later date, if not the box and papers are not that important.Most of the time the original boxes and papers are there to prove one, it hasn't been snatched off someones wrist and two, the watch is not a fake.So if you know it is genuine where's the problem.

In all forms of collecting these days there seems to be so much importance put on the original packaging being there, which to my mind seems to detract from the fact that the important thing is what was in the box to begin with.However I would add that if the watch is not very old it seems odd that the original bits and pieces have not been kept.

[andy tims]

For a reasonably new watch, the lack of box & papers would hit the value quite hard - let's say 20% and depending on where I was buying from I'd want to check the serial # to confirm it wasn't nicked.

For vintage stuff no box & papers is the norm, with the presence of these adding a premium.

[C997]

Thanks folks. I live in the Middle East and the watch was bought recently by a local and then sold again fairly soon afterwards. The locals arent really interested in resale value so the box and other bits and pieces often go straight in the bin.

I'm certain it's genuine, if it was stolen, the bracelet would still have a hand and wrist inside it!

Joking aside, it's a bargain but I just wasn't sure how much of one!

Thanks again.

[andy tims]

NeMiSiS said:

All £1000plus watches I have handled without box and papers or sales receipt have been dodgy in one way or another

You're not into vintage watches then?

[LooneyTunes]

Vintage market always seems a bit different... perhaps there's more fear of fake/dodgy watches with modern watches where the box adds reassurance for the buyer (few good reasons NOT to have them on say a 5yr old watch, many more on a 50+)?

[Miguel Alvarez]

It would depend on the age of the watch, the discount for not having the box and papers and where I was getting it from.

[andy_s]

In vintage watches it's certainly a 'nice to have' as it offers a completness, but it's the exception rather than the rule, and certainly not something to be expected.

I presume the fixation on B&P was to assure originality amongst the most faked watches (Sub/PO?), especially when the fakes are so close to the real thing, but in reality I suspect that anyone capable of forging a watch would have no problems forging a box and knocking up some pony paperwork or just buying a set from the 'bay.

It's a bit of a self perpetuating pain in the Harris, as it means everyone is tied in to keeping their boxes, presumably out of sight of SWMBO, for fear of taking an unnecessary hit to the watches value come resale time.

[verminator]

I bought a 1968 Rolex datejust oyster from a reputable used high end watch dealer for a very good price. Sadly it didn't have the original box or papers. It was explained to me by the dealer that in those days nobody thought about keeping the box. I have to say I am delighted with it and i have owned it for a couple of years now. The wach was completly overhauled and looks like new. It came in a Rolex box with a signed valuation saying that the watch had been verified by Rolex as genuine. In any event I bought the watch because a, I liked it and b, It was the right price and c, because the dealer in question came highly recomended by another watch dealer that I knew. Dont loose sight of the fact that you are wearing the watch not the box.

[Mark.H]

Dont buy it, you dont really want it, (what is the chaps name and phone nr again?... )