Does an engraved back hurt resale value?
Discussion
Earlier this week I picked up a couple of watches with the hope of making a few quid on one of them.
One a Seiko 5 is very nice and will become one of my daily watches, the other is a Longines that is gold with a black leather strap (2 things I dislike in a watch tbh) but as I got them both cheaply I overlooked the engraving in the back of the longines.
Should I look at pricing it lower than similar watches because of this or will people not be bothered?
One a Seiko 5 is very nice and will become one of my daily watches, the other is a Longines that is gold with a black leather strap (2 things I dislike in a watch tbh) but as I got them both cheaply I overlooked the engraving in the back of the longines.
Should I look at pricing it lower than similar watches because of this or will people not be bothered?
Watches are very personal things IMHO, they are not merely functional items. I've only ever bought new, so perhaps I am unusual in that respect, but I could not envisage buying something that was so obviously personal to someone else that it had been engraved with their name / initials. I suppose the only exception for me would be if the piece in question had been owned by an individual who I was interested in - I hesitate to use the word celebrity - for example a well-known bike or car racer. I had the reverse of a Reverso that I bought for Mrs Number 7 engraved with her initials to add that personal touch. That's what it's there for (since she does not play polo). Not that I could ever envisage her selling it, but its market value has, I'm sure, been significantly reduced by doing so.
Interesting topic- I would have thought that a personal engraving (unless it's a royal coat of arms!) would make it difficult to sell. My wife has a bimetal Rolex Datejust that was given to her for being the top student or something for a business course she took a few years ago; the back is engraved. The thing is, she doesn't really like the watch and has never worn it- it is in pristine condition and sits in the back of the cupboard (which to me is criminal!). I can see why she doesn't like it, but these watches are worth a couple of thousand pounds at least, and she could trade it in and get something she actually likes...
It certainly doesn't put me off when buying a vintage watch. If a watch is in the right condition and the price it ok, I don't care if it's got an engraved back. I rarely see any difference in price between engraved and non engraved watches. Bear in mind that the watches I buy are considerably cheaper than most that feature on this forum. 
Whitean3 said:
Interesting topic- I would have thought that a personal engraving (unless it's a royal coat of arms!) would make it difficult to sell. My wife has a bimetal Rolex Datejust that was given to her for being the top student or something for a business course she took a few years ago; the back is engraved. The thing is, she doesn't really like the watch and has never worn it- it is in pristine condition and sits in the back of the cupboard (which to me is criminal!). I can see why she doesn't like it, but these watches are worth a couple of thousand pounds at least, and she could trade it in and get something she actually likes...
if she doesn't want it why not get a suitably dated replacement back put on it and flog it?Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff