This might sound like a stupid question, but there is a point behind it and I’m genuinely interested.

I have often noticed in sales posts that the seller describes the watch as hardly worn, never worn, spent its life on a winder, only been out of the box for trying on, &c.

The thing that surprises me is that in some cases they have had the watch for months.

I could never post anything like that because the first thing I do when I get a new watch, ANY new watch (assuming it works, there are no obvious defects, and the bracelet fits) is to wear it constantly for at least a week. I would never be able to sell a watch as (practically or completely) unworn.

This is not intended as any kind of criticism – there are obviously different schools of thought on this. I’d be interested to know what you think.

I’m with you, Steve

When I get a new watch, I wear it until the New Watch Syndrome runs its course.

Even if it’s been bought with the intention of selling on. Plus, my sales prices are very competitive.

As an aside, I love seeing the asking price of some watches. Both here and eBay, thinking you’ve no chance at that price point!!

Then lo and behold, a price reduction.

As an example, I recently purchased a watch from the forum and a similar one (3 months older) was on sale at over £300 more!!

Not surprisingly it is still available.

Wear for quite a long time including lots of strap changes until I'm settled on how I like to wear it.

However, if I look at a watch out the box and I know straight away that it's not for me and I'm going to sell it, it could still take me months (for reasons of my brain) to get round to listing it.

@missF I get that for pre-owned watches bought on the forum, for example. But surely if you bought new from CW or any Internet outlet or physical store, it would be easier just to return it?

Oh yeah - for new watches I'd return them straight away. Before I change my mind and get confused

I think I usually have a pretty good handle on it straight out the box, or within a minute or two on the wrist. Obviously if its shop bought, there should be no doubt, but if its an online purchase my watches grab me straight away or dont. If its the latter, they go within 24hrs! A new watch gets worn because ive bought it to wear it.

Ive only discovered how much a strap change can change a watch from being on this here forum, but it can be MAHOOSIVE!

I do however have a watch ive never properly worn, but only because I put it away to send back and forgot about it. Its a bit giddy so I think I may have kept it for the grin factor! (Theres one other on here too....!)

I wear it - this has been on my wrist since I bought it. But then, it is my grail watch and I can't see it being displaced because IMHO nothing else comes near

.

@iain It’s a strange and perhaps uncomfortable dichotomy that, as a seller, you are clearly trying to extol the virtues of an item you yourself don’t actually want anymore, yet you half expect that people will trip over each other in the stampede to buy it, and are disappointed when you have to bump bump bump and reduce the price.

Certainly, there may be pressing financial reasons, unforeseen circumstances and so on. But sometimes it’s just a question of “one in, one out”. Selling because something new takes your fancy? Or perhaps it wasn’t as nice as you thought in the first place?

Again, let me stress that no criticism is involved here, and there is no one correct answer. I just find the whole process fascinating.

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 10:23 am This might sound like a stupid question, but there is a point behind it and I’m genuinely interested.

I have often noticed in sales posts that the seller describes the watch as hardly worn, never worn, spent its life on a winder, only been out of the box for trying on, &c.

The thing that surprises me is that in some cases they have had the watch for months.

I could never post anything like that because the first thing I do when I get a new watch, ANY new watch (assuming it works, there are no obvious defects, and the bracelet fits) is to wear it constantly for at least a week. I would never be able to sell a watch as (practically or completely) unworn.

This is not intended as any kind of criticism – there are obviously different schools of thought on this. I’d be interested to know what you think.

I wear it lots. I have, so far, not received a watch and thought, ooh I don't like it.

I think if someone has 20 watches, or even more, a new watch might be worn exclusively for a week or two, but eventually will get added to a rotation.

With 20 watches, the average will be 18 wears a year. With 40, it's going to be under 10 wears a year. So, yes, you can buy preowned watches that are hardly worn.

When I buy a watch, either new or preowned I wear it straight away. I will invariably wear the watch, for at least part of the day, for at least a week.

I have never bought a watch with a view to selling it at some point in the future. I do though have some watches that after the initial enthusiasm has worn off are now rarely worn (say a couple of times a year). They would generally be in an as new condition (it really isn’t difficult to wear an occasional watch without it becoming scratched). However if I sold such watches I wouldn’t describe them as “unworn”, even though no marks were visible.

The title of the thread did make me smile.

At least we haven’t had any replies along the following lines…

I have now come to terms that the AD insisted on removing the stickers and adjusting the bracelet before I left the shop. Once at home I put the watch away. A quick enquiry to a grey dealer established that I could make a small premium by selling immediately. Fortunately I didn’t need to do this to clear the credit card, as I had bought the watch with funds, from the sale of an unworn watch I bought a year ago.

In about 12 months time I will remove the watch from storage and after establishing the average grey dealer buy in and resale prices will initially list for sale on a watch forum…

“For sale is my unworn Xxxxx. The bracelet was adjusted when I bought it, but after a while I realised that I wasn’t bonding with the watch and I invariably pick up my Zxxxx or Yxxxx instead.

These are still difficult to get hold of at ADs, so how does £xxk sound?”

Neil

Well, the simple answer to the question is - I wear it. If I wasn't going to wear it then I wouldn't have bought it.

Watches are always a considered purchase for me. I really don't understand people who spend thousands on a watch (or anything really) and then don't "get on with it". They clearly have far more money than me!

Sellers descriptions are something that I've often felt the urge to have a curmudgeonly rant over. Just because you still have the tags, doesn't make it "brand new". As for "good condition", well obviously that's an opinion - but surely a bit of market research would give an idea as to what that phrase means? Not watches, but I recently saw someone selling a pair of boots on eBay that were described as (you've guessed it) "brand new". I would have been more convinced if the seller had bothered to clean the mud off before posting for sale.

Caveat emptor still applies.

95% of the time when a watch arrives I wear the heck out of it, I'd refer m'learned colleagues to my recent quite boring obsession with a certain Moonphase. for between a week and a month. I think there have been times when it's taken a while for a watch to grow on me and the C5 595 sits right in this category.

The other 5%? Well I've still got watches which were oh let's call them "special treats" or "collectibles" where the actual wearing experience takes the form of special occasions such as a gentle candle-lit dinner. I'd admit to a smallish number of impulse purchases which don't take hold but sit looking at me in hope: some stay, some don't.

I'm relaxed about the fact that some CW Clearance / Sale watches are grabbed by flippers who buy them to sell on without wearing them. Am I equally relaxed when a watch I'd have grabbed for myself gets snapped up and reappears on EBay at a different price? Yes I am really.

As has already been said, a flurry of strap tryouts tends to be a big indicator of success though I'm still not good with C60 Mk1 bracelets so those models tend to stay on bracelet!