Image by jackchen52000 via Flickr
When it comes to your antique watch, it may just be sitting on a treasure chest. The only way to be 100% certain is to begin determining the value of the watch. Knowing what to look for when examining an antique piece is a key to figuring out essential details that decide how much it is worth.
If you take pride in the piece of history that you own, you will definitely want to get this done! It can be enlightening to start discovering all these new facts about something you may have had for decades!
The tricky part for most people is often finding someone they can trust to evaluate the item they possess. If you want to seek a professional’s advice to repair, purchase or assess any of your vintage pieces, then choose a trusted dealer like Kalmar Antiques. With years of experience and sound knowledge of the antique jewellery industry, they are equipped with the tools you require.
For now, there are certain things you can do to determine the value yourself however. Even though it’s always recommended to get a professional assessment, looking out for these signs can tell you a lot about your antique watches value:
-
Figuring out it’s age
The age of your watch is a key indicator to its overall value. Several watches made in America have a serial number from the watches movement. It is important you refer to the works of the watch instead of the outer case for this number. Other watches manufactured in Europe or Switzerland may not have a serial number, so for these antique pieces, you will need to look to the movement style for clues.
-
Look to the quality of the watch
Not all antique watches are made equal. Some the watchmaker would have made use of the best materials to ensure it doesn’t go for cheap and stands the test of time. When examining your own vintage watch, you need to check for the number of jewels it has. You can bet that the more it has, the higher the quality and the more its value will be. It’s normal for a low quality watch to have 15 or less jewels, whereas higher quality tends to have more. The highest quality pocket watches will often contain anywhere from 19 to 24 jewel movements. Even though this can give you a good estimation, this shouldn’t help you reach your final conclusion.
-
The condition will affect its value
Whether it has kept its quality throughout the years will also determine its value. The less scrapes, scratches and damages your vintage watch has, the better, and the better condition it will be in. Minimal repairs are also a contributing factor, and if there are some serious underlying issues, it may not be worth the investment.
-
Do some online research
Finally, you can do some research in the comfort of your own home using your laptop. Just carrying out a Google image search will help you narrow things down. Then you can check for words that appear on the watch to find out the designer or where it may have come from.
These are all great things you can do to help determine the value of your watch. However, there is nothing quite as concrete as seeking professional help from an experienced jeweller.
Leave a Reply