Visual Storyteller
Related Posts
Additional Posts in Luxury Watches
Chief
Sign me up for one!! 😂😂😂
Where do you buy vintage watches?
Conversation Starter
Happy friday y’all
Visual Storyteller
My one and only
Rising Star
Loving the green
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
If you’re looking for a “starter” model, I’d guess you mean a Datejust, Airking, or Oyster Perpetual. Good news: those models haven’t changed dramatically since they were first introduced. If I were you, I’d check Chrono24 or Everywatch, activate the “paper and box” option, and buy one of those. For a Datejust, you could find a “normal” one for 15-30% off what you’d pay at an authorized dealer for a new one.
If you want an Oyster Perpetual, look into a 6694 or a 5500 (which is technically an Airking). For a Datejust, consider a 1604 or 16014. If you want the newest Airking, the original Airking didn’t look like it did back then, but the spiritual grandfather would still be a 5500.
There are so many different options, and once you understand that neo-vintage (1990s) models are a great deal and just as good as newer ones, you’ll be fine. Check out 4-digit models, 5-digit models, and even 6-digit models, but avoid the 12XXXX models (those were introduced after 2020).
I know this is a lot of information, and I’m throwing around a lot of reference numbers, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll become easier. If you only want a nice watch and don’t care about its history or if you’re a “one and done” kind of person (nothing wrong with that), you could just go to an authorized dealer and tell them what you want. Just be warned, they might suggest models you didn’t want or expect, and those can be quite expensive.
Unless you plan on getting really into watches, I wouldn't think of any luxury watch as a 'starter.' Since you're looking at Rolex price range, anything you buy will be very nice such that you're in diminishing returns of spending more and it'll be perceived as a luxury watch
I wouldn't worry about how to buy them yet. First, I'd just spend a couple hours going to Jewelry stores that stock the most popular brands like Rolex, Omega, Cartier, and Breitling (there are a ton of great brands and that's no sort of canonical top 4, but I'd say those are the most popular mainstream luxury brands to start with). Then, just try some stuff on to see what resonates with you (styles, colors, sizes). Figure out what model you want
As to 'how to buy them', TLDR is any brand other than Rolex you can consider buying pre-owned or from the 'gray market' for a big discount, but Rolex you'll either want to buy new for some easier to get models or pay a premium to the gray market (that'll depend on the model you want, I wouldn't focus on that now)
Pro
Well said. This is probably the best advice for anyone getting into luxury watches. Go and try on a bunch of watches and see what you like.. one might be surprised to learn that there is both quality and value outside of Rolex. A good analogy is like luxury cars.. you wouldn’t go buy a Mercedes off the name without at least checking out BMW, Audi, Porsche etc. if you truly wanted to enjoy a car. FWIW my first luxury watch was an Arnold and Son - partly because of AD shenanigans and partly because I liked the uniqueness of the piece.
You can go to pretty much go to any store and either ask to see what Datejust models are available or tell them which one you want. Might take a couple of weeks at worst, but you’ll be able to get one in a pretty straightforward way.
Pro
OP do some reading/watching (YouTube great for this) and exploring (heh) about what you think you like about watches. Go try some on at a shop. You need to decide for yourself what "best" means, is it a certain movement? Is it a cool dial? A particular bracelet/case combo you really like etc.
If you just want to spend money buy the most expensive thing.
Lots of folks here gave you ref numbers and other details to start your journey.
Visual Storyteller
Happy to help you out and hop on a call, been working with watches since 2011! Feel free to message me here or my IG @phillywatchguy
Stick with a datejust. Classy and holds its value
I’d add that if you think you’re going to become a watch guy and own multiple Rolexes, I would go through an AD so you can start building a relationship and be able to someday get more desirable pieces. I’d recommend starting with Datejust as well.