Skip to content

Blog

New vs Used Watches - Which is the Better Buy?

by Trevor Rapp 09 Feb 2015

Should I buy a used watch or new one? This is a popular question that we get often from customers that visit or call our boutique in Miami looking for high end watches. 

In the Watch Your Style video above, Eric Rivera tackles this question head on and gives you a clear example using the Rolex brand. Used or pre owned watches are not like used cars, which typically differ significantly in appearance and condition when compared to a new vehicle.

As Eric shows in his video, a pre owned luxury watch in a like-new condition might look strikingly similar to a brand new one. In fact, most watch buyers might not be able to tell them apart. So then why the big fuss surrounding used-vs-new? Why do so many people can't make up their minds when it is time to buy? It may be psychological. Seriously!

Some people will only get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside if they know with 100% certainty that they are buying a new, out-of-the-box model. Even if they were able to buy a preowned version of the watch in question that looked identical to the more expensive newer variety, they wouldn't be able to live with themselves. Arrrggghhh, the suffering!!!! All kidding aside, when should you buy a new watch instead of a used one or vice versa? It depends on three factors that Eric explains well.

Used or New - 3 Factors to Determine which Luxury Watch to Buy

As Eric lays both a pre owned and a brand new two-tone Rolex Yacht-Master II next to each other in front of the camera, he spells out the factors he uses to determine whether to buy new or used.
  1. Watch Dealer's Reputation – As Eric explains, when buying a watch, you need to make sure that the dealer selling it to you is trustworthy and reputable – so make sure to check reviews and the dealer's reputation online. It's better to buy a used watch from a great dealer than buying a new one from an dishonest one.
  2. Condition of the Watch – In order to justify the purchase of a preowned watch, its condition must be relatively good. Eric goes one step further and states that in order for him to be swayed in favor of  pre owned, the watch has to be in “like-new” condition; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to purchase it.
  3. Watch Price – A used watch, even in like-new condition, is going to cost less than an unworn model. This is the main reason that customers who want to get the most bang for their buck gravitate towards the preowned market. If the difference between the new and used model is significant enough, Eric feels buying used is the better option.
Continuing with the topic of cost...exactly how much lower in price is a pre-owned model? Eric explains...
“When buying new, you can expect to pay an additional one thousand to two thousand dollars more on your purchase, depending on obviously where you buy it. If you're going to buy it an an AD, you're going to pay full retail...no mercy.”

The one to two thousand dollar difference between new vs used Eric mentions applies to the Rolex Yacht-Master II model he shows in his video (as well as to other similarly priced Rolex models). Certain higher end models might see a wider price difference between pre-owned-like-new and unworn models. When he makes the statement above, Eric is also referring to the purchase of both versions of the watch at a discounted price; that is, not at the retail price one would pay when buying at most Authorized Dealers or APs. When comparing a new retail purchase vs a pre owned one, the price difference could easily be relatively larger than the 1,000-2,000 USD figure Eric quotes.

Will this be Your Last Watch Purchase?

Price becomes an even more important factor if you're planning or might trade in the watch at some point in the future, which could take place if you get bored of the watch or simply want to sport something different to impress your friends. Eric, like many watch fans, typically trades in his watches over time. Thus, he recommends...
Unless you're planning on making this Rolex purchase your last one ever and you plan on never selling it or trading it, you might want to think twice about buying new.

Since a luxury watch experiences a given amount of depreciation the instant it goes from new to used, a watch owner would lose a lot less money when trading in a pre-owned watch, which is immune to the new-to-used loss in value.

What do you Get with a New Watch that You Don't Get with a Used One?

If most pre-owned, like new watches look identical to their brand new counterparts, what are all the extras that you get with a new watch? Not many really! Eric explains...
Now, what to expect with that new watch? You're going to get stickers on the case, dealer tag, and the standard hang tag – and an open warranty card.
These stickers and tags can be seen attached to the new Rolex Eric shows on the video – and all of them will obviously be removed by the owner before showcasing the watch to the world. They are not important. Eric continues...
“You also get an open warranty card.”
The warranty card is just, as Eric mentions, “a piece of plastic,” that is first given to the initial buyer of the watch. As he explains, when a watch enters the used watch space and starts moving from owner to owner, the warranty card might eventually go missing. There are a few reasons for this. The original owner might lose or misplace the card. He or she might also not want to turn in the card due to privacy concerns, since it might show some of his or her personal information on it. A missing card does not mean that the watch is fake either, as Eric clearly states, especially when you buy the watch from a reputable dealer, who might also offer their own separate warranty on the timepiece. In the used watch market, a Rolex warranty card might be worth around $200. Even though Eric wouldn't mind having the card if possible, he states...
“At least for me, it will never be a deal breaker.”

It is obvious that if the conditions are appropriate, Eric prefers pre-owned vs new when it comes to high end watches. First of all, pre-owned watches in great condition can look practically identical to their brand new counterparts. Second of all, they will not experience the depreciation that new watches do when they move over to the used-watch space. Finally, used watches can also come with the additional warranty of a reputable watch dealer. This combination makes them extremely attractive for a lot of customers.

If you enjoyed Eric's video, please make sure to like it and share it with your friends using the social media buttons on this page. Also, please subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with our Watch Your Style video series. To see a wide variety of pre-owned watches and and fine jewelry, click here.

Prev Post
Next Post

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Close

Choose Options

Close
Edit Option
Close
Terms & Conditions
The watch brands and trademarks are the property of their respective holders. CRM Jewelers is not and "authorized" dealer of the watches we sell and has no affiliation with the respective manufacturers. All items are covered by CRM Jeweler's guarantee, which applies even though some items may not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Website prices may not reflect current changes in market prices for certain watch models, which can impact (increase or decrease) the final price at the time of purchase. OVERVIEW This website is operated by CRM Jewelers. Throughout the site, the terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to CRM Jewelers. CRM Jewelers offers this website, including all information, tools and services available from this site to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here. By visiting our site and/ or purchasing something from us, you engage in our “Service” and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions (“Terms of Service”, “Terms”), including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein and/or available by hyperlink. These Terms of Service apply to all users of the site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/ or contributors of content. Please read these Terms of Service carefully before accessing or using our website. By accessing or using any part of the site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the website or use any services. If these Terms of Service are considered an offer, acceptance is expressly limited to these Terms of Service. Any new features or tools which are added to the current store shall also be subject to the Terms of Service. You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time on this page. We reserve the right to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and/or changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the website following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes. Our store is hosted on Shopify Inc. They provide us with the online e-commerce platform that allows us to sell our products and services to you. CRM Jewelers is an independent company and is not and authorized dealer nor does it hold any affiliation with the brands depicted or any of their related group companies in any form unless stated otherwise. OUR GUARANTEE We hereby guarantee all watches sold by CRM Jewelers LLC have been inspected and are 100% authentic. CRM Jewelers warranties all watches for one full year from the date of invoice unless otherwise indicated in the listing or invoice. SECTION 1 - ONLINE STORE TERMS By agreeing to these Terms of Service, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence, or that you are the age of majority in your state or province of residence and you have given us your consent to allow any of your minor dependents to use this site. You may not use our products for any illegal or unauthorized purpose nor may you, in the use of the Service, violate any laws in your jurisdiction (including but not limited to copyright laws). You must not transmit any worms or viruses or any code of a destructive nature. A breach or violation of any of the Terms will result in an immediate termination of your Services. SECTION 2 - GENERAL CONDITIONS We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time. You understand that your content (not including credit card information), may be transferred unencrypted and involve (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to technical requirements of connecting networks or devices. Credit card information is always encrypted during transfer over networks. You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any portion of the Service, use of the Service, or access to the Service or any contact on the website through which the service is provided, without express written permission by us. The headings used in this agreement are included for convenience only and will not limit or otherwise affect these Terms. SECTION 3 - ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS AND TIMELINESS OF INFORMATION We are not responsible if information made available on this site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on this site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on this site is at your own risk. This site may contain certain historical information. Historical information, necessarily, is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of this site at any time, but we have no obligation to update any information on our site. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to our site. SECTION 4 - MODIFICATIONS TO THE SERVICE AND PRICES Prices for our products are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right at any time to modify or discontinue the Service (or any part or content thereof) without notice at any time. We shall not be liable to you or to any third-party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service. SECTION 5 - PRODUCTS OR SERVICES (if applicable) Certain products or services may be available exclusively online through the website. These products or services may have limited quantities and are subject to return or exchange only according to our Return Policy. We have made every effort to display as accurately as possible the colors and images of our products that appear at the store. We cannot guarantee that your computer monitor's display of any color will be accurate. We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to limit the sales of our products or Services to any person, geographic region or jurisdiction. We may exercise this right on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to limit the quantities of any products or services that we offer. All descriptions of products or product pricing are subject to change at anytime without notice, at the sole discretion of us. We reserve the right to discontinue any product at any time. Any offer for any product or service made on this site is void where prohibited. We do not warrant that the quality of any products, services, information, or other material purchased or obtained by you will meet your expectations, or that any errors in the Service will be corrected. SECTION 6 - ACCURACY OF BILLING AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION We reserve the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event that we make a change to or cancel an order, we may attempt to notify you by contacting the e‑mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors. You agree to provide current, complete and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made at our store. You agree to promptly update your account and other information, including your email address and credit card numbers and expiration dates, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed. For more detail, please review our Returns Policy. SECTION 7 - OPTIONAL TOOLS We may provide you with access to third-party tools over which we neither monitor nor have any control nor input. You acknowledge and agree that we provide access to such tools ”as is” and “as available” without any warranties, representations or conditions of any kind and without any endorsement. We shall have no liability whatsoever arising from or relating to your use of optional third-party tools. Any use by you of optional tools offered through the site is entirely at your own risk and discretion and you should ensure that you are familiar with and approve of the terms on which tools are provided by the relevant third-party provider(s). We may also, in the future, offer new services and/or features through the website (including, the release of new tools and resources). Such new features and/or services shall also be subject to these Terms of Service. SECTION 8 - THIRD-PARTY LINKS Certain content, products and services available via our Service may include materials from third-parties. Third-party links on this site may direct you to third-party websites that are not affiliated with us. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating the content or accuracy and we do not warrant and will not have any liability or responsibility for any third-party materials or websites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third-parties. We are not liable for any harm or damages related to the purchase or use of goods, services, resources, content, or any other transactions made in connection with any third-party websites. Please review carefully the third-party's policies and practices and make sure you understand them before you engage in any transaction. Complaints, claims, concerns, or questions regarding third-party products should be directed to the third-party. SECTION 9 - USER COMMENTS, FEEDBACK AND OTHER SUBMISSIONS If, at our request, you send certain specific submissions (for example contest entries) or without a request from us you send creative ideas, suggestions, proposals, plans, or other materials, whether online, by email, by postal mail, or otherwise (collectively, 'comments'), you agree that we may, at any time, without restriction, edit, copy, publish, distribute, translate and otherwise use in any medium any comments that you forward to us. We are and shall be under no obligation (1) to maintain any comments in confidence; (2) to pay compensation for any comments; or (3) to respond to any comments. We may, but have no obligation to, monitor, edit or remove content that we determine in our sole discretion are unlawful, offensive, threatening, libelous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene or otherwise objectionable or violates any party’s intellectual property or these Terms of Service. You agree that your comments will not violate any right of any third-party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, personality or other personal or proprietary right. You further agree that your comments will not contain libelous or otherwise unlawful, abusive or obscene material, or contain any computer virus or other malware that could in any way affect the operation of the Service or any related website. You may not use a false e‑mail address, pretend to be someone other than yourself, or otherwise mislead us or third-parties as to the origin of any comments. You are solely responsible for any comments you make and their accuracy. We take no responsibility and assume no liability for any comments posted by you or any third-party. SECTION 10 - PERSONAL INFORMATION Your submission of personal information through the store is governed by our Privacy Policy. To view our Privacy Policy. SECTION 11 - ERRORS, INACCURACIES AND OMISSIONS Occasionally there may be information on our site or in the Service that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may relate to product descriptions, pricing, promotions, offers, product shipping charges, transit times and availability. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, and to change or update information or cancel orders if any information in the Service or on any related website is inaccurate at any time without prior notice (including after you have submitted your order). We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify information in the Service or on any related website, including without limitation, pricing information, except as required by law. No specified update or refresh date applied in the Service or on any related website, should be taken to indicate that all information in the Service or on any related website has been modified or updated. SECTION 12 - PROHIBITED USES In addition to other prohibitions as set forth in the Terms of Service, you are prohibited from using the site or its content: (a) for any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the Service or of any related website, other websites, or the Internet; (h) to collect or track the personal information of others; (i) to spam, phish, pharm, pretext, spider, crawl, or scrape; (j) for any obscene or immoral purpose; or (k) to interfere with or circumvent the security features of the Service or any related website, other websites, or the Internet. We reserve the right to terminate your use of the Service or any related website for violating any of the prohibited uses. SECTION 13 - DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY We do not guarantee, represent or warrant that your use of our service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free. We do not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the service will be accurate or reliable. You agree that from time to time we may remove the service for indefinite periods of time or cancel the service at any time, without notice to you. You expressly agree that your use of, or inability to use, the service is at your sole risk. The service and all products and services delivered to you through the service are (except as expressly stated by us) provided 'as is' and 'as available' for your use, without any representation, warranties or conditions of any kind, either express or implied, including all implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose, durability, title, and non-infringement. In no case shall CRM Jewelers, our directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, service providers or licensors be liable for any injury, loss, claim, or any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, or consequential damages of any kind, including, without limitation lost profits, lost revenue, lost savings, loss of data, replacement costs, or any similar damages, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising from your use of any of the service or any products procured using the service, or for any other claim related in any way to your use of the service or any product, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the service or any content (or product) posted, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the service, even if advised of their possibility. Because some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or the limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states or jurisdictions, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law. SECTION 14 - INDEMNIFICATION You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless CRM Jewelers and our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, interns and employees, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third-party due to or arising out of your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents they incorporate by reference, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party. SECTION 15 - SEVERABILITY In the event that any provision of these Terms of Service is determined to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, such provision shall nonetheless be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and the unenforceable portion shall be deemed to be severed from these Terms of Service, such determination shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any other remaining provisions. SECTION 16 - TERMINATION The obligations and liabilities of the parties incurred prior to the termination date shall survive the termination of this agreement for all purposes. These Terms of Service are effective unless and until terminated by either you or us. You may terminate these Terms of Service at any time by notifying us that you no longer wish to use our Services, or when you cease using our site. If in our sole judgment you fail, or we suspect that you have failed, to comply with any term or provision of these Terms of Service, we also may terminate this agreement at any time without notice and you will remain liable for all amounts due up to and including the date of termination; and/or accordingly may deny you access to our Services (or any part thereof). SECTION 17 - ENTIRE AGREEMENT The failure of us to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms of Service shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. These Terms of Service and any policies or operating rules posted by us on this site or in respect to The Service constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between you and us and govern your use of the Service, superseding any prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications and proposals, whether oral or written, between you and us (including, but not limited to, any prior versions of the Terms of Service). Any ambiguities in the interpretation of these Terms of Service shall not be construed against the drafting party. SECTION 18 - GOVERNING LAW These Terms of Service and any separate agreements whereby we provide you Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of United States. SECTION 19 - CHANGES TO TERMS OF SERVICE You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time at this page. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check our website periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to our website or the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes. SECTION 20 - CONTACT INFORMATION Questions about the Terms of Service should be sent to us at ecom@crmjewelers.com.
this is just a warning
Login Close
Close

Language

Currency