box and papers??

[rustyduck]

some here sell with box and papers and some don't (I assume because there are none to sell). if the watch is not new, what is the benefit of the box and papers? sorry for the newbie question but I ran a quick search for the answer and it yielded nothing. thanks.

[swils8610]

Box and papers are an interesting subject here. You will get many different opinions. For me it's a must unless on a vintage watch.


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[Tools]

Box and papers are useless on a modern used watch.. You can't wear them and they take up space.

However, sellers have learned that there are many who "demand" that they have such things and have learned that they can get an extra few hundred if they scrounge up a used box and doo-dads..

For me, condition of the watch I want is paramount, not what it comes with.


On a rare vintage piece, if provenance can be proved and it comes with original paper and packaging, it can increase the value considerably however. This is because such pieces are extremely rare, not like the millions of modern watches out there today....


(yes, this is discussed ad-nauseum on most forums - I am simply offering another valid perspective)

[Laszlo]

I prefer to have box and papers. It may not mean much to others and I can see their points too. But I do have a habit of buying and selling things and just in case, I like to have everything complete so the next buyer in line gets it the way I got it. Now, I'll never sell my Rolexes, but will admit the boxes are annoying sometimes when they fall down on my head when grabbing a sweater from my messy closet.

[Tools]

I hear ya...

I too have trouble with the boxes that I do have... If you have them I would never advise anybody to toss them.. But I will always advise to buy the watch you want based on condition and not because it does or doesn't have a box..

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Tools

I hear ya...

I too have trouble with the boxes that I do have... If you have them I would never advise anybody to toss them.. But I will always advise to buy the watch you want based on condition and not because it does or doesn't have a box..

Holy cow... that's a lot of boxes. They look great though. Eye-candy.

[FTX I]

Originally Posted by Tools

I hear ya...

I too have trouble with the boxes that I do have... If you have them I would never advise anybody to toss them.. But I will always advise to buy the watch you want based on condition and not because it does or doesn't have a box..

[Hairdude1]

Originally Posted by Tools

I hear ya...

I too have trouble with the boxes that I do have... If you have them I would never advise anybody to toss them.. But I will always advise to buy the watch you want based on condition and not because it does or doesn't have a box..

[Old Expat Beast]

One hundred or so years from now, someone, somewhere will be glad you kept your box and papers.

[coralfarmer84]

For me it's important. I wouldn't buy one without them unless the deal was great

[Keith1]

Larry as always is 100% spot on. If you plan to sell your Rolex down the road, it is nice to be able to offer the box & papers with the watch. I would take condition and price over the b&P.

[Rashid.bk]

Helps add or validate authenticity to a novice.....for example, a 16610LV is a bit difficult to prove without papers.
It also completes the whole watch package. For a wis it may not be a big deal, but for a new person who may not know or be fluent in watches it may be important in understanding how to use a GMT2 for example.
Does it really really matter....no, the watch is the most important thing, but for some reason watches with papers seem to sell a lot better whether a person is experienced or new, they prefer the one with papers, and for me it has nothing to do with resale, it's just what I want.
The box isn't a big deal but the papers are.

[iclick]

I figure it this way: When I buy a watch I know there's a good probability I'll resell it someday, and if you don't have as much of the original paraphernalia as possible your watch will not appeal to a percentage of the buying public. OTOH, as Ttomczak said, if you have the paperwork/box you will appeal to everyone--all other factors being equal. Thus, having as much of the original material would factor favorably into my decision.

My last acquision had the box, tag, booklet, and recent RSC service card. To me the latter would validate the watch after checking with Rolex and I made the sale, but not having the warranty-certification and other items weighed on my decision negatively. The positive factors outweighed the negative in this case, though. Some say that having the accompanying material make the watch less likely to have been stolen or a fake, but as has already been mentioned getting most of the original paraphernalia isn't hard to do to set up the next sale.

[Chaching]

Boxes, all papers, warranty card and tags with matching serial ALWAYS! No sale from me if not! PERIOD!

[ttomczak]

I am one who agrees it completes the experience. And if selling ever does happen (as it does to SO many of us), it adds just that little extra. Case in point, no one ever said 'I won't buy it because it has a box/papers'...

[77T]

I sell and trade a little bit and have found that people like to have these items. My principles would never lead me - nor the trusted sellers I know here - to scrounge up a used box and doo dads - sorry to see such a broad statement about sellers...

I have noticed that all other things being equal - condition, service history and model desirability - the ones I bought as a complete set tend to sell fast. I have had several "watch only" buys because they were what I wanted. But when trading up or out, they tend to linger longer.

[robertgrom]

Box and papers is a must. It's the ID of your watch. Without it the value of your Rolex is reduced by $500-1000.

[zama]

So essentially two schools of thought:
1) Must have papers it provides something of meaning to some buyers.
2) It is preferable for re sale and authenticity

Like Larry box runs a distant second to me vs condition/service of the watch and the seller. That said I have original box and papers on all but one of my watches. I might add the one without is just as much in my heart as those with their full DNA visible to the world.

[applebook]

Regular boxes don't mean anything, especially from Rolex and OMEGA, to me because they're frankly not decent quality, and there are millions of them around. Getting a replacement is easy.

The papers are important because they're irreplaceable. Most fakes don't bother to include remotely believable fake papers.

[fishingbear]

Bought a Pepsi GMT from one of the trusted sellers on TRF; had no papers. The condition of the watch was more than excellent and had my friend whom is is an AD clarify the watch with no issues and offered me a congrats on the purchase. That's well enough for me!

[HogwldFLTR]

They're worth about $150 on ebay.

[robertgrom]

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

They're worth about $150 on ebay.

Maybe box and manuals you can buy on Ebay. The serial number and the ID card with the date and the dealer's name is priceless.

[fullcourt]

probably wouldn't buy a watch without box and papers, unless it was a vintage. i have the box and all papers for every watch i currently own, except one given to me by my dad.

[DG123]

$1,500.

[IWantOne]

Playing devil advocate, I could not tell if the cards/papers are real or fake and there are lots of watches that have been stolen without the box and papers. So what is the point if the watch you are buying is not from established shop or person?
Also there are watches sold with boxes that do not match the watch that it belongs to and I have notice that some people would only buy a US or UK Rolex, so how could you tell where the watch is from without the card/papers?

[padi56]

Please remember guys these boxes and so called papers which in the real world are little more than a two year warranty.Now these do not always prove authenticity of any watch as with today's technology these items are the easiest to fake.So always buy from a reliable well proven source,for me condition and service history is far more important than in most cases a out dated warranty.

[crowncollection]

They are nice but not essential. I would not pay more for them on a newer piece. I will pay more for a mint watch, I would personally rather a recent Rolex service card, than a box and the original papers on any modern watch.

[Jocke]

I always buy with box and papers.

[fisherman79]

In my country, if you want to trade a watch without papers, its very hard to find somebody who wants to make a deal with you. A missing box is a smaller problem than papers.
On the other hand, if you buy a watch without papers, make sure you pay at least 1000 euro less than one with papers in the same condition. So if you want to trade it, you won't be the one losing the money.

If you are never going to trade your watch, lost papers will not be a problem, but I think most collectors do want to keep it.

[bayerische]

I definitely think papers and box makes it easier to sell on, but at the same time I don't think the price difference in reality is 1000 euro between two equal watches one sans b&p.