The Fork In The Road...Long

[jedly1]

out of the two ..all but a few people are going to choose option two.....BUT and its a big BUT ...our ''ideal'' choice is not very often our realistic choice because there just aren't that many original owner never touched watches around ..and certainly not for everyone to have one ( or multiple) in the their collection ....whilst that is the target the reality will be several notches below that and lie between the option you give ... for most who, if they actually want to get on and enjoy the hobby, we have to accept the limitations of supply, and of budget ....especially if the buyer is looking for a watch to actually wear and enjoy

it important to remember there is a downside to never serviced pieces especially when they get the first owner watch to RSC and find that there's a $2k bill to go with it because it hasn't been looked after....i've just had the same experience ....opened a 70's watch up that looked great on the surface , nice original owner , except 40 year seals don't work so under the surface 40 years of mositure ingress.case is to be thrown in the bin and movement needs $5-600 of work to make it useable ....

just like cars we'd all like original metal with no panel work done ....but in all honesty when you are behind the wheel you can get just as much enjoyment driving one that has ....

[STEELINOX]

Originally Posted by jedly1

out of the two ..all but a few people are going to choose option two.....BUT and its a big BUT ...our ''ideal'' choice is not very often our realistic choice because there just aren't that many original owner never touched watches around ..and certainly not for everyone to have one ( or multiple) in the their collection ....whilst that is the target the reality will be several notches below that and lie between the option you give ... for most who, if they actually want to get on and enjoy the hobby, we have to accept the limitations of supply, and of budget ....especially if the buyer is looking for a watch to actually wear and enjoy

it important to remember there is a downside to never serviced pieces especially when they get the first owner watch to RSC and find that there's a $2k bill to go with it because it hasn't been looked after....i've just had the same experience ....opened a 70's watch up that looked great on the surface , nice original owner , except 40 year seals don't work so under the surface 40 years of mositure ingress.case is to be thrown in the bin and movement needs $5-600 of work to make it useable ....

just like cars we'd all like original metal with no panel work done ....but in all honesty when you are behind the wheel you can get just as much enjoyment driving one that has ....

Ever hear of seal seats that have been built up again with laser welding, well, its being done...

[Submarino]

This is a great thread, however, very hard to answer which one I would go with. I personally prefer original dials and hands and a clean movement that is running smooth and on time. In my opinion, it would come down to how dirty that option 2 is and how much needs to be done. Replacing a completely damaged plexi crystal costs nothing and improves the look of the watch drastically, however, a damaged bakelite insert is really irreplaceable at a fair decent cost and finding one might take years.

Now, if the watch has a ton of nicks, dents and major deep scratches on the case it's as bad as if the case had been polished several times in the past. Ultimately you will have to get it polished to look somewhat decent and depending on the depth of those dents and scratches you might have to remove as much metal as if the watch had been polished two to three times in the past.

I probably would go with option 2 as long as the watch is not a total beater and the case is in fairly good shape mostly dent free.

[red1108nyc]

John,

Tough situation and no right answers here.. however, it's a good dilemma to have. If they are both far away, I would go with the one that provides unconditional recourse ie.. maybe a 7 day no question asked return policy? Why do I say this? Consider this.. and many other variables can go wrong here because you are not dealing a dealer who we assume should have a pretty good standard on judging a time piece.. for example, dealer #1 can maintain his stance that everything truly looks MINT to him... we do not know if his MINT is the same as your MINT.. #2 seller... are we sure he has neglected the watch to a point in the sox and its been tossed around a few times by someone else not knowing what is inside?

So... I would go with the one that gives you recourse.. because without recourse... its a 50/50 call..

I hope I have helped buddy John!!!

Best,

Fred

[skyedog]

Will go for #2