aBlogtoWatch has been producing some buying guides for eBay, and we’ve got a fresh new batch to share. Now, we know that many “watch people” know the ins and outs of how to buy, sell, and trade watches online. However, more casual or beginning people who don’t have the confidence of experience can find themselves overwhelmed, intimidated, and plain stressed out about the process. We hope our guides, which are designed to answer broader questions about watch buying as well as provide watch brand- and model-specific guides, provide a good frame of reference for anyone on the hunt for a timepiece. Click on the images to view the articles on eBay
On the heels of Baselworld, we know a lot of you guys saw some drool-worthy pieces. But what if your grail is out of reach and you need an attainable alternative that manages to hold some muster? Take a look at our alternatives to grail watches from Baselworld 2016 Part 1 where we look at the new Rolex Daytona and Patek Philippe 5930 World Time, and then check out Part 2, where we look at some options for those lusting after the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon and Chanel Watches Glasgow Monsier de Chanel. There’s nothing like getting your hands on your grail watch, but at least there are decent options to hold you over until you do.
Moving on from Baselworld, last time we focused on dive watches like the Rolex Submariner, so we thought we’d take a look at chronograph watches this time. We’ve already looked at the Rolex Daytona and the Omega Speedmaster Professional, but there’s no way leaving out the Zenith El Primero was an option, since it is properly iconic, arguably being the first automatic chronograph watch.
Darn near every dip watch utilizes a round screw-down caseback; it’s simpler to make and very robust. Chanel handles a 200m rating using a curved shape that keeps the watch slender. An impressive piece of engineering that virtually no one will enjoy, and one of the reasons why you seldom watch 200m ratings less than 12mm thick.The bracelet has a unique design too, the hooks are snap-fit. Perfect finish, even about the bits not generally visible.The J12 is a joy to wear. That super low profile is great for long sleeves.The finish does, because you can see, reveal fingerprints due to the mirror finish and complete lack of pores or roughness. The bezel is somewhat slick, and I’d prefer a lume pip, but it functions for cooking and parking meters, my 2 major uses.The constant changes as the light plays across the diverse finishes are a delight.I was expecting a blingier watch, but in person it’s actually not. Hard to describe, but the dimensions and colour palette combine to get a non-attention-getting watch. The weight feels exactly the same as steel, too.Of all the Swiss watch manufacturers, Chanel is possibly the only one which could pull off introducing two new calibers, 1 year following the next, followed promptly by means of a quartz fashion watch designed after a handbag grip, giving it a title like Chanel Code Coco. There are many things to admire about Chanel’s watch division: the Premiere Camelia Skeleton, a new caliber created for a lady’s watch; the Monsieur Chanel, a new jump hour caliber created for a men’s watch (hands-on in platinum); and only the simple fact that Chanel made the investment to set a Swiss watch manufacture back in the 1990s when its fellow style house brands were licensing their titles to manufacturers of inexpensive fashion watches.
Sometimes the watches we discuss can be out of reach for many watch fans, so we thought this would be a good time as any to introduce our “What’s The Deal?” in which we explore affordable, more accessible models of popular yet costly watches. With that in mind, make sure to check out “What’s The Deal? The Omega Speedmaster Automatic” for Speedmaster lovers who just can’t quite go for the Moonwatch. In the same vein we look at watches that are surprisingly more affordable than a lot of people might guess for a range of budgets. Suggestions? Leave ’em in the comments!
Moving on, we attempt to help prospective watch buyers with questions like “What watch is appropriate to wear to the office?” where we go through office hierarchy and discuss things like how an intern’s watch shouldn’t be nicer than the boss’s. On opposite ends of the spectrum, we take a look at buying gold watches on eBay and also at some of the toughest analog watches you can buy.
And finally, for the aspiring Paneristi, we have our quick introduction to buying Panerai watches on eBay. Finally, make sure to check out all of our guides here.