I agree. Don't mind having my name on the certificate but don't want any other contact information floating around. Here are a couple of options:
1. Don't include the certificate in the deal. The certificate is desirable but not having one usually won't kill the deal.
2. Offer the buyer a certificate from the archives instead of the original.
3. "White out" your personal information if the buyer insists on having the original certificate.
An Extract from the Archives can be requested for any Patek greater than 5 years old.
You can find the form on the Patek website under Maintenance. There is a small fee.
Don't worry whether your info is on it.
I agree with comments that the box and papers are not essential to buy or sell a nice watch--the important issue is the condition of the watch. Frankly the boxes are a nusiance to store (though I keep all my original boxes), and I never look at the papers--they come in handy only when buying or selling. But if do you have the original papers, keep them with the watch. This will be good for you in terms of your sales price and good for further future owners. I would not worry whether your name and address are on the certificate. Don't alter it by whiting anything out.
In the future when you buy a watch from your Patek dealer, ask him to keep the certificate open (though they most likely won't want to do this). Alternatively, ask them to just include your name and not address if this is a concern (that should be no problem).
As an active collector and participant in the secondary market and current owner of over 20 watches, I can tell you that many high end watches are sold and traded every day without certificate or box. Obviously having both is desired and preferred but the watch is the centerpiece of the purchase.
I have never turned down a great deal on an exceptional timepiece just becuase the papers and box are no longer available. Even serious collectors misplace papers and boxes over the years. In fact, on more than one occasion I've seen the wrong papers paired with a watch - the owner had more than one piece over the years and inadvertantly mixed up the "peripherals."
I recently purchased a high end discontinued "grand complication" platinum Patek that was still sealed in the original cardboard display box (the cardboard was still sealed, plastic sealed, tag, etc.). The price was fair, the watch has been untouched for years since leaving Patek but the papers and winding box have been lost. I guarantee buyers would jump all over this piece because the watch is in perfect 100% condition.
Many of the older boxes have deteriorated over the years. I owned three high end Pateks from the 1980s that are getting amazing prices today. The interior of all three of the wood boxes has completely deteriorated with flaking of the lining destroying the leather straps and making the box unusable even though they were stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment. Does that make the watches less valuable? Not in my experience.
Furthermore, many of the extraordinary vintage pieces that have been achieving unbelievable prices at auction do not have original papers or boxes. They have simply been lost or misplaced over the years. Sure, I want the entire package but I'm not going to walk away from an exceptional watch and a good deal just because of the paperwork. And in my experience, most secondary buyers agree, as I've never had difficulty selling a piece at a fair price.
Well, ppfan, may i ask you this question, if you were to buy someones patek, will you mind if the watch is in someone else's name ? How often will you look at the certificate ?? i honestly think, having a certificate is more a peace of mind, not a deal breaker. It is an added plus to have a original certificate. Imagine if Patek did NOT make archives for vintage pieces, then what ? People will still buy the watches.
Might i suggest, that in the future, if you have to fill in your name and other info on your newly purchase watch, give them another address, a work address, your aunts address ... how bout your local post office address with a PO box number ?! Ha !
I personally dont agree Patek should require address to be on certificate, as your name and contact address is already filled in on another certificate to be sent to Geneva. But because of the second hand dealers buying and selling, this was imposed - silly in my opinion. Since, one way or the other, our purchase will be left to another generation, just not necessary ours.
This thread has been really helpful. I am about to purchase a 3919R Pre-owned from an AD who has allowed me to pay on the watch for several months without an additional fee. Since this is a "low end" item does this mean obtaining the information from the PP archives is less important for the value of the watch? I want to keep it but may consider selling in the future.