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newer models would be as unpolished as possible with crisp stamps
Vintage - it is difficult to find crisper stamps in these older pieces as most have been polished once or twice
Very rare to find vintage cases with deep unpolished stamps- they are available but uncommon.
Expect to pay a premium
However also be aware there are over polished cases as well ( much more common with no definition in lugs and case ) try and avoid those
Its a mine field out there
Julian
Hallmarks on the case...
We have always seen different hallmarks on various Patek watches, especially the old ones. hey are usually placed under the lugs, on the case side or on 6 o'clock case side. I'm curious how important are the hallmarks to you when you acquire a piece. And ...
That's considered a somewhat polished out.
I wouldn't consider those hallmarks to be deep.
Thanks...
Is this considered bad or acceptable? My 2526's hallmark has no detail at all. In naked eyes, these hallmarks look deep and prominent. Only upon marcro photograhy we start to sense more. So do we judge hallmarks y naked eyes or do we use extreme closeup? ...
"Bad or Acceptable" is an opinion...
It depends on who owns the watch, if they find it acceptable or not. I find it to be a beautiful watch from what I can see, but I'd just be concerned if any of the other sharp corners have been "rounded" from the polishing and wear over the years. That's ...
Hand stamped...interesting. Thank you.
Always wonderful to learn something new . I'm pretty confident at checking corners and edges... just no experience in seeing hallmarks as I rarely look at them these closely. I usually just inspect it with naked eyes and if I can see the shading and shado...
Details of hallmarks could only be deciphered by a loupe and not with naked eye
The pic you showed would be consistent with nice clear hallmarks If this were a piece from 60s, 70s and evening 80s in my opinion
This example is from 90s.
Those I had seen recently in the 70s and 80s all look soft when I see with a loupe. Now I will always use a loupe and see these hallmarks
World of Vintage watches is literally a mine field!
Watches from as recent as 80s can be tricky propositions, let alone those from previous years; missing paper work, wrong boxes or none, over polished cases , no service history or worse serviced by incompetent watchmakers, dial issues, shady provenance, u...
Agreed. Walk away at the slightest hint of doubt...
If you're not an expert and you don't remember what these watches came with from their era, walk away. Too many scammers out there. Too easy to take advantage in this world of vintage watches, especially with collectors drooling and chomping at the bit fo...
Thank you for your advise...
it is very helpful . I have already walked away from so many... kinda fatigue now...haha
I get fooled by auction houses so often it's a joke...
I recently argued with an auction house, Bonhams, who claimed a collectible was new, unused, and "sealed" in plastic. When I got the item, it was in a resealed plastic film. It was obviously resealed and poorly resealed. I explained to the Bonhams employe...
May I ask...
what was the end result of this argument? Were you able to return it? I am infuriated just reading about this. I've dealt with some auction houses as well, and unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be much better with the bigger names either.
I don't recall. But if I recall correctly, I gave up with the auction house and they got their way.
Auction houses are betting that you don't have the time nor the interest to go after them in court. They know they'd lose in court. But they also know that you and your lawyers are unlikely to take them to court. It's an awful thing overall. I'd avoid auc...
I'm fed up by Vintage watches...
All of these watches are shooting up in value mostly due to hype. You go to 47th Street in NYC and you can get anything you want. It's those dealers who are buying, hoarding, and setting crazy high prices because they know some wealthy individual will pay...
Hahaha...
You are so correct. Such interesting info. I have seen many watches that were claimed to be in Like New condition and when I receive the watch, I can see deep scratches on the front lugs (not even the back of lugs), scratches on the bezel and scratches on...
Old guard is gone... New guard capitalizes on all the new and inexperienced clients...
And nobody wants to spend time with the "normal clients" because they're too "picky" compared to the inexperienced clients who won't complain with the scratches. Dealers love "fresh meat" (their words, not mine) because it means big money, low sophisticat...
I think you are spot on...
Are you over 40? You sound like one..haha. I am way over 40 :P
Naked eyes or close up...
Probably look at it closely but also look at the case edges. If the case edge is supposed to have sharp edges and they look a little rounded, I'd say it's possible that it's just from normal wear; rubbing against a cotton shirt for twenty years will round...
They look nice and quite crisp
Watches from 70s, 80s etc don’t always have consistent hallmarks as to their locations e.g early 3940s usually have them on the left side of case; later ones are usually under the lugs; I have also seen them on the side of lugs e.g in 5004s. The exact typ...
I have seen some on 3970 second series...
Those were pretty big. I do find them interesting to look at.
Which year is this watch from?
If from the 90s I would say: hallmarks are good. If even older: hallmarks are very good. This case has been polished 2-3 times, probably. But not more.
newer models would be as unpolished as possible with crisp stamps
Vintage - it is difficult to find crisper stamps in these older pieces as most have been polished once or twice Very rare to find vintage cases with deep unpolished stamps- they are available but uncommon. Expect to pay a premium However also be aware the...
I am far from an expert on hallmarks,
but I would say they should be examined as closely as possible via loupe or macro photograph. But as we see it is tricky as not all hallmarks have the same crispness coming out the factory, and irrespective of any polish, this may vary by year of producti...
Very well said and true...
You have so much experience with all these pieces, so it is easier for you to see all these nuances than others. I think this is the fun part of this hobby. We need to gain experience without getting hurt. This forum is the best place to learn and to shar...
