Pre-Owned Watches for Beginners

Why Buy Second Hand Watches?

There is a lot of benefits of buying a pre-owned watch, the main one being the price point. Often, second hand is more affordable than buying new. This is great if you’re after a luxury brand name such as Rolex or Omega. Even so, some luxury brands have a waiting line to get a new watch, so buying used is often the best way to get your hands on their pieces.

Another reason to buy pre-owned is that it’s great for collectors. Not only can you find pieces cheaper, but often you can find rare, vintage, and even discontinued models. The second-hand watch market is full of gems that you wouldn’t find when buying brand new.

How To Start Your Watch Collection

Before you even start your second hand watch collection, there are some things you need to know before purchasing them. Below, we have outlined things you need to do before knowing which watches to buy, as well as what to look out for when buying.

Research Watch Type & Brand

Before starting your watch collection, you need to do some research. It’s important to have knowledge about the watch space, what brands are out there and what types of watches you are interested in. Sieve out and find what sort of style of watches you like, are you passionate or drawn to a certain type or brand? What designs do you like or prefer to wear? Or connecting a hobby to watches, for example, if you love diving, look at diving watches; or a watch inspired by motorsport if you love car races. Even if you want a variety of watch types in your collection, knowing what you want is key.

Once you have the type of watch you are after, look into the brands that catch your eye or that you know have pieces surrounding your interests. There are so many watch brands on the market so without a doubt there will be some you know straight away, but look into ones you might not know as much, you might find exactly the watch you are looking for. Dig deep into the brands that interest you the most, what is the story and inspiration behind each piece? Knowing the history helps you get a real sense of the brand and its work.

Once you narrow that down, you can then look at how each watch was designed and how it looks. The dial and hands, any colours or craftsmanship the watch has, the bracelet type and even the movement, the choices are endless. If you’re looking at used watches, also consider the size, as most only have one model in stock, meaning one size. To find out more about what size is best for you, take a look at our Watch Size Guide.

With the movement type, there are four main ones to know:

• Automatic watches:Also known as self-winding watches, these continuously wind themselves as you wear them and power itself with your wrist movements.
• Manual watches: These requite to be manually wound each day, as it unwinds it provides the energy to power the watch.
• Quartz watches: These are the battery powered watches which keep the movement of the watch ticking.

Read more: The Ultimate Watch Movement Guide

Buy From A Reputable Seller

Another key step to research is where to buy a pre-owned watch. Whether you are buying in-store or online it’s good to know that the seller you are choosing is reputable. A good way to do this is to check online reviews and feedback or check out the company’s social media channels. Reputable online sellers should also be approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If they are you know that you’re in good hands as they regulate the financial markets in the UK.

When starting your pre-owned watch collection, it’s also a good idea to do your research in different sellers and shops. Different places may stock different brands and collections, so shop around and keep your eyes peeled for the piece you’re looking for.

Checking The Pre-Owned Watch

Before buying your beginner’s watch it’s good to check over it and make sure that everything is in good condition, is working, and most importantly, that it’s a genuine piece. In doing your research you should know the specifications of the watch you are after, but it’s also good to examine it yourself. Are all the pieces working? Are there any scratches or imperfections that should be noted?

In terms of checking that your pre-owned watch is real, many pieces from a reputable seller will be checked by watch experts before going on sale. But for your peace of mind, many will also come with their original box and papers. These state the model reference, serial number and sometimes where they were originally sold. Second hand pieces that don’t have their original box and papers might not be fake, as sometimes these can be lost to time, especially if it’s a vintage piece. However, note that those without it may be more expense than those with.

Here at Ramsdens Jewellery, we are a reputable seller and have watch experts on hand which check the quality of each watch before it goes on sale, so you know it’s in good condition and genuine. Read more about How We Authenticate Pre-Owned Watches in our helpful guide.

For more tips on buying second hand watches, take a look at our guide to Key Factors To Consider When Buying A Pre-Owned Watch

Beginner Watches To Start Your Collection

Now whether you are buying new or buying second hand watches, we have a few of our best beginner watches to help you start your watch collection.

Rolex Submariner

Known for its elegant and naval-inspired design, the Rolex Submariner is ideal for everyday wear and sea-faring adventures. This collection is a popular Rolex timepiece and is known for its durability and reliability. With a self-winding movement, this collection has a wide range of styles and models with steel, two-tone and solid gold watches, even those with date displays, black dials and stunning ceramic bezels. Great to start your second hand watch collection, this is the most known luxury watch in the world of timepieces.

For more collections, take a look at our full range of Rolex timepieces.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch

An iconic watch, the Omega Speedmaster. Originally known for its design for motorsport, their ‘Moonwatch’ model became famous for its use in space exploration and was even worn during NASA’s Apollo missions. Including Apollo 11 where Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon wearing this Omega wristwatch, making this collection the first watch to be worn on the moon. With a range of sporty designs and elegant models, Omega has a range of timepieces for both men and women. Having this piece in your watch collection is a must.

Take a look at our full range of Omega watches for a more stunning pieces worth collecting.

Related: Omega Watches V Rolex Watches – Which Is The Best?

Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer is another world leader in Swiss watches, they produce tough, daring and technologically advanced watches with stunning craftsmanship for both men and women. We have two lines that are must haves within your watch collection. One of these is Tag Heuer Carrera, these watches were built to the highest standard for racing drivers, refined and elegant, they are iconic pieces of art for professional drivers and sports-car enthusiasts.

Another great beginner watch for your collection is the Tag Heuer Formula 1, these are timepieces designed specifically for the Formula 1 drivers. Precise and stylish, they emulate the look and features of a race car cockpit, and this collection offers unique and bold colours with a signature large watch face and stripe details on the stap.

For more, take a look at our full range of Tag Heuer watches.

Breitling Navitimer

A master of watch performance and specialist in making technical timepieces, one model stands out as a must have for a watch collection. Their most iconic model, the Breitling Navitmer is not only the most popular one, but it’s the ultimate pilot’s tool. With a stunning variety in case sizes, dial colours and bracelets and straps, this model has three dial registers in panda or reverse panda colour scheme all between the famous slide rule bezel.

Breitling have a wide range of luxury watches, why not take a look at our full range of Breitling watches.

Cartier Tank

Cartier watches are great to add to your used watch collection, they are one of the best-known and sought after brands. But also, their simple yet timeless watches are always high in demand due to the stunning luxurious French style. They truly are elegant vintage looking pieces. A must have is the Cartier Tank collection, featuring a few different models. The Tank Anglaise is a gorgeous piece which features a sleek design, powered by a quartz movement and fitted with a sapphire crystal back which allows you to see the inner workings. The Tank Anglo-Saxe was introduced as a wide revamp of this collection and is a smaller watch available in steel, pink gold or yellow gold

And finally the most iconic pre-owned watch for your collection, the Tank Francaise. This is one of Cartier’s most popular designs and has been worn by famous celebrities, a few of those being Princess Diana and Michelle Obama. This piece features a rectangular face with a unique design.

For more beautiful pieces, take a look at our full range of Cartier watches.

Becoming A Watch Collector

Whether you are buying your first watch to start your collection, or wanting to learn how to start collecting, the best tips we have are to make sure you know what you want, you are buying it from a reputable seller, and it’s the real deal. Becoming a watch collector is easy enough, and it can be very rewarding. Remember though to stick with buying second hand watches, this is because you not only get the best value as they are usually cheaper, but you can also find vintage, unique and even discontinued or limited edition models. Even if you’re after a newer model still being sold as new, it’s best to buy it pre-owned.

At Ramsdens we have a wide range of second hand watches from a wide range of luxury brands all waiting to be collected. Whether you’re looking for men’s watches or watches for women we have it all. And all our watches are checked by our watch experts, and many are sold with their original boxes and papers, so rest assured that it’s genuine.

And once you start building your pre-owned watch collection, you’ll want to make sure it lasts, especially if it’s a vintage piece. Take a look at our Watch Care and Cleaning Guide for all the best tips on how to make sure your collection stays pristine for years to come.