As Coronageddon rolls on, watch buyers continue to flock to safety, spending their cash on recognized watch brands like Patek, Rolex, OMEGA, Hamilton, TAG Heuer, etc. The move is leaving lesser-known traditional watch brands and their retailers with piles of unsold inventory. The result (as you will see): Shopworn depreciation! But let’s be careful about one thing . . .
You don’t need me to tell you the mainstream watch media all dance to the same tune. Just surf for the latest watch news from the usual suspects. All of a sudden, on the same day, aBlogtoWatch, HoDinkee, dmarge, Esquire, Time & Tide et al. are singing the praises of the same watch. Today it was the new TAG Heuer X Bamford Aquaracer. No surprise there . . .
Pssst. Hey buddy! Want to sell your watch real fast? Check out eBay’s converted gas station. “From the convenience of their car, ‘guests’ hand over the items to on-site appraisers and, if they approve the offered price, the guest can sell to the buyer on the spot and get money instantly deposited into their PayPal account.” And they call it an . . .
“Vacheron Constantin is offering a phone sales service to United States clients beginning this week,” watchpro.com reports. “Clients can speak with advisors before selecting and purchasing their timepiece of choice over the phone. They can then pick up their watch at a nearby boutique, or receive a personalized package to their homes.” For Vacheron authorized dealers, this means war!
Enough cannot be said of watch bands, the different types, how much a watch’s look or comfort can be affected by changing them. Before the Timex Weekender made the one-piece woven strap ubiquitous and the Apple Watch put the quick-change spring bars in the hands of everyday consumers, the average nobody thought of a watch band as a sneaker sole, an integral and irreplaceable part of the assembly. When the band wears out, they replace the whole watch. Rubes don’t know about spring bars . . .
