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You collect watches, my Dad has died, and I found all these old watches. You sell them and you can have half of what they sell for.

2K views 43 replies 20 participants last post by  tick-tock-tittle-tattle 
#1 ·
So you are told that the father of your wife's best friend's daughter's partner ( I know...convoluted already this story, we'll call him 'NORMAN' so I don't have to go through that again) has sadly passed away, and there is a box of old watches that they would like you to have a look at. They obviously hold no sentimental value as 'NORMAN' says "you get them fixed, and sold and we'll go halves on what they sell for"

I hate it when people think you are some sort of watch 'guru' because you own a few watches, can size up watch bracelets, can change a watch battery, and can replace a watch crystal.

So the box arrives, and they think I'm Uri Geller and can get these watches working again by closing my eyes, rubbing the watch, or smell the watches and tell them what's wrong with them.

The assessment of the 5 or so watches is as follows...

One manual wind Smiths Empire watch from the 1960's-1970's, 2 further quartz pocket watches (Unnamed & Royal London), 2 x cheap Chinese quartz watches worth less than the new batteries I will put in them, and finally a Sekonda quartz dress watch worth approx £5, I think all the watches are worth not much more than £20-£30 ish (would have been nice to have found an old Patek Philippe or something tasty)

So...how do you tell 'NORMAN' that his Dad's watch collection is virtually worthless as far as resale value, and priceless in sentimental value?

Have you ever been asked something similar, and have you found 'The Good, the Bad, or the Ugly' :crazy5vh:
 
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#5 ·
Have you ever been asked to 'assess' someone's watch finds?

I find it quite difficult to express an opinion on other people's watch collections mainly because watch collecting is a such personal thing, I wouldn't even tell my brother his watch collection is rubbish (IMHO)

One man's idea of a great watch is another man's idea of a junk watch. Nobody is wrong essentially.

apart from the Smiths watch which I will keep and give you £200
£200, I thought it was only worth about £10 - £30 based on what I'd seen on the Bay.

Maybe I got that one totally wrong. :whistle:

I'll get a photo sorted and someone who is 'pocketwatchy' can pass comment.
 
#4 ·
Hi Norman, Ive looked at all the watches and apart from the Smiths watch which I will keep and give you £200 for the rest of the entire collection are all affordable watches of the time and due to the cost of new affordable watches these days mean they will be very difficult if not impossible to sell because new watches can be had for such a low price these days. I have put batterys in the easy fix ones and got several running. Id suggest you keep any you fancy yourself or possibly gift them to any children you might know especially that knew your dad as this might start them down the route of an interest in Horology as your father had.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
been in this sort of position 3 or 4 times in as many decades. found a well thrashed omega and a vintage rolex (both ladies), a couple of vintage rotarys and LOTS of quartz tat in total.

the omega and rotarys proved to be way beyond economic repair - the rolex movement a runner but cosmetically not so good (put on a contemporary strap and still worm intermittently) - these were all womens watches which obvi doesn't help in terms of collectability / value. and yes i got a bit of advice from a reputable watchmaker.

the only other similar situation was getting both of dads timex - one serviced (a runner but keeps mediocre time) and one paperweight. both keepers though.

just tell them straight its stuff they should bung on ebay or get shot of down the charity shop.

smiths prices have gone up a bit in the last few years - i started out with smiths astral and everest watches . to get really good money they need to be gold cased and fully serviced , boxed etc etc, the bulk of what is out there is still in the pocket money range. cant be arsed with vintage now - me so bad !

have backed way off the battery / strap / clasp changing except for family and a couple of friends now - used to do half the street and lots of my old colleagues as well . did it as a favour and at cost , but it became a hassle and didnt want get into the situation of feeling pressured into providing some sort of warranty... and we moved to scotland so sod 'em :laughing2dw:

waffly sermon over , back about your business please.
 
#14 ·
or get shot of down the charity shop
Exactly what I thought, keep the Smiths Empire pocket watch, and take the others to British Heart Foundation charity shop (they think he died of a heart attack)

There was a receipt for the Sekonda for £72.00 (bought 2018) and it can only be worth £5-£10 now. Not nice sifting through someone's belongings and assessing them as pretty much worthless, but sadly that is the truth of it.

It has made me think about all the 'sh!te' I hoard, and that it is time to have a clear out so someone else doesn't have to do quite so much when my time comes. Hopefully plenty of time left...fingers crossed. :teethsmile:

Who the hell is Norman? I thought his name was Nebuchadnezzar.
Now here goes...I'm going to try and clear things up a little here.

So 'Norman's father died, and we changed Norman's name to Nebuchadnezzar, or Neb for short, but then again his friends may call him Nezz, I'll let you decide.

So Neb or Nezz, formerly known as Norman has acquired these watches from his late father, let's call him Ned for the sake of the saga. Neb or Nezz has Ned's watches and asked me ( I'll change my name to Nev just so Neb or Nezz formerly known as Norman doesn't know who is who) to a wee look over Ned's watches as Ned or Nezz formerly known as Norman doesn't know much about watches.

Is that clearer?

:watch:
 
#10 ·
One manual wind Smiths Empire watch from the 1960's-1970's, 2 further quartz pocket watches (Unnamed & Royal London), 2 x cheap Chinese quartz watches worth less than the new batteries I will put in them, and finally a Sekonda quartz dress watch worth approx £5, I think all the watches are worth not much more than £20-£30 ish (would have been nice to have found an old Patek Philippe or something tasty)
Dear Norman, in order to give you a reliable assessment of your collection, we really need photos.
 
#23 ·
My MIL was left a trinket that she thought was silver and took it in to a jeweller she'd bought from several times. He spent a good deal of time examining it with a loupe, weighing it and consulting a book on his shelf, then tapped away on a calculator. He handed it back to her with a very earnest look on his face and declared it to be worth 'about 60p'.

It was spelter or pewter or something and you have to admire him having some sport with it.

She's kept it - the story is worth more than the piece
 
#38 ·
It was spelter or pewter or something
Years ago my wife bought a couple of Spelter statues at an agricultural show. A pair of ancient greek warriors - we call them Castor and Pollux. Castor sadly broke his sword in battle and the plume of Pollux's helmet got knocked off, so I had to repair it. Probably worth about 60p too, but they're still rather fine things to look at. In better condition they'd probably be worth something.
 
#32 ·
Interesting how feeling can vary depending on the people, the personalities and circumstances. Some people would not dream of selling their late beloved's watch(es), others may see them as reminders that make them sad (so sad, they sell them), others still feel nothing at all for the watches. :sadwalk:

Fortunately, I've never been asked to assess the watches of the departed. Valuable or not it's a thankless task - you can end up being told something like; "Well, Jim said it was worth £500 and you're telling me my father's precious watch, that he wore every day with pride, is only worth a tenner? Are you trying to rip me off?". :tumbleweed:

We've all seen the look of disappointment on the face of the Antique's Roadshow visitor with their piece of china, handed down by generation from their great, great grandmother, who is told that if it were in perfect condition, and it was 30 years ago, it would be worth alot more than their 'yesterday's antique' it is worth now.

For many watches it's simply not worth the effort of selling online once you take into account the fees, the cost of P&P, your time to list it, monitor it, dispatch it, etc., for say £20. Better just give to a charity shop. :yes:

If you ask, charities will issue receipts for donated items (with estimated values) that can be used in Probate to offset any HMRC tax liabilities (should there be any). :thumbs_up:

And as a general rule, it's far better to clear any 'stuff' you think no-one will be interested in when your gone (in my case pretty much everything :laugh: ) before you go - it saves alot of heartache and work. :thumbsup:

Beware of house clearance though; in my experience they use Del Boy as a business role model. :huh:

As for Norman...

 
#40 ·
Hire a roller - drive to theirs and give them a fiver for their share of the sale, maybe also sport a large cigar, which you would ostentatiously wave about.

I assume you don't normally drive a roller, smoke large cigars or that you mind spending on the hire costs for a prank which on reflection might not be that funny.
 
#41 ·
So the general consensus is that I Nev (formerly known as tick-tock-tittle-tattle...AKA Paul) should tell Nebuchadnezzar, also known as Neb or Nezz that his deceased Father Ned regrettably bought rubbish watches.

I should also tell Nebuchadnezzar, also known as Neb or Nezz to keep the Smiths Empire pocket watch, and donate the others to a charity shop as that is probably Ned would have wanted.

...and finally I should tell Nebuchadnezzar, also known as Neb or Nezz that it is impossible to have too many sheds.

I think that about sums it up this thread???

Disclaimer

Names have been changed to protect the Horologically challenged. :teethsmile:
 
#42 ·
Just delicately tell them that while he obviously had a good eye for watches, they aren't the sort of brands that collectors tend to go for. You'll have to be honest with the value, but make it sound like it's the fault of someone else (watch people... tsk). :wink:

I've just had to tell one of my best mates that the La Coste watch he got for Christmas isn't the 500 quid grail he had been told it was. Got to the point he was being paranoid about wearing it! I was very delicate of course... you know me. :rolleyes:
 
#43 ·
So you are told that the father of your wife's best friend's daughter's partner ( I know...convoluted already this story, we'll call him 'NORMAN' so I don't have to go through that again) has sadly passed away, and there is a box of old watches that they would like you to have a look at. They obviously hold no sentimental value as 'NORMAN' says "you get them fixed, and sold and we'll go halves on what they sell for"

I hate it when people think you are some sort of watch 'guru' because you own a few watches, can size up watch bracelets, can change a watch battery, and can replace a watch crystal.

So the box arrives, and they think I'm Uri Geller and can get these watches working again by closing my eyes, rubbing the watch, or smell the watches and tell them what's wrong with them.

The assessment of the 5 or so watches is as follows...

One manual wind Smiths Empire watch from the 1960's-1970's, 2 further quartz pocket watches (Unnamed & Royal London), 2 x cheap Chinese quartz watches worth less than the new batteries I will put in them, and finally a Sekonda quartz dress watch worth approx £5, I think all the watches are worth not much more than £20-£30 ish (would have been nice to have found an old Patek Philippe or something tasty)

So...how do you tell 'NORMAN' that his Dad's watch collection is virtually worthless as far as resale value, and priceless in sentimental value?

Have you ever been asked something similar, and have you found 'The Good, the Bad, or the Ugly' :crazy5vh:
Best advice tell them in respect of their owner and to honour him let's cremate or bury the watches with him. Amen.

Sorted dead waste of time...
 
#44 ·
Quick update on this one...

I have popped the back off these quartz watches to change the batteries and all the pocket watches with quartz movements have the Miyota 2115, and all the quartz wrist watches have the Miyota 2115 movements in them.

My initial reaction was what are the chances of a guy going out randomly buying wrist watches, and pocket watches at different times, and they all have the same movement in them.

Then reality kicks in and you then understand that if anyone goes out and randomly buys 'cheap' watches that a really low cost movement will be used, and they don't come much lower cost than a Miyota 2115.
 
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