Watches Archives - Seized Sales

Tips for Buying your First Rolex

“It doesn’t just tell time, it tells history.” Rolex

When you’re looking for a reliable luxury timepiece, in fact… the ultimate timepiece, Rolex immediately comes to mind for most people. The brand is so intricately linked to superiority and success that one can’t help but desire a Rolex!

Rolex owners have included known celebrities like Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, and Paul Newman to world leaders and public figures like Dwight D Eisenhower, JFK, and Martin Luther King. Essentially… all those who have truly “made it” in life!

Rolex really spoils you with choice – with more than 1,000 different models in the current catalogue, spread across men and women watches, split into Professional and Classic collections, and spanning more than a dozen different collections.

When doing your research, you will quickly see that Rolex has their own language. Before you buy a Rolex watch, look at the mechanisms, movements, terms, bezels and bracelets to know what you’re looking for in your piece.

Mechanism Terms Explained

Bezel: The exterior ring encircling the dial with several distinct types that offer additional functionality.

Caliber: The more formal name for the watch’s internal movement.

Chronergy: This offers an increase in efficiency and high resistance to magnetic forces.

Chronograph: The name for a watch that can also be used as a stopwatch.

Cyclops: The name Rolex gives to the small magnification lens set into the crystal above the date window to make the numeral easier to read. Provides a magnification of 2.5x

Hack: A feature on all modern Rolex movements that stops the second hand when the winding crown is pulled out. This feature makes it easier to set the time accurately.

Hairspring: An incredibly thin coil of metal that is mounted onto the balance wheel to form the watch’s oscillator, ensuring the watch’s timekeeping accuracy.

Index: Another name for the various hour markers found on dials.

Maxi Dial: A type of dial that has oversized indexes.

Mercedes: The unofficial name for the type of hour hand commonly found on Rolex sports watches. The design is close to the car manufacturer’s three-pointed star logo.

Movements on a Rolex

The movement (also known as the caliber) controls the model’s main hands but can also be constructed with various complications. A complication is any function above and beyond regulating the hour, minute, and seconds hands.

Rolex Bracelets

An element often overlooked by newcomers to luxury watch buying is the type of bracelet which has a huge effect on the look and feel. There are five official bracelet types, and each one has its own unique design and personality.

Jubilee Bracelet: The oldest type of bracelet Rolex still uses.

Oyster Bracelet: Only just younger than the Jubilee, the Oyster dates back to 1948. Its three flat links make it the most tool-like and casual of Rolex’s metal bracelets.

President Bracelet: As with the Jubilee, the President bracelet was made specifically for the launch of a new watch, and in this case it was designed for the Day-Date in 1956.

Pearlmaster Bracelet: With its five rounded, staggered links, the Pearlmaster was introduced in 1992 for the first of the Pearlmaster watches, and like the President Bracelet, the Pearlmaster is a premium bracelet option.

Oysterflex Bracelet: Rolex’s first rubber strap.

Leather Strap: These days, leather straps are only found on Rolex’s dedicated dress watch series, the Cellini. Available in black, brown, or blue and fitted with an 18k gold buckle to match the case of the watch, the straps are fully embroidered and stitched alligator leather.

Bezels

Every Rolex watch has a bezel to secure the crystal on to the case to ensure a certain water-resistance. However, the bezel also offers the perfect opportunity to be both decorative and functional.

Rolex Decorative Bezels

These are fluted, smooth and gem-set.

Rolex Functional Bezels

These include timing bezels, dive bezels, GMT bezels, ring command bezels and tachymeter bezels.

Reasons to buy a Rolex:

It will last a lifetime and can be passed down to future generations.
It outperforms competition with strength, longevity, and reliability.
Recently, more watches have been purchased as investments, particularly vintage models.
Choose between The Professional Collection and the Classic Collection depending on your style.
Rolex watches are extremely versatile in their design and never look out of place. Pair your Submariner with your wetsuit or your Tuxedo and always have a timeless wrist piece accompany you.
And lastly… because Rolex is the Rolls Royce of timepieces ☺

May 21, 2021/0 Comments/by SS Editor

Blog, Jewelry, Watches

10 Useful Tips For Buying a Vintage Watch

Buying a vintage watch can seem daunting at first, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. But with the right tips and advice, you can start your own collection without any hassle. Modern watches may talk, but vintage watches speak to you and whether it’s a sentimental purchase or an investment, educating yourself before buying is very important.

Research your brands. Rolex and Patek Philippe are generally the priciest brands in vintage watch collections.
Contact the manufacturer. Most exclusive brands have an archive of watches produced and can provide information production year, country of origin, number of pieces produced, caliber number, and case and/or reference number.
Find a reputable watchmaker. Find either an independent watchmaker or one who works for a large retailer and ask if he can source replacement (or new) parts. Some parts of vintage watches are exceedingly difficult to source or are no longer available at all and need to be re-created from scratch.
Find the Right Price. Prices can vary on similar looking watches and across brands. Compare the watch you want to other collections and ranges so that you don’t overpay for your timepiece. Research the average market price, as specifications such as a dial or bezel can change the price dramatically. Find a reputable seller and ask about the guarantees – but keep in mind that it is sometimes difficult to give a warranty on a 50-year-old watch.
Know Your Movements. There are two movements: manual and automatic. Manual watches require you to turn the crown to “wind up” the watch daily and automatic watches gain momentum from the movement of your wrist and winds the watch on its own.
Think of Supplementary functions. Your watch will either have a perpetual calendar which tracks the day, month, and year accurately for decades or a chronograph – a stopwatch with sub-dials.
It’s all in the face. The dial of the watch can usually determine the price tag. Check that the face is an original and not a repainted or refurbished one.
Original is key! Look for watches with original hands, bezels, and movement, with unpolished cases and their original boxes, receipts, and manuals.
Metals. Get a feel for what metal looks good on your skin.
Size Matters. Vintage watches are generally smaller than modern-day designs, but some brands like Patek Philippe Calatrava come at 35 mm in diameter and can bring huge premiums.

April 26, 2021/0 Comments/by SS-Admin

Blog, Watches

Make time last with your luxury watches

Luxury watches are timeless, and these intricate mechanical wonders need a great deal of love and care. These pieces are an iconic symbol of classic engineering that hold so much detail, aesthetic and mastery. They can tell more than just the time and their longevity depends entirely on how you maintain them.

All classic, luxury and limited-edition watches are a tribute to incomparable craftsmanship and If properly cared for, they can last generations from now and form an integral part of your estate.

Here are ten tips to keep your watch ticking:

Read the manual

This is very important as all the information on how to properly care for the watch will be included. The manual will have instructions on how to change the date and time, the level of water resistance, what the battery requirements are, and certain aspects that are specific to each watch.

Waterproof or water resistant

Every watch has a water-resistance rating, but this doesn’t suggest you go swimming with it. Check whether your watch is waterproof such as the Omega Seamaster range that has diving-oriented features in a sports watch style or if they are simply water resistant. A rating of 3 ATM/30m/100ft doesn’t mean you can dive down to 30m with it!

Avoid extremities

Quickly going from hot to cold can quite easily damage your watch and interfere with the seals and gaskets.

Winding a mechanical watch

The mechanical watch blends science and art, so be sure to take care when winding it. If you are wearing the watch while you are winding it, you’ll add unwanted pressure to the winding stem. Be aware that there is a chance you can overwind your watch. Stop as soon as you feel resistance. To maintain a mechanical watch, try and keep in the habit of winding it regularly to keep the time accurate.

Servicing your watch

Be sure to take your watch for a regular service to a watch specialist. Not all jewelers can take apart and put together luxury brands and all watches need to be resealed properly to ensure the watch is watertight. Sport watches may need to be serviced more frequently.

Leave it to the professionals

Find out where you can take your watch to be serviced/repaired that won’t nullify the warranty and guarantee. Sometimes damage can happen from simply not screwing crowns back in properly.

How to clean a silver, gold, or stainless-steel watch

Gold, silver and stainless steel are all tough metals and frequently used in luxury watchmaking. However, they can still get scratched and are prone to general wear and tear. Here are a few key tips on how to clean them:

First separate the face from the bracelet as some cleaning solutions can’t be used on both parts.
Use a polishing cloth and glass cleaner for the face and wipe down in a circular motion.
Using the same cloth, wipe the bracelet dry.

Caring for leather straps

Leather straps are prone to deterioration, especially when exposed to moisture, high temperatures, extreme light, oil, and humidity. The strap can discolor or corrode.

Dry the leather straps often using a soft, absorbent cloth to prevent damage.

Time adjustments

Experts have suggested that you never make any adjustment when the short hand is in the middle of the 3 and 9 o’clock marker. This is to ensure that you won’t damage the pinion and the gears.

Battery changes

Have your batteries regularly changed to prevent leakage that can cause severe damage.

April 19, 2021/0 Comments/by SS-Admin

Blog, Watches

Timeless Investments

A luxury wrist piece has always been a refuge for many people – a form of expression and taste for even first-time buyers and is one of the few investment portfolios you can wear.

There is nothing quite like a well-crafted automatic watch. From the dial color to clasp design and screw-down crown… If you’re ready to invest, let it be a vintage or limited edition time-piece that, like fine wine, will only become more valuable with age.

Luxury watches will always have a market as brands such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe are particularly attentive to their identity and history and rarely depreciate in value – especially if they are one-of-a-kind. There is a huge collector community which makes this a very lucrative investment. All investments require care and attention, but what makes some of these watches so special is that they rarely come off a production line, are presented as individual styles and are often redesigned into a limited edition.

Let’s look at the Rolex 4113 – only 12 were produced in 1942 but sits like a modern watch on the wrist with a 44mm face and an unusually thin bezel. Of these vintage chronographs, only 8 have resurfaced and the 4113 is the only split-seconds chronograph to be built by Rolex, ever.

Brands we are keeping our eye on

Rolex
Audemars Piguet
A Lange & Söhne
Patek Philippe
Richard Mille
Vacheron Constantin
Breitling
Baume & Mercier

We’ve put together a few tips on why and how to start your watch collection.

Watches do not require frequent maintenance.
You are assured both a return on your investment and pleasure from wearing it.
Limited edition watches can usually double or triple in value, especially if it is no longer in production. Many first-time buyers will overlook small details, but something as mundane as lettering color can increase the value of your piece. A great example is the Rolex Submariner, which offers the ‘Submariner’ text in red lettering – simply making it unique.
Owning vintage watches is one of the fastest-growing global trends. This is a good way to ensure your ROI as the production of this model is low or has most likely been discontinued.

Do your research

Fundamental to any investment is research. Take a look at popular models, materials, condition and year of the model. The biggest mistake would be to purchase the most expensive watch to start your collection without evaluating the value and projection over the next 5 to 10 years. Check in with industry experts and other investors or collectors.

Start your collection with a well-known brand

If you’re a novice collector, stick to the information available to you. Build your collection with a brand that has a reputable and celebrated identity such as Rolex and Patek Philippe. You can never go wrong with a classic, especially because the value increases with time and there are always people who are wanting to buy it from you. Classic watches always hold a special place in collectors’ hearts (even when they don’t own it…yet).

A long-term investment

Firstly, look at watches that are nearing the end of their production as they will eventually be considered desirable and vintage. Once, the supply drops, demand increases and drives the value with collectors.

March 2, 2021/0 Comments/by SS-Admin