Watch trading: a cautionary tale ****Update***

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deepcdvr
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Watch trading: a cautionary tale ****Update***

Post by deepcdvr » Sun Dec 02, 2018 1:59 pm

Hopefully you guys can learn from my tale of woe.

I’ll try to make this short.

A young frogman at my command heard I was a watch guy and having some pocket change asked me to find him “a nice metal bracelet watch”. I know, pretty funny. Anyway he had about 3k to blow so I was a able to source him a very clean 42mm Planet Ocean 8500 with no papers. After about a week, he told me he didn’t like it and could I trade it for him. I contacted one of our favorite DWC sellers and he was able to source a Black Bay black with gilt hands and in house movement - again, no warranty card, but gorgeous watch. Seller was very well known to me and as solid as they come. I made the deal - again, for the dude, not me.

Well, he didn’t like the Tudor either lol. “Too nice”.

About this time another seller here put up an MM300 SBDX017 - full kit. I asked my buddy if he liked the pics land he said “that’s the one”. I traded the Black Bay for the Marinemaster plus cash.

You guessed it, the guy didn’t like that one either lol. So I offered to buy him a quartz Tag (for about 900 bucks) plus I added cash and several cheaper watches for the Marinemaster and kept that puppy for myself. At this point, everyone is happy: the frogman has his “nice metal watch”, the other guy has his Black Bay and I have an MM300, one of my all time favorite watches.

In the meantime, the Black Bay owner times the watch and it comes in at +2.5 a day, but being (like me) a helpless flipper puts the watch up FSOT. Before it gets sold, though, he has to go out of town on an emergency for about two weeks, leaving the watch at home.

Upon return, he takes the Tudor out to wind it up and noting happens. I mean nothing - he sent me a video - she’s DOA. The guy texts me and asks if I would speak to the Sailor to see if he would help with some sort of repair or something. I texted the frog who replied “lol dude - I don’t know sht about watches and the deal is done. Tell the guy to pack sand”... pretty much what I thought he’d say.

The Black Bay owner, i think jokingly, said he’d be willing to trade the Tudor back for the MM minus the cash.

I’m not asking what you guys would do at this point as it doesn’t really matter, but what I did - since I have no time to deal with this stuff and don’t want my watch dealing reputation in dispute, just said - no sweat, I’ll ship the MM tomorrow. The guy was very thankful and apologetic. I believe that he didn’t drop the watch or anything and all he did was ask me to contact the other dude. Plus put yourself in his shoes, he just bought a 2500 watch, wears it for a couple of days and it dies.

I also contaced the guy who I got the Black Bay from to let him know. As I expected, he said he’d help getting it repaired, although I would not expect (nor take) a dime from him as a month had passed and two guys had had the watch. Great offer though!

Anyway, tomorrow I’m getting the Tudor back. My plan is to have a local watchmaker open it up to see if maybe there’s just a piece of dust or something in there. I suspect it’s more than that. Either way, since I don’t like the watch (wears like a plate on me) I plan on selling it as soon as I can. Without papers - and being the in house movement - my assumption is that Tudor would want a small fortune to repair. If I can find a generic watchmaker to fix it - i will lose probably half on resale, although even having Tudor fix it will cost me on resale...

Anyway, not happy at all about all of this - so much so that I may drop this expensive hobby altogether; we shall see.


So - lessons learned:

1. Don’t do deals for a “friend”
2. Don’t buy an in-house movement not under warranty
3. Make sure (most importantly) that when selling/trading make all parties aware that all deals are final after you receive each other’s watches and they work - maybe 24 hours or so?


The way I’m going to look at this, for my own sake, is to assume I bought an in house movement without a warranty and it died on me. From there, what would I do...? still undecided.

If you guys have any suggestions, fire away :cheers:
Last edited by deepcdvr on Mon Dec 17, 2018 3:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by hoppyjr » Sun Dec 02, 2018 2:18 pm

It sucks that you’ve experienced all this mess, but it shows your character in how you’ve handled it. I respect that.

You have outlined the solutions (1,2,3) and that’s the order I view them at too.

I wouldn’t jump ship over this, but maybe talk to Terry’s guy and get it fixed, then sell it. Another option is LAWW.

Once you’ve dumped the repaired BB, get yourself something and return to normal. I’ve been burned a couple times when helping others so these days I usually only offer advice, not assistance.

Good luck.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by ericf4 » Sun Dec 02, 2018 2:19 pm

Damn man, sorry to hear this. You're right, being a middleman isn't the best place to be.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by Grahamcombat » Sun Dec 02, 2018 2:22 pm

Send it to me Paul and I’ll take care if it.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by bpax » Sun Dec 02, 2018 3:13 pm

That sucks. Sorry you are having to deal with this shit.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by gr8sw » Sun Dec 02, 2018 3:22 pm

you went far and above the call of duty on this one, Paul... what a PITA... hope you can get a MM300 back soon! :cheers:
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by deepcdvr » Sun Dec 02, 2018 3:43 pm

Thanks guys

Matt - hooyah! I’m taking it to a local guy tomorrow if it arrives early enough. I’ll let you know what he finds
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by deepcdvr » Sun Dec 02, 2018 3:47 pm

I once took a U1 that wasn’t running to a local guy and he opened it up, found a piece of dust, blew it out with nitrogen and it was good to go.. Prly not the case here but I’m praying. I could end up with a gorgeous paperweight when this is all over ;)
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by dinexus » Sun Dec 02, 2018 4:36 pm

Sold a watch for a buddy once, but never again. Deal went flawlessly, but I was stressed about it hardcore the whole time. Can't even imagine it escalating this bad.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by BacoNoir » Sun Dec 02, 2018 4:37 pm

deepcdvr wrote:Thanks guys

Matt - hooyah! I’m taking it to a local guy tomorrow if it arrives early enough. I’ll let you know what he finds
Sucks when you get hosed trying to help a brother out.

Depending on what the watchmaker says, it’s probably worth at least and email/call to Dallas RSC to ask for the basic service cost on the movement. I think I read it’s in the low $300 range and would come with warranty, so you might recoup some of that with a higher sale price.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by deepcdvr » Sun Dec 02, 2018 4:41 pm

BacoNoir wrote:
Sun Dec 02, 2018 4:37 pm
deepcdvr wrote:Thanks guys

Matt - hooyah! I’m taking it to a local guy tomorrow if it arrives early enough. I’ll let you know what he finds
Sucks when you get hosed trying to help a brother out.

Depending on what the watchmaker says, it’s probably worth at least and email/call to Dallas RSC to ask for the basic service cost on the movement. I think I read it’s in the low $300 range and would come with warranty, so you might recoup some of that with a higher sale price.
Thanks - good idea. I’ll definitely keep that in mind :cheers:
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by manitoujoe » Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:14 pm

Really sorry to hear about that buddy. You did the right thing (several times). I’m hoping Terry’s guy is able to fix if your local guy doesn’t.

Keep us informed and if I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to ask. For reals.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by manitoujoe » Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:16 pm

Lol meant that as a PM.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by mattcantwin » Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:25 pm

Sorry to hear about all this, Paul.


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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by Sidheguitarist » Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:30 pm

deepcdvr wrote:
Sun Dec 02, 2018 3:43 pm

Matt - hooyah! I’m taking it to a local guy tomorrow if it arrives early enough. I’ll let you know what he finds
Some of us just met two young dudes on Matt's crew; I'm pretty sure that would be a viable way to get the Tudor squared away if it's not something simple.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by fastward » Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:56 pm

Bummer. It’s tough workin deals for someone when they’re go sideways.

Let me know if you are still looking for a MM300.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by Captdave » Sun Dec 02, 2018 6:30 pm

Sorry you had to go through that. Like the saying goes “no good deed goes unpunished “

Best of luck getting everything straightened out. Great way you dealt with the situation


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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by Joeprez » Sun Dec 02, 2018 6:36 pm

Very sorry to hear that Paul. You definitely were a gentlemen in all transactions.

And I believe number #1 is crucial. I've help friends buy watches, but we always go to the boutiques to try it on the flesh before buying used.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by CGSshorty » Sun Dec 02, 2018 7:16 pm

A good friend recently called me to see if I’d help him sell a Panerai and Breitling. I sent him the link to eBay.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by HapaHapa » Sun Dec 02, 2018 7:26 pm

That’s too bad Paul, but on the bright side you’ve just earned a hill of good karma for being a solid guy for all parties involved.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by BBK357 » Sun Dec 02, 2018 7:28 pm

That sucks Paul. You are being very nice about it.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by ChuckW » Sun Dec 02, 2018 7:28 pm

Remember this quote from The Magnificent Seven? "Shows you, sooner or later, you must answer for every good deed."
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by toxicavenger » Sun Dec 02, 2018 7:31 pm

Paul, I like sand. I have pounded it one to many times.

Keep me updated bro.

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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by JBZ » Mon Dec 03, 2018 5:50 am

That sucks, and you're a prince. I try to help people when I can, but after the second, "nah, I don't like it," I would have told the guy that I'll be happy to suggest some other options but that he's on his own for future purchases.

On the watch, the issue you may run into is not only is it an in-house movement, but it's a relatively new one. So it may be harder for you to find an independent who can fix it if replacement parts are needed (and Rolex/Tudor have gotten a lot tighter regarding replacement part distribution in the past few years). Also, an independent may not know exactly how to fix the movement given how new it is. I'd agree that it makes sense to get a quote from an RSC if anything significant must be done. This will also help you with resale - you may take a hit once the buyer learns that it was repaired by an independent rather than Tudor.

Of course, Terry's and/or Matt's guys may prove me wrong, so if they think they can get it going again and it's cheaper, that's worth looking into.
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Re: Watch trading: a cautionary tale

Post by deepcdvr » Mon Dec 03, 2018 7:02 am

^^^ thanks a bunch, guys - appreciate the comments

Yeah, I'll take it to the local guy today then probably send it to Matt; I understand his guys are Rolex/Tudor trained, but I get the 'new movement' discussion as well. Also agree that I'm going to take a hit. The way I see it, though, I'm going to take a hit either way. If I send it to Tudor, they're going to charge me an arm and a leg. I would get more on resale, but a used BB without papers that's already been fixed - even by Tudor - will only sell for 3/4 worth - if that (probably more like half) and when you subtract the money Tudor will charge me...I'm losing my a$$

Option 2, I get it repaired by an independent watchmaker for considerably less money, yes I would still lose money on a resale, but my up front costs may make it a wash (?)...

Picking it up in 30 minutes - hoping for the best. I wish I liked the watch then I'd just get it fixed for the least amount and just keep it, but I found it wore very big...

:cheers:
Last edited by deepcdvr on Mon Dec 03, 2018 7:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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