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need info on hunters case pocket watch "Click" to Login or Register 
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

John,

Please let us know if there might be a market in Europe for Amy's watch.

Lindell

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
posted
Apologies for the late response folks.

Lindell, I'm certain there would be a good market in Europe for Amy's watch, just as I'm certain there would be a good market for it in the USA.
European watches may appear not to be very popular, but trust me, there is a very active US market for them.

Anything slightly out of the ordinary that smacks of quality, or having unusual features or similarities to what we now regard as 'High end' marques, see's very aggressive bids on eBay UK from American buyers.

I think it was a Nightingale Conant Guru that coined the phrase ' Always look for nuggets of gold in your own backyard first' Wink
Maybe if a few more American buyers did that, we'd have more decent stuff left here Big Grin

Maybe Amy wouldn't consider eBay for selling the watch - and I couldn't fault her for that given the latest wheezes by them and Praypal to hog tie sellers, but she could approach high street auction houses with an internet presence.

Many of my valuable watches have gone that way over recent weeks instead of eBay, and they've brought at least as good as or better prices.
The fees can be much higher, but at least you don't have the worry of scammers claiming non delivery and chargebacks etc.

Chris, thanks for adding your comments,
As you say, it would be totally incorrect to market the watch as being of a certain manufacture, but it would be quite acceptable to sell it 'in the style of'.
Collectors aren't stupid, and despite the arguments put forth here, I'm sure many such people will have seen the similarities between Amy's watch and such marques as IWC & Vacheron etc.
Even Vacheron and Stauffer amongst others were churning out the despised cylinder watches in their thousands, so why should this watch raise so many hackles?

As regards the Gold case and it's weight, well, I'm not even going there, so I'll just leave it for you folks to ponder over.
Please do consider this though!
That case was made in 1892 when the vast majority of the world's populous were scratching around just to put food on the table.
Many rural European homes didn't even get running water and flushing lavatories in them until the mid 1900's, so the chances of seeing let alone owning a Gold watch would have been in the realms of fantasy.
It may be considered 'Thin', but what would it's manufacture have cost way back then!

Please consider that watch, its Gold case and other features within the context of it's period and against its peers, Not against the 'screw set jewelled everything that moves' products that you're used to handling and seeing now - Then evaluate it.
That history is after all, what gives antiques their special presence.

John
 
Posts: 1282 | Location: Northern England, United Kingdom | Registered: January 07, 2006
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

Thanks John,

You have confirmed David's first thought of "in the style of IWC" as you suggested.

Amy had hoped we could find a good home for this one, if we can come up with an interested party and a clear estimate of value we would be well on the way.

Lindell

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
posted
Lindell, I personally think that any 'clear estimate' of a value for Amy's watch has to be regarding the melt value of the case.

I know it's a thorny issue for many, but unless a serious collector wants this watch, it's the precious metal in the case that will determine its final price.
Unless that same collector wants it for what it is, then much as the practice is derided, there's a good chance it'll end up in a furnace.

Lets just hope a collector out there will liberate a few moths by opening their wallet!

I found some stuff whilst trawling the web for IWC stuff to see what's published that appears similar.
The chart below has been lifted from IWC's website.

John

IWC Ebauches
 
Posts: 1282 | Location: Northern England, United Kingdom | Registered: January 07, 2006
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