Selling At Auction(?)

[Tankman104c]

Hi Guys. I was wondering if many of you had sold a watch at auction and what sort of experience you had?

I had a strange experience a couple of years ago when I tried to auction a 1960's Breitling Top Time that I had aquired from a great-uncle who pssed away. The watch had no sentimental value and I wasn't going to wear it.

I visited a jewellers in Ludlow and he suggested he sent it to an specialist auction in Birmingham with a reserve. The auction house do a condition report before entry in their auction. After a couple of weeks I looked on-line at the catalogue and there was my watch listed as 'non working'! I rang the jeweller to confirm it was working but he was on holiday until after the auction! I rang the auction house who wouldn't accept that the watch was working when they recieved it!

When the auction came it didn't sell so was returned to Ludlow. When I collected the watch the jeweller wasn't there to quiz him but when I wound the watch up in the shop, low and behold, it ticked away quite happily! I really still don't know what to make of it but I know I won't be buying or selling through that auction house!

[Lorne]

In my days of buying watches to take them apart and see what made them good I bought several from auctions, including the Birmingham one you're probably talking about. Being sold as 'not working' when they just need to be wound up or have a new battery fitted was quite a common thing. Bought a Bulgari Diagono chronograph once from a posh auction house in London. I think it cost me about £600 including fees and it just needed to be wound up.

[mikeveal]

I'm after a 1960's Top Time. Just saying.
Timing's not great as I need to put a huge chunk of cash into a mortgage deposit in the next couple of weeks. But once the bank balance has bounced back into the green...

[Lorne]

mikeveal said:

I'm after a 1960's Top Time. Just saying.
Timing's not great as I need to put a huge chunk of cash into a mortgage deposit in the next couple of weeks. But once the bank balance has bounced back into the green...

As a caveat, 'not working often means it just needs winding up' is not the only reason it might not be working. Auction houses are a good way to get rid of damaged and junked things that are not economic to repair. Just like car auctions though, they're good fun!