OT: watch people: Crown & Caliber?

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Looking at a preowned IWC on Crown & Caliber, and I’m wondering if any of the watch hounds here has experience with them?


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[Bentley]

I’d recommend Watchuseek, similar to Paceline. They have both vendor and member to member sales. You can find just about any watch there

[Steve in SLO]

If you are OK buying from an individual, also look at www.watchrecon.com
It’s for watches what searchtempest is for craigslist.

[crankles]

If you are OK buying from an individual, also look at www.watchrecon.com
It’s for watches what searchtempest is for craigslist.

Danger Will Robinson! Danger! DO NOT go to watchrecon... run, RUN!

I'm really just speaking for myself of course... It's a love/hate thing.

[CDollarsign]

I think their prices are inflated. I know people that have purchased multiple watches and been happy with them though...

Rolex forum is a good place to look at buy.

[crankles]

I think their prices are inflated. I know people that have purchased multiple watches and been happy with them though...

Rolex forum is a good place to look at buy.

Watchrecon or Watchesuseek?

Watchrecon is just an aggregator. It scoops up just about all the forums.

..oh sorry. you are referring to Crown and Caliber...

[FlashUNC]

Crown & Caliber in my experience has a good reputation. Had a couple buddies picked up pieces from them, never shopped with them myself.

But as others in the thread mentioned, their prices are a tad higher than what you might find from private sellers. So I guess it comes down to whether the piece of mind of a reseller behind the pre-owned piece who's vetted it versus a private seller is worth that premium to you.

Personally? If I were looking for, say, a pre-owned Tudor Black Bay, I'd strongly consider getting it from there.

[vincenz]

Vendors on watchuseek and Rolex forums are good. Never bought from C&C, but their prices are high for the condition the pieces are in.

[choke]

Chrono24 is another good place to look. There are dealers and private individuals selling there. One nice thing about Chrono24 is that the payment goes through an escrow service so the seller doesn't receive it until you have the watch in hand and give the OK.

[yinzerniner]

Looking at a preowned IWC on Crown & Caliber, and I’m wondering if any of the watch hounds here has experience with them?


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I look at C&C as a retail used dealer with a good reputation, so prices will be a bit higher for what you get but at least you have the wherewithal to know that they've been given at least a cursory look-through and have a decent return policy. Also they tend to focus on more modern pieces vs vintage.

If you're looking for the best price there are plenty of well-known and respected dealers out there. Ask for recos based on watch, but a lot of the dealers also have new items that come with warranties.

But it really depends on what you're looking for. Modern, vintage, Rolex, Omega, Patek, JLC, AP.... they all have their place and price.

If you'd rather not have the hassle of worrying about a purchase and don't mind the upcharge, C&C all the way. If you'd like to get buried in the research, minutiae and journey for the best price for what you're looking for then going private dealer/seller is the way to go.

That being said:
-Only deal with established sellers on Watchuseek, Rolex Forums, Omega Forums, Timezone, etc.
-Get to know the feedback sections of the above sites.
-Know what you want and then go searching, not vice-versa
-Ask particular questions before any purchase

Chrono24 is another good place to look. There are dealers and private individuals selling there. One nice thing about Chrono24 is that the payment goes through an escrow service so the seller doesn't receive it until you have the watch in hand and give the OK.
I'd go with a trusted seller from the above mentioned sites over Chrono24 any day of the week. The escrow is fine, unless you're a first-time buyer and don't have the faintest clue about how to verify authenticity and end up releasing the funds before verification. Some of the fakes are so good that they can only be verified via serial number from the manufacturer. Have heard dozens of bad stories regarding unscrupulous sellers there, since the interface doesn't really have a good block/feedback section.

[NYCfixie]

As many have already written here, if you feel comfortable going the private dealer/seller route you may save some money but you should still check authenticity at an authorized dealer who may charge a fee for that service after you receive the watch. It can be a rabbit hole because there may be non-oem parts used in a prior service that you will not know about until the watch is opened.

I have no affiliation with any of them but know the C&C is not the only game in town:
https://www.bobswatches.com/
https://www.crownandcaliber.com/
https://www.thewatchbox.com/

You can also try some local dealers who may have what you want pre-owned and at a price similar to the online stores:
https://www.tourneau.com/ (has local pre-owned stock and can bring in pre-owned stock from other stores)
https://www.shrevecrumpandlow.com/
https://royaljewelers.com/


And, if you ever want to talk watches offline, hit me up by PM.

[Ryun]

Like others mentioned c and c is good but pricey
Not a bad call going with a dealer if you aren’t active ina. An owners group.
Tons of copies out there
To add another source to check
Govberg has been solid and has a great warranty large selection etc
They also negotiate a good bit FYI

[thirdgenbird]

No personal experience with crown and caliber. As other have said, their prices are a bit high but I’ve seen some decent deals occasionally. Refer to the”watch and listen” podcast for a substantial coupon code (if it’s still active)

I have bought from Govberg, AIS, and DavidSW. All of the sales went smoothly. I did have some communication and a packaging issue working with Govberg on a warranty claim. It was probably more a reflection of a single employee than the company itself. RSC stepped up and repaired the shipping damage that resulted from the poor packaging.

AIS would be my first call if I were back in the market. They were very responsive over a holiday weekend, answered all of my questions, and had significantly better pricing in a trade deal than any of the other retailers I reached out to. I would have done a private sale and purchase based on the pricing others offered. AIS made the deal painless. The money I lost vs a private sale was marginal when you consider the risk involved in privately selling a watch.