Pawning an Expensive Watch or Rolex – What you should know

What to Know When Pawning A Luxury Watch

Not all watches are treated the same when it comes to taking care of them and maintaining them.
Certified gemologist Anthony LoRe has been with Provident Loan Society, appraising jewelry, for more than 15 years.
Over the years, he’s seen a number of antique and expensive watches come under the magnifying glass. He says he can quickly tell how well the owner took care of his or her watch, which impacts their appraisal value.

What Kind of Luxury Watch Do I Have?

Mechanical Watches

Most high-end watches are mechanical and are typically referred to as “collector’s items” or “collector’s timepieces.” With mechanical watches, time is measured by a spring-driven mechanism that needs to be wound periodically. These types of watches frequently have a clear sapphire casing, allowing you to see the inner workings of the watch.

Battery-Operated Watches

Battery-operated watches are referred to as quartz watches because they send an electrical signal through a piece of crystal quartz. These watches require little maintenance since they don’t need any winding.
If you want your quartz watch to last longer, however, you should get a thorough cleaning every 5 years and the battery replaced by a professional every 1-2 years, according to the editors of Tourneau.

Automatic Watches

Automatic watches are self-winding and fairly easy to maintain because they require no winding or special care if they are worn every day.
The kinetic energy from the wearer’s wrist is transferred automatically, which drives the mechanism.

Proper Care and Maintenance Tips

Anthony says in his VLOG that self-winding and mechanical watches should be wound daily to prevent oils and lubricants from building up. He recommends watching winders only for high-end watches. For less expensive watches, Anthony says watch winders are a waste of money. He also says they can add unnecessary wear-and-tear on the watch.
As for cleaning or servicing your watch, Anthony doesn’t recommend using any commercial cleaning products. Instead, he says use a soft, damp cloth to keep the natural shine.

How Long Will A Rolex Last?

Anthony says a watch that is properly cared for will frequently outlive the owner.
But before you learn how to care for your watch, Anthony says it’s important to first identify what kind of watch you have. This can influence how you take care of it.
You can watch Anthony’s VLOG on how to care for that fine watch at the video below. Follow their YouTube page to get more updates from Anthony and the team at Provident Loan Society.