Was this IWC watch a fake? (ebay)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_9041wt_1141

So this is the watch. It ended at 670 bucks and made me very concerned due to the low price. Normally a IWC watch goes for atleast a thousand and then it is often i poor quality aswell.

I Love the watch. And was ready to pay up for it and have it for a life-time, if the seller wasn't from South Korea and no box/papers were included.

So What do you think and what is your tips when buying a vintage watch on the line?

Cheers

I doubt that the makers of "replica" are going after that vintage of IWC. I have two IWC's purchased for less than $1000 on eBay ... and both are true IWC.

Originally Posted by Benscha

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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_9041wt_1141

So What do you think and what is your tips when buying a vintage watch on the line?

Cheers

Rule #1- buy the seller. This guy has a lot of positive feedback. That's a good thing. But, I didn't look to see what other items he has sold, so it could be he sells cat litter and has a watch for sale.Good sellers of fine vintage watches are worth a premium over people who you can't verify their bona fides.

Rule #2- make sure you know what you are buying. This watch has a very robust IWC automatic in-house movement that was the workhorse of the IWC line, used in almost all of its automatics for decades, including Ingenieurs and Aquatimers. But, it also is a redial. That means that the original dial was in bad condition (or didn't look good) and was replaced with a new non-IWC dial painted by someone who may or may not be very good. Sometimes redials look like crap for the script IWC Schaffausen. Sometimes they look very good. Sometimes they can be factory redials, which usually mean NOS dials that should have gone with the watch to begin with. The case is also legit and original based upon the samping in the picture.

Rule #3- see rule #1

I hope its not - it is beautiful!

Also, the seller has quite a high number of vintage watch sales, and "100%" feedback (fwiw). Of course, I say that without enough knowledge to make a comment on that particular watch.

But please post up your experience when you receive the watch, as that seller has a lot of nice stock, and I have been looking for a vintage piece!

Price doesn't seem that low considering it's a redial and has a plated case.

Originally Posted by RSS

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I doubt that the makers of "replica" are going after that vintage of IWC. I have two IWC's purchased for less than $1000 on eBay ... and both are true IWC.

Actually you can get vintage replicas and I think of that exact model. However, to my amateur eye (and as a former IWC owner), that one looks to be authentic. As pointed out though, it has had a re-dial but the work is v good. I've often thought of travelling down the vintage road as there are some wonderful value and beautiful watches out there. However, I seem to have tied myself up in a small collection of more contemporary jobbies.

looks legit + dude has 555 100% positive feedback.

i'd trust it

(a little late now though, huh lol)

Thank you for all your answers. I now regret that i didn't bid on it. I think it is a beautiful watch!

But I will take your information with me next time i search for a IWC watch online.

So what do you think the watchs' retail price would be? Am I wrong when I am guessing that the watch sold for 670 dollar here would have costed more than 3-4 grand when it was new?

Not a chance in the world. A fair guess is that it did cost less then than now.

/M

What do you mean? All the watches sold today by IWC is 1000+ dollar pieces. Why do you think it would be so cheap when it was new?

Originally Posted by Belligero

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Price doesn't seem that low considering it's a redial and has a plated case.

+1

Originally Posted by Benscha

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What do you mean? All the watches sold today by IWC is 1000+ dollar pieces. Why do you think it would be so cheap when it was new?

Because it's on the order of 40 years old.

Originally Posted by zippyh

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Because it's on the order of 40 years old.

I think it's significantly older than that - I think that IWC used the 853 in the late fifties and early sixties.

/M

Originally Posted by scurvyfreedman

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Rule #1- buy the seller. This guy has a lot of positive feedback. That's a good thing. But, I didn't look to see what other items he has sold, so it could be he sells cat litter and has a watch for sale.Good sellers of fine vintage watches are worth a premium over people who you can't verify their bona fides.

Rule #2- make sure you know what you are buying. This watch has a very robust IWC automatic in-house movement that was the workhorse of the IWC line, used in almost all of its automatics for decades, including Ingenieurs and Aquatimers. But, it also is a redial. That means that the original dial was in bad condition (or didn't look good) and was replaced with a new non-IWC dial painted by someone who may or may not be very good. Sometimes redials look like crap for the script IWC Schaffausen. Sometimes they look very good. Sometimes they can be factory redials, which usually mean NOS dials that should have gone with the watch to begin with. The case is also legit and original based upon the samping in the picture.

Rule #3- see rule #1
+1

Originally Posted by Singular

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I think it's significantly older than that - I think that IWC used the 853 in the late fifties and early sixties.

/M
Probably more than 40, I think IWC stopped using the full name in the 60s, but maybe not too much more than that.