Used Luxury Watches - Choosing Yours

Everybody has one. It's the watch that draws the short straw. It's the watch that can take a knock, the “beater” of the collection; it's the watch that answers the bell when even stylized luxury “dive” watches punch-out. It's your “daily driver,” and if you don't have one, here's your chance to get with the program.

Let's get one thing straight; in the realm of serious collectors and serious watches, daily drivers are anything but junk. A good daily driver will be tough, reasonably priced, and offer enough pleasure to the owner that a day with the “beater” still offers the fundamental satisfaction of wearing a luxury timepiece.

Consider this TAG Heuer Link Caliber 36 chronograph . The watch features a robust stainless steel case and bracelet. Due to the all-metal bracelet, this Link Caliber 36 provides peace of mind that cannot be obtained with most leather watchstraps. Moreover, stainless steel is rugged, does not suffer from the same metal-reduction risk as gold or platinum when refinished, and refinishing can be done locally at most upscale jewelers. Because daily drivers tend to find themselves on the wrist during high-intensity activity, users will appreciate the TAG Heuer Link bracelet, which is renowned as one of the most comfortable in the industry.

Inside the case, the bulletproof Zenith El Primero 36,000bph chronograph movement provides the TAG's beating heart. As Zenith's Louis-Vuitton Moet-Hennessey stable mate, TAG-Heuer is able to source an upscale engine for this entry-level luxury watch. Daily driver durability is provided in tandem with premium segment levels of engineering substance.

Even better, due to the 57 percent discount relative to new retail pricing, this TAG chronograph illustrates the value inherent in used luxury watches.

Nevertheless, for many collectors of prestige watches, only a Rolex will do. Fortunately, the abundance of used luxury watches from the Crown manufacture means that a Rolex daily driver is more than possible; it's common. Rolex watches are famously rugged, and many collectors of blue-chip haut-de-gamme, vintage, and bespoke watches choose a Rolex to brave the rigors of the daily grind.

This Rolex Datejust stainless steel watch is the ultimate daily driver. It's a Rolex with all that the Rolex pedigree entails, but its elemental style, rugged movement construction, and tank-like case mean that it can survive almost any trauma that the owner himself can endure. Today, Rolexes are known as prestige timepieces, but the company built its reputation on the Rock-of-Gibraltar durability of its tool timepieces. From swimming the English Channel in the 1920s to conquering Everest in the 1950s, Rolex made its name by taking the hard road. That legacy of toughness endures in late model used luxury watches from Rolex.

Rolex used luxury watches offer the same durability as new examples, but the initial depreciation hit is absorbed by the original owner. Given the near infinite repair, rebuild, and refinishing options for Rolex owners, assigning a pre-owned Rolex Oyster Perpetual to beach party detail may be the best way to enjoy both the high life and high horology.

Shopping used luxury watches offers collectors an ideal avenue through which to acquire a daily driver. While original buyers pay MSRP or even price premiums, buyers of used luxury watches are able to find a daily driver at a substantial discount. 300watches offers a vast selection of used luxury watches to suit the rigors of active lifestyles, harsh conditions, and perils of the nine-to-five.

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