Zodiac Talk => I saw this Zodiac on the Internet... => Topic started by: zaniac on October 15, 2010, 09:34:43 AM

Title: Fancy Schmancy
Post by: zaniac on October 15, 2010, 09:34:43 AM
140462656646
Now that's what I call a dress watch! :o
I wonder if the band is just plated gold?
Title: Re: Fancy Schmancy
Post by: jon p on October 15, 2010, 10:32:52 AM
hard to tell, but band probably not all gold, 18K is pretty soft. rolex has a 18K all gold model but band is VERY thick and heavy. band should be marked 18K, seller didnt mention if any markings.
Title: Re: Fancy Schmancy
Post by: Ultra-Vintage on October 15, 2010, 09:01:53 PM
I have seen that model before, and the one that I was offered had an identical band that was all solid 18k.  This model was a nearly identical copy of watch models made by Piaget, Patek, and Audemars.  Alot of companies made watches of this style in that era.  There are two things that I find interesting in this listing though:

1.  He says that he took the movement out and weighed the case as if that is the actual content of gold.  However, he did not take the crystal out (which on this watch should be a glass crystal if it is original) and that has weight, so his calculation as to content is not correct.

2.  I find it interesting that he states in the title of the listing "Not Scrap", when he later says that the opening bid on the watch was determined by the watch's scrap value as of 10/06 lol.  That watch is 100% scrap, as that is it's only value.  Noone would ever pay that much for a watch that plain to wear, so no dealer could ever buy it and hold onto it hoping for a sale.  When gold goes down, so does the value of that investment.

100% of the dealers I buy and sell with would scrap that watch immediately without hesitation, just as they do nearly everything that isn't a super big name or is actually rare.  I don't agree with it because I have seen some really amazing super fancy items in both gold and silver that could not be produced today get scrapped as if they were nothing.  Unfortunately, that is what the drive of the market and the greed of the industry has done and we will not be able to get these things back as they are melted down to make cheap ugly chinese produced jewelry junk.
Title: Re: Fancy Schmancy
Post by: jon p on October 16, 2010, 11:45:17 AM
i agree about scrapping watches out,when they are melted down they are gone forever. in some cases like this one it probably  doesnt matter! a collector friend recently found a bulgari quartz at a flea market,solid 18K not running for 7.00. UGLY WATCH,but it scrapped out for 800.00!!!!! not a bad return on his 7.00.keep your eyes open, this kind of finds ARE out there for the picking.