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How does this used Cartier watch look to you experts?

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VRBeauty

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Watches are such a personal thing -- what really matters is how it looks to you! You might want to ask whether the watch has the original Cartier mechanism, since it''s really easy to switch out the working mechanisms in most quartz watches. You might also want to call a nearby Cartier store to see whether they''ll service a watch without papers.

If it were me, I''d want a watch made of either gold or platinum for that kind of money. I''d also consider looking for a seller that specializes in watches, and can attest to the watch''s working condition.

BTW, I''m not a watch expert by any means! I have however recently bought two vintage watches on ebay -- vintage in this case meaning circa ~1950. They were lesser-known European brands: a Le Coultre in 14k yellow gold ($150, bought from a private party) and a Bucharet in 18k white gold ($250, bought from a watch dealer). They''re both wind-up watches, and they run beautifully. No more batteries that have to be replaced every year! No more tempermental quartz mechanisms that need to be babied... and can still crap our after 10-15 years!
 

rainwood

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I''ve purchased 2 Cartier watches from eBay and love both of them. One was a vintage Cartier tank they don''t make anymore and didn''t come with papers, but I''d done enough research to know what to look for to make sure it was authentic, plus it was unlikely that someone would have a fake in that particular model. The second was the current model Cartier tank francaise which was more likely to be the subject of a counterfeit so I waited until I could get one with both the original papers and box to be sure of authenticity. I wear it as my nice yet not too dressy watch.

I took them to our local Cartier store which has authenticated and serviced both even though one didn''t have papers. No one asked or cared about papers. Service is quite pricey, however, and just to change the battery they have to send it elsewhere and it takes awhile. I don''t know how that compares to Rolex.

I''m not sure what to look for in the Santos model to determine authenticity. The seller seems to specialize in higher end jewelry and watches so it seems more likely the watch would be real. I don''t see any obvious signs that it''s a fake, but I''m not up on that particular model so please don''t rely on my opinion. As to pricing, my rule for buying name brand watches (or other things) is not to pay more than half the current retail price if it''s a model that is still produced. I had to be patient but the right watch for the right price finally came along on the tank francaise. For the Cartier tank that isn''t made anymore, I paid what I needed to get it but still think it was only about half of what it originally cost retail back in the 80''s.

I hope this was helpful.
 

Lynny0780

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i have that watch, except mine is gold with steel and the blue saphire. Mine cost $5,000, so for $1500 that doesnt seem bad for that watch. It looks real and they have good feedback and take pay pal , so besides all the little scuff marks it looks ok.
 

Lorelei

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It looks ok but there are a lot of fakes out there, do you have a Cartier store near you where you could get it checked?
 

BonnyLass

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Hi Lorelei,
Yes, I do have places I could immediately take it to to get it checked out. The problem is I keep going back and forth between this Santos style and something like a Rolex oyster, lol.
 

Lorelei

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Date: 3/30/2009 5:55:07 AM
Author: BonnyLass
Hi Lorelei,
Yes, I do have places I could immediately take it to to get it checked out. The problem is I keep going back and forth between this Santos style and something like a Rolex oyster, lol.
Oh I know how it is!
11.gif
My choice is a Cartier watch all the way ( I am biased because I have one!) and the Santos is a classic! But it depends, I am not keen on Rolex for myself as they are too large, both are great watches.

Another factor to consider, the Cartier has a quartz movement, most Rolex if I remember rightly are automatics.
 
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