DAY DATE What to Look for when buying 2nd hand

[Ian Limm]

I thought I share a little of what I Look for when buying a 2nd hand DD.

please do chip in if you have something to share too

[Ian Limm]

for me ,the first check is the dial,make sure the hour minute hands and gold markers not tarnish with patina, and no age spots anywhere.

[Ian Limm]

next check the bracelets , make sure the gold links are still firm and not loose.
can still "Stand" and not falling all over the place, these gold bands cannot be repaired by RSC so pick a good one

lift the watch and let the band fall , make sure the spaces are even , easier to see from the inside.

[Ian Limm]

next check the marking on the inside of the clasps.

make sure markings are all clear (ladies head/750 with weighing scales etc), if they are faded then you know watch has been over polished by dealer to make it look new.

Did you know that YG DD claps are actually Rose Gold for 18038/18238 models!!

[Ian Limm]

next check the 3 markings on the back of the case,another indication that over polished if faded.

[Ian Limm]

The gold content "750 with weight scales" very clear example here.

[Ian Limm]

finally the lady's head with a G below. you need a loop to see this and most often I find this polished off on a lot of DDs

[Ian Limm]

my camera not good enough , this is the best I can get.

can see with a 30 times loop.

[Ian Limm]

check the crown, make sure not too much rubbing/fade/wear cos this is the part that rubs against the office tables when you are working.

[Ian Limm]

final check on the side of the case,glass and bezel,make sure no dents,nicks,chips.

well the above is only meant as a quick guide.
if you spot some of the flaws and still interested in the watch use the flaws to bargain and get a lower price!

[SamGMT]

Thanks for sharing bro, superb collections! Love the white gold DD!

[feilong108]

swee swee watches....

[Watcha]

Thanks for sharing. Very good info.

Didn't know before.

Nice collection!!!

[taxico]

bark DD should only have a bark bezel (rest of the watch head not in bark). bracelet should have barked middle link also.

18038 has single quick set (date)

18238 has double quick set (date and day)

everything else is slow set.

there are some steel day-dates made in the past (6611 and 180x).

[han-han]

This is a great thread. Thanks to the starter and other contributors for the invaluable info.