82 November 2019_Esquire
Bright Now
Golden Hour
YOU DON’T NEED
TO BE A BALLER TO
ROCK SOME
WRIST CANDY.
HERE ARE OUR
TOP PICKS
UNDER $500.Timex
Marlin
Automatic,
$259
An easy way to get
into a mesh band.Watches of the YearMONTBLANC
HERITAGE
MONOPUSHER
CHRONOGRAPH
When Montblanc took over
the Minerva factory, it
hardwired into 150 years
of fine watchmaking. The
Heritage Monopusher released
this year echoes the elegant
chronographs made by
Minerva in the 1940 s and
’50s, with a single button
inside the crown to start and
stop the timing functions.
A slinky Milanese mesh
bracelet, a favorite of those
decades, just adds to
the retro feel.
$5,160; montblanc.comI
n many ways, old watches are
like used cars: Their value
varies greatly depending on
their life experiences, and it’s
nigh impossible, as a layman, to
know what’s happened under the
hood. And as with cars, pre-owned
watches “have historically been a
very fragmented and shady indus-
try,” says Hamilton Powell of At-
lanta’s Crown & Caliber. But while
carmakers long ago got into the
“certified pre-owned” game, watch
manufacturers have yet to officially
stamp any factory-refurbished
wares—which is where a pre-
owned vendor like Crown & Cali-
ber (crownandcaliber.com) comes
in, offering a streamlined pro-
cess for both sellers and buyers.
A seller ships the watch in a pre-
paid box, then it’s sold to you,
freshly serviced and with a war-
ranty. Most important, a reputa-
ble vendor introduces an innova-
tive new element to buying used:
consistency. “The heartbeat of
our business is data,” says Powell.
“Where watches used to be priced
by a dealer’s gut, our historical da-
tabase ensures you’re getting a fair
price.” The result is a wide selec-
tion of modern watches, but with-
out needing a wing and a prayer to
find a steal, as you would on, say,
eBay. Want a solid deal on your
first Rolex or Panerai? This could
be the way. —D. T.Try Pre-owned
DEDICATED VENDORS ARE
MAKING THE SECOND-
HAND MARKET SAFER