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What I Expected
Welcome to What I Expected—a podcast for women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s about what to really expect, before you experience it. So much about getting older has changed since your grandmother's day, and the advice she used to pass down doesn't always fit the world you're actually living in. Think of this as that same wisdom, updated for modern life—your toolkit for the changes, the purchases, and the moments you wish someone had prepped you for. What to ask, what to plan for, before you spend your money, your time, or your peace of mind.
Except it's not a lecture. Think of it like the advice you'd get from your closest girlfriends—minus 47 unread messages. We break through the hype with honest, no-nonsense answers, sensible standards, and zero pressure to keep up.
New episodes every Tuesday—covering everything from Pilates to jewelry to the changes your body springs on you—for women who'd rather hear it straight from a friend than find out the hard way.
What I Expected
Watches 101: The "No-Stupid-Questions" Guide to Buying a Nice Watch
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Have you wanted to buy a "nice" watch but were too embarrassed to ask the basic questions at the counter? This one's for you. I sit down with Sara Seifert, Publisher of WatchTime Magazine, to answer all the questions people are afraid to ask when buying a fancy watch.
Fair warning: this topic is a lot — watches are the kind of hobby that starts with "I just want one nice watch" and ends with spreadsheets. We're covering the essentials here, but you can already tell we'll need a Part 2.
Here's what we get into: how to buy your first nice watch, what's actually worth the money, whether a smartwatch counts, how to avoid fakes, how to buy used without getting burned, and the maintenance realities nobody mentions at the counter.
Intro
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Welcome to What I Expected, the show that sets expectations before you buy. My website and social channels compare real life experience to marketing promises. But think of this podcast as your decision-making toolkit. What to ask before you spend your money, or your time, which is your most precious possession. Think of it like advice from a close circle of girlfriends, minus the 47 unread messages. At what I expected, you'll find friendly standards, sensible expectations, and feel zero pressure to keep up. So we are starting with Watches 101, the No Stupid Questions Guide to Buying a Nice Watch. Quick note: this episode is for general education and informational purposes only. It's not financial advice, investment advice, or authentication advice. If you're buying an expensive watch or buying used, get professional verification.
Meet Sara Orlando Seifert
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Today is watches. Specifically, the questions people want to ask when buying a nice watch but are afraid will make them look stupid. We'll even get to the bottom of whether it's timepiece or watch. And quick heads up, this topic is a lot. We're going to cover the essentials in this episode, but I can already tell we'll need a part two because watches are the kind of hobby that starts with I just want one nice watch and ends with a budget and spreadsheets. Today we'll hit how to buy your first nice watch, what's actually worth it, smart watches, avoiding fakes, buying used without getting burned, and the maintenance realities nobody mentions at the counter. So let's get into it. Today I'm here with Sarah Seifert, publisher of Watch Time Magazine. Sarah is deep in the watch world. She sees trends, collector debates, and the marketing. And she also knows what actually matters when you're spending real money on a tiny object that tells time, something that your phone actually does for free. Sarah, welcome. Start by telling us a little bit about you and also what people are really buying now.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Well, thank you, Holly. I'm so happy to be here. And anyone that knows me knows my love of talking watches, talking about them, dreaming of my next watch, and really just evangelizing watches in general. I think that as a woman, it is a category that's often overlooked. I think women specifically look more to handbags and jewelry and then tend to think, oh, I have a phone, I don't need, or I have my smartwatch, I don't need to have a watch, or they're just not interested. But I do feel like more women are becoming interested in watches. So I'm happy to be the person that can educate and sort of take any of the fear away from entering a retailer or watch boutique. I am the publisher of Watch Time magazine. This will be my 18th year with the magazine. I started as the advertising director and then was promoted to publisher about 12 years ago. I love the complications of watches, and I love that there are so many brands to choose from and really so many watches to choose from. And as somebody that likes variety in life, I feel that the category really allows for personalization and self-expression.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)I also love that it's something useful. You know, that's because I love things to be multiple, to do, to have multiple purposes. So and a watch has multiple purposes, right? And sometimes it even has, like if you're into diving or whatever. Right. okay,
Are They Watches or Timepieces?
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)so first off, so that I can get my terminology correct. And we just had this conversation before we started recording. So I want to get it again for our audience. Time piece or watch. What if I was going into a store, is it am I gonna look down on if I say one or the other?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)I would say whatever you, whatever your heart compels you to say. I would say watch. And I work in the in the industry. Um I only really call them time pieces if I'm talking to a brand that is super high luxury, haute horlogerie, if you will. I would say watches are perfectly fine. If you want to say time piece, say time piece, but it does sound slightly pretentious, in my opinion. Yeah, I would say watch. Keep it casual.
Choosing Your First Watch
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)So let's set expectations here. People buy watches for totally different reasons, as I said, style, craftsmanship, nostalgia. When I bought my first nice watch, it was kind of to congratulate myself on an achievement. What should a first-time buyer decide or or think about before so they don't get pressured into something that doesn't fit their life? Exactly. I think first of all, budget.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Do not miss your mortgage payment or your rent or your car payment because of a watch, first and foremost. Buy what you can afford. You don't need to have a monthly payment plan for your watch. Truly, you'll enjoy it more if you know that you can afford it. So that's number one. Number two, I would look at what what the function is that you want. I think that you have to look at what your lifestyle is and what your work life is. If you work from home, you probably don't need a really fancy dress on a leather strap. no one's really gonna see it unless you really love it again. But I think you look at your life and if you want to wear that watch often, I would look at what the watch offers in terms of the complications or the functionality, but then also how it would fit into your lifestyle. If you're somebody that goes , if you're outdoorsy and you're in the woods bike riding every weekend, you want something, God forbid, you fall that you're not gonna completely destroy. Um, but then again, that's why collection people have collections. They want to have different, you know, you could have a G-Shock for that, and then you have your dress watch for something else. But if you're really looking just to invest in one watch to begin with, I would get something that would fit most of your lifestyle, where you can take it if you're going to a wedding and wear that, but then also the next morning at the at the breakfast, something that you're not feeling out of place wearing. Um, and I think that would be that would be my advice also. Um, and then in terms of what is the most useful, I think dive watches are the most like overall like more bang for your buck because they look dressy. So the a dive watch meaning I'm gonna ask a stupid question. Is a Rolex a dive watch? Some of them are. So the Oyster Perpetual, anything with a rotating bezel would be qualified as a dive watch because that's how you're timing how much air is left in your tank. Most people that wear dive watches have never done a dive in their lives, myself included. I have dive watch. I don't dive. Um, I swim with it, and it's good for me, it's more of knowing that it's waterproof. I'm not gonna do that.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yeah, you have two little boys, so you're you're around water and you don't want to be breaking out.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Exactly. I want to wear something that, or if I'm yeah, drawing a bath or myself jumping in a pool, , I know that it's not gonna break or take on water.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Do you think do people need to consider the color palette? So for me, I have stainless steel, but I wish now in retrospect, and my my fancy mother-in-law used to have the the two-tone, you know, so it had the gold and the stainless steel, so you could wear it with multiple things. Does it matter? Does that matter or mixing metals? Is are we past that? I don't think so.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)It's more trends. So mixed metals, typically now, anyway, in the watch category is not very popular. It's grown on me. I used to be very against it. Uh-huh. But depend again, on depending on your budget, a stainless steel watch is a lot more affordable, obviously, than an 18 karat gold bracelet. Okay. So if you want to have that hint of yellow gold or rose gold, then a two-tone makes sense. However, there are purists in the watch world, which sounds so silly, but a lot of people like would either you go all steel or all gold. Okay. So it's less popular. I think it's more popular for women. I see women that have cartiers that are the mixed metal. And it looks, you know, it looks beautiful, but I do find like for the real watch collectors, there's not a lot of two-tone watches in their collections.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)So really, and you already gave this, you you said understanding your budget first. And that matters for the metal that you pick as well, right? Absolutely. So whether or not you go stainless
Watch Pricing
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)steel. So, what's a normal amount to spend on a first nice watch? What am I actually paying for?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)I mean, there's no normal, because obviously everyone's budgets are so different. But I think if you if you've been saving for a while and you're looking to make quote unquote an investment, I would say about $5,000, which to some might seem crazy. And if you asked me 18 years ago, I would say, oh, that's insane. But that's actually entry level in terms of price points. But I think if you're looking to make a purchase, I would say five. And now I'm even thinking, well, five to seven.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)It keeps going up. That's how it starts. Yes.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Exactly. Five to seven, depending on really the brand. But I do feel if you are somebody that's always wanted a Rolex, for instance, you can get if you buy, if you buy through an AD, which is an authorized dealer, you can actually achieve that. But because of production that slowed down during COVID, it's very hard now, unless you have connections or you're an existing customer to get a Rolex at an AD. Hopefully, this will be changing. They are supposed to be upping supply. But as of right now, it is rather difficult. But if you look online, those prices are what the prices should be. If you look in the pre-owned, that is where you see these really inflated prices. And I think that deters a lot of people. And it's actually really unfortunate because you have people that I have a friend of mine who is a doctor. She opened her own practice and she always wanted a Rolex. So she went to an AD in New York City. And this was right after COVID. I think this was 2022, and it was still really difficult. It still is. Um, and she had to put her name down and she made sure to put, you know, doctor for and she used her work, you know, at the hospital. Like she used her work email address and she waited over a year and she finally got the watch. She wanted an oyster uh date just and beautiful watch, and she loves it. She finally got it. And I told her to name drop I know where, you know, I told her where to go. Um, she felt weird doing that, but uh, you know, I would have if I was her. But , but yeah, so it's unfortunate because she had been waiting her whole life to make this purchase, and you go in and you want to walk out with that green bag, and you're walking out with, you know, probably nothing. Or a little piece of paper like an IOU. So , but yeah, I would say if you're looking for a Rolex, you could, yeah, five to seven thousand. And that would be actually the one that I have, which is just an oyster perpetual. It's not even a date dress. There's no date or day on it.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)So would that be a watch maybe that would work with 80% of someone's life? Like that's a safe style. I think it's very safe. Okay. Um, I actually have it on today.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Yeah, of course you do. I love it. I've worn it to weddings, I've worn it to galas, , I wear it every day. I don't wear it working out or playing tennis. You're really not supposed to because of the vibration. Well, do I hit or am I Serena Williams? No. When I probably heard it, no. But I do feel just, you know, for the sake of safety, I don't wear it working out, , except for swimming.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)But another thing that you've mentioned to me before, or two other things, is you've talked about sizing. So you've talked about people who bought these really oversized watches. They like the look of it. Yes. And then it just wasn't practical for every day. So I think even thinking about , you know, does it fit under your button shirt? Exactly.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Is it uh or you know, there was a trend. Um, I would say when I start, so I started at what 2009. There was a trend bigger was better in a lot of panorai watches. And I know Arnold Schwarzenegger is a big collector, and we did we actually did an article or an interview with him, and it showed his collection. They were all well over 40 millimeters, gigantic. And that was really a trend when I started in the industry, and now it's it's shrunk. So now a trend is actually smaller men's watches. So you're seeing more men wearing Cartier tank watches. Um, Timothy Chamelet is a big Cartier fan. He has the Crash and a bunch of other Cartiers. Um so yeah, and uh, what's his name? Jacob Wor Jacob Alordi, who is an Australian actor. He was just in Wuthering Heights with Margot Robbie. He also is often seen in a Cartier and a smaller, a smaller dress watch. So that is a trend that we're seeing more now. I think the Cartier tank watch is probably my dream.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yes.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)I have a story about that for later for one of our other topics. I can't wait. But , but yeah, but that is more of a trend now. So you're seeing fewer really, really large watches. I guess unless you are, you know, six foot seven and three hundred pounds, you might need an actual large watch. But yeah, that is something to take into consideration with the millimeter size of the case. Mine is actually 39, and I think it it's fitting for me. It's it is large for some for some. Most women are more around 30. But you're tall. And I'm tall, yes. And I think I can wear it well. I don't think I would go larger than 39. It's also a slim case. It depends on the lugs and the build of the watch and the overall thickness of the case as well. Some watches have a really thick case, they call it a tunican. So that is based uh Seiko has one they call the tunican, literally. Um, and it does look like a little mini tunican on your wrist. And that's just you have to either really love that or be of a size that can carry that. Yeah.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)And I'm kind of getting ahead, but like Seiko and Citizen, you just mentioned Seiko, so it seems natural to bring that up. Yes. They have some good watches, and and what would you expect to spend there?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)500 to 3,000 on their higher end, but you can absolutely buy a Citizen. Any of the Japanese brands are really great in terms of their timekeeping. Um, Seiko has an offshoot brand called Grand Seiko, which started as a high-end extension of Seiko, and it just said Grand Seiko on the dial. It eventually spun off to its own brand. They're really known for their polishing and the finishing on the movements and the watch in general. Um, and they've become a quite higher-end popular brand with collectors. Um, but just a regular Seiko, they're they're gonna be reliable, they're gonna be like an everyday wear. And now, will those hold their value?
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)If if I was worried about holding value, and I know really when we're talking about any of this stuff, it's not like buying stocks, right? I mean, if you're buying it, because there you there you have to have a market for how you're gonna sell these things. So even like I know some people say, Oh, I'm gonna buy a Birken because it has it's a great investment. Right. Unless you have a network to offload that, it's really not a great investment. Yeah, you're gonna pay a lot of commission.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)And I say this not trying to sound at all at all elitist in the watch world. You're not buying a Seiko for an investment. Okay. So I think there's really only about three or four brands that are actual investment brands that where you know that they're always going to there's a market for them. Exactly. And what are those brands? That would be Rolex, Audemars Piguet , Patek Philippe. Okay. And I'd say Cartier at this point. Not always Cartier, but as of late, there are like the Crash, the Crash Watch, which I'm not sure if you're familiar with that. It is a watch that is all bent. It looks like a Dali.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Oh, like a Salvador Dali.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)It looks like it melted. Those are extremely rare. They're really hard to come by, and , I would say that they're, you know, extremely collectible and retain their value. Okay. But , there's really a lot of brands you can spend half a million dollars on, but you're gonna turn around and sell it and you're not gonna get that, unfortunately. Okay. So that's why I say buy what you love. If you're gonna be spending six figures on a watch, like don't think about what it's gonna be in 10 years. Think about okay, well, how am I gonna love it today? Yeah, tomorrow.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Because like that happened to me with my watch. I absolutely love my watch, but they lost their US distribution. Right. And so it is not easy to get serviced, but I still love it, so I'm okay with that.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Yeah, no, that's that's wise advice. I think just buy what you what you love, and if it ends up being worth more, wonderful.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)If not, then now are there like it, are there any brands like okay, we're we've been talking about Rolex and obviously some of the bigger ones. Are we thinking about quality here? You know, maintenance isn't something that we think about mechanism. So you re you will have to uh maintain it. Right. What what brands are I mean, is is Rolex because it's so easily maintained?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Or, you know, there's more authorized distributors, or yeah, a lot of so with Rolex, their timekeeping is one of the reasons why they have the or they that they retain their value. And , and that's why you see people that are still wearing watches from the 60s and 70s because they are well, well maintained, but they've always, you know, they they keep time. Um, and by that I mean with an automatic watch, it has a power reserve. So a lot on average it's about like a 72-hour power reserve. So I have my Rolex, it's automatic. So there's a rotor in the movement. So as you're walking and moving, the rotor is spinning and spinning, and that's generating power. And then that power is then stored. So if I have it on for a day and I put it on my nightstand at night, when I wake up in the morning, the time will still be going because of the power reserve. If I don't wear it for four days, it'll it'll either stop completely or it'll just be off a few hours. Okay. And then all you have to do is shake it and then reset it and then wear it. And then it'll Oh, and that's how they have those watch holders that sort of. So there are there's people that have a huge collection, they have a uh a big winder box. Some of them even I've seen towers, they're really quite exquisite. Um, so they have them all going. That way they can pick it up at any time if they're going to work and they don't have to wind it. I don't mind. I actually like the care of winding it. Just, you know, it's like a ritual that I enjoy.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)You're right. We have so few of those rituals that it is there is something there.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)I don't mind that. But back to the maintenance, about every 10 years, I actually just got my Rolex serviced. And for people that are looking to buy a Rolex, you would in mine again is not a complicated Rolex. So it was about $1,000. Oh, wow. And they sent it to, I brought it to a local AD. They shipped it to a servicing center, a Rolex servicing center in Miami, and it was gone for a few months. I missed her when she was gone. Truly.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)No, wait, are all are all watches hers for you? For me, yes. Okay. Yeah, yeah.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)And , yeah, it was about a thousand dollars. But I knew that going into it. I don't know if most of that's communicated through the salespeople. I know that because of I'm in the industry. Um, but I noticed that around 10 years it started, I was off a few minutes, and then one day it just completely was off hours. Yeah. And I knew it was time. But it shouldn't be a big investment. And in terms of I've never, that's the only sort of issue I've ever had. And it's not even technically an issue, it's just part for the course. Um, but there are other watches that I've heard very expensive high-end brands where collector friends have told me that within a year or two, it just stopped working. Broke would be a word I've heard from some people. And that's just embarrassing for the brand, I think, in general, especially these lower these lower uh quantity production brands where they're making only a hundred watches and they're, you know, $250,000 and then the watch breaks when someone has it for a year or two.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yeah, that's not a good look. That's the whole point of what I expected.
When Not to Wear Your Smart Watch
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)I before we get back into it, I wanted to touch on something really quick. And mostly because I love your face when I ask this question. People won't see it because we don't have video. But tell me about smartwatches. How do you feel about smartwatches? Okay.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)I I have a hot take. I don't think smartwatches are actually watches. They tell time, sure. But it's not, to me, it's not a watch. I think that they're great from a perspective of functionality. If you want to know how you slept, if you want to know your steps and your heart rate, and you know, you want to close that circle after your workout, wonderful. I just don't look at it as a watch. And I feel like there are pluses and minuses to them. I think on the plus side, if I'll actually say something positive about the smartwatch, is that it is giving interest to a younger generation to wear something on their wrist for that function. And maybe it would then parlay them or parlay into buying an actual watch. I think that's a good thing. Um, but other than that, I don't feel like it's a go it's a watch from a craftsman shape.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)So going out on a Friday night.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)No, no, she's shaking her head now. And it actually kills me when I see women dressed up, or men too, for a gala or a wedding in these beautiful gowns and their hair and makeup done, and then they have a smart watch on their wrist. It's to me, it's just like, no. Put it in your dress and or wear, you know, suck it in somewhere and you if you want your steps on the dance floor, but like truly, I just feel like it's not elegant and it doesn't look great. I think you're better off not wearing it.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)I mean, there have been times at work where I know I'm gonna have a day of meetings and it that's not, I'm not gonna be able to pull out my phone. So I do like looking at it and seeing is it an emergency uh call that I'm getting, like one of my kids or my husband, or is it something that can wait?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)I do feel like it's less of a watch and more like a phone on your wrist. Yeah, you're right. It's an extension of your phone. And I think that they serve a great purpose. I think, you know, if you are, you know, a working parent and you're out on the go and you you want to be in touch with your children and have communication, I think they're wonderful. Um, I do have a friend in the industry and he has a a rather insane collection. He has a smartwatch and he'll wear it on his right wrist and then he wears his, you know. Ooh. Okay, that will we see guys. Yeah. Yeah. So there are a lot of people that I see at our events that that have smart watches for that functionality, and they'll just not wear it on their if they always wear a watch on the left, they'll have it on the right.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)And I might be getting out of order, but we were talking about
Beware of Frankenwatches
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)maintenance. And if you if you are not maintaining it or if you're trying to get a deal, wheel and deal on your maintenance, if you're looking for a deal, that you get into the Franken watches. Right. And so I I mean, I just thought that was such a fun term that I had to say.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Um I think truly you get what you pay for. So if you are wheeling and dealing, or you're you don't want to spend a thousand dollars to have it maintenance, or you're going to some guy that you know you found on the internet who's only charging 500, you're you're getting, you know, half the service, most likely. You're not getting the full rundown and the full assessment. Um, Franken watches are watches that are actual, it's an actual watch from a brand that was pre-owned or passed, you know, sold from the original buyer and the parts were taken out, hence the Franken. And the parts meaning the movement. So you think that you're buying, say, I don't know, Rolex. And then actually, if you go under the hood, there are movements that are more stock movements. So there's in-house manufacture movements, which are movements made by the brand. There's other brands that create movement only, or calibers, as they say. Um, and those would be like a brand called Sellita. So they're a movement company. They sell movements to watches, but they're not classified as in-house manufacturer. So you can have this Rolex that you think, and then they take out that movement and they probably put it or sell it or whatever, and then they're putting in like Sellita or something like that. The value is no longer because you're not, it's not a Rolex watch anymore.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)So if you're buying used, that is something you would need to absolutely. So would you buy that from a reputable reseller? How would you know what you're getting?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Yeah, you would have to. That's why
Buying a Preowned Watch
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)the pre-owned market is wonderful. I think that it offers in in the right cases, it'll offer a more affordable price for a watch. Or in the cases where it's a watch that is no longer made or a watch that's impossible to get at retail, you can buy pre-owned. However, you want to make sure that you're getting a real watch. So I think in that case, it is worth paying a little bit of a premium and buying through a retailer because they will have gone through the right channels to authenticate. Um, there are other websites like the Real Real, they authenticate. eBay now authenticates and they they've hired an outside watch servicing company and they'll do the authentication. Okay. Um, I'm still skeptical about some of that online marketplace to me when you're spending that much money. Um, but also I think the best bet is to go to go somewhere that's recommended and you read all the reviews. But I do think if you go to a uh a Booker or a Watchers of Switzerland and buy pre-owned through them, you're gonna pay a little bit more of a premium. But you you don't have to worry. So there's no concern about it being real or or fake. You have someone you can go back to. Yeah. And I think, you know, when you're spending that much money, you want to know 100% that it's authenticated.
An Insider's Perspective on Counterfeits
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yeah. That's what's always been strange to me about the dupes or the fakes market because so much of what you're buying is the quality. So you're not getting that quality if you're buying.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)And they're not cheap either. So it's like if you have $500 to spend, go buy a Seiko or a Citizen or a Tissot or a Langine. You can buy really well-made Japanese or Swiss watches or German watches that are not, you know, crazy expensive, but you know it's an actual real watch rather than spending. Some people spend still like $2,000 for a counterfeit watch. Yeah. Like to me, it just makes no sense.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)No, it'd be like buying, you would never buy a Ferrari that didn't have any of the Ferrari engine or any of those pieces. It's it would be silly. Right.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)So it's similar handbags too. Like a lot of the counterfeit handbags um are not real leather. So it's like if you're spending a thousand dollars on a leather handbag, why not just go buy a less expensive leather bag? Yeah, we I mean the labels.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)That's another episode that we have to get into because you and I have we have opinions.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)But I just think that the the counterfeit counterfeiting in the watch industry is a serious issue. And there's also a lot of ties to child trafficking, sex trafficking. Like there's a lot of nefarious acts um associated with the counterfeiters. So it's not harmless. No. Okay. So, and it's like it's one of those if you know, you know. So I know, and I've never been a fan of counterfeit, but especially knowing, you know, what a lot of that money is going towards, I'll absolutely I have a hard no.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yeah. That's the one thing about dupes that we don't think about sometimes is we think that it doesn't hurt anyone, or we think, oh, well, these companies make, you know, Rolex make so much money, what does it matter if if just I do it? But you don't think about the the criminal underworld part of that.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Right. And just my my take on a dupe, for me, the definition of a dupe is an alternative, not a counterfeit version of that. So it would be okay. Okay. So it could be if you if you have your eye on, say, the Automar Paget Royal Oak and you love that shape, you know, like the case shape and the bracelet. There are other brands that are they're not counterfeit per se. Like there are their own brands. They look a little bit similar.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)So you that's the way to think of it.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)It's not like an alternative or like with any sort of um dupe, you know, with skincare or whatnot, a vitamin C dupe. Okay. You know, it's like maybe it's not the skin pseudocals you're buying a less expensive brand because it's gonna do the same thing, you know?
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Right. Oh, I like I like the way that you describe that. Is there anything major that we we haven't touched on that I that you think is important for somebody to know when they're buying a lot of people?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Well, I think, and I'll tell a story about myself. Um, so I'm now in the market for a new watch. I really would love a dress watch as much as I I will wear my Rolex and I have another dress watch of Frederick Constant that I've had now for a long time that I will that I'll wear for dressier occasions. But I do I am in the market for a dress watch, and I would love a cartier like everybody else in the world. Um but I have to say is that my advice would be try on the watch before because I always thought that I would be a tank customer or tank girl. I love them, I think they're timeless and classic, and I just love them. But I had never tried one on. And I was actually to the point where I had my budget in mind. I had put aside some money that I was gonna buy one. And I was at an event and they were a Cartier A D and I tried it on and it looked horrible on my wrist. It didn't feel right.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)So be careful what you wish for. Yes. Okay, so
What to Expect at a Luxury Watch Store
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)if I what if I wanted a Rolex or a Cartier, I shouldn't feel weird going into one of those stores. Like, okay, and they're gonna be gracious and kind and No, they should be.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)That's not always the case. Um, there's a lot of um conversation amongst women in the industry where they've had experiences where they'll walk in, and I have female friends that are collectors, um, and they they hang out with a lot of male collectors. There's a lot of watch clubs and groups really around the world, but I'm more familiar with the ones in the US and in New York in particular. Um, and I have this one friend, and she's walked in um to watch boutiques where she was in the market to buy something, and they ignored her and they only spoke to her friend who was a male. Oh. So there is a lot of that where they just they just assume that you're not seeing it personally or a reflection of the entire industry. Or they'll show you, oh, I'm interested, and they'll say, Oh, I got something for you, and they'll bring them over to like the ladies' watches, which are beautiful, but they call it like pink it and trinket, where they're, you know, like a pink leather strap and then like a mother of pearl with like a butterfly with diamonds. And most women really don't want that. Uh-huh. So I think that a lot of the salespeople just are not really caught up with what women are actually interested in buying in terms of watches. Um, but I I think that for the most part, salespeople are kind to women and they'll they're more open-minded as they should be. But there are still cases where they're it's like an antiquated situation where they they think that they're there to buy for their husband or boyfriend, not actually for themselves. And then they're confused when they're asking to see brands that are more, you know, typically purchased by males. Yeah. Um, but I, you know, I I hope that's changed, or I've heard it's changing and I hope that it continues to change.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)I mean, and we could get into a whole episode on that. It's usually more about the person than it is about you. But I guess it would be that situation of
Final Thoughts & Recap
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)knowing what you want. So I've set my budget and I have a budget in my mind. I kind of have an idea of what watches are in my budget. So then I'm gonna identify authorized retailers and I'm gonna go in and I'm gonna start trying them on and have some specifics that I want to try on or a brand that I'm drawn to or have some styles that I like. Okay. And then if I if I do, are there situations where used are less expensive than than the new?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Yeah, really for most, except for like the well, then there's like the Trinity. The Trinity would be Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piquet. Like brands like that, like you're not no, like you're always gonna pay more for the pre-owned because they do, they're holding their value. And okay. But in a lot of cases, like if you look on the real real, you can get a a good, a decent discount if you go the pre pre-owned route. It really just depends on um the demand. Okay.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)If it's just brand. I'm sure it's someone that's an authorized retailer.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Or it's a site that you've that you've that has good um reviews and feedback on. Okay. Um I've not bought watches from any of the pre-owned sites, but I have friends that that have had good experiences. There are dedicated watch pre-owned sites. Okay. And then of course, most major retailers now have a pre-owned section that's really healthy. But you are you are gonna have a little bit of a premium for that. But like I said before, you'll have the the confidence that it's authenticated, authenticated.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yeah, and I don't, I don't know. I mean, it maybe if if I was gonna buy a Rolex, for example, or a Cartier, and they said, well, it's gonna be a two-month wait, but we do have this pre-owned and it looked new, I guess I wouldn't, it wouldn't really bother me. Unless, of course, I was gonna have to have it maintained again. Like I would want to know what the service history was. Well, right.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Yes. And that's the other thing when you're buying from a company like that, like they will have all the history. And then there's other cases where people are selling watches on Facebook market and they don't have a box and papers. And to me, that's a very big red flag. Yeah. Like you wanna, you wanna have the box and papers. Okay. Unless you just have all the money in the world to spend. And it doesn't matter. Yes. But most that is not the case for most.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yes. Yeah. And even most, even if they have all the money, they're they kick, they're smart. Nobody wants to throw it out the window.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Yes. They're not wealthy for no reason. They're smart individuals. Yeah. And nobody wants to burn their money. So I do think, yeah, you got and you have to ask the right questions. And if it's the right reseller, they'll they'll meet you at a retailer and then it could be authenticated there.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Open it to know if it was a Franken watch, though, right? Yes. Okay.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)Yeah, that would have to be opened. And again, you don't want them opening. You would have you yeah, you would want like a watchmaker to open it. Because then you have to worry about it being sealed shut. Because if it's not sealed properly, then it gets wet and then now it's ruined.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yeah. So it's, I mean, it's it's like buying a used coin. It's a very nuanced situation. Yeah.
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)It's not, yeah, it's not like going to buy a bag, you know? Like it's well, depending on the bag, but yeah, there's a lot of nuances. Okay. And there's a lot to consider. Um, but I do think that once you make your decision on what you want to buy and you find the right channel where to buy it, then you'll be you'll be happy.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Okay. But so the kind of also the the things you said, know what size you want, what size looks good on you. Um, the your budget will kind may determine whether the type of metal. And I think the case shape, I think, uh, plays a big factor. Okay. Wow, excellent advice. Is there anything else that we haven't covered that is important?
Sara Orlando Seifert (Guest)I think a lot of people have an idea of what they need to purchase to make their collection, you know, worthy of their friends' admiration. And at the end of the day, that doesn't really matter. It should be what you what makes you happy.
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)Yeah. Because that won't make you happy. We all know that. I think I mean this topic, we could go on and on. And you and I have some more episodes that we're gonna have to record uh because there's I think there's gonna definitely need to be a part two of this. Yeah. Because I'd love to go through like brand picks by budget or where to buy used, um, deeper authentic uh authentication checklist. Uh so if anyone's listening and you are interested in part two, please message me uh so that we know. I would love to hear
Closing
Holly Bohn Pittman (Host)from you. That's it for what I expected. If this saved you time, money, or regret, hit follow or subscribe and share with the friend who always has a quick question before she buys. Got a topic you want me to unpack? Send it my way. See you next time.
