Collector’s Concierge: Bespoke Sourcing, Authentication, and Restoration for Vintage Watches
Engage a dedicated concierge to locate rare vintage watches, verify originality with laboratory-grade methods, and restore delicately with conservation-first techniques, delivering provenance, value clarity, and enduring mechanical integrity tailored to seasoned collectors and first-time buyers seeking confidence and discretion.
About Collector’s Concierge
We are a specialist team of horological researchers, restorers, and negotiators dedicated to helping collectors secure historically coherent vintage watches with documented originality, conservation-minded service, and discreet, end-to-end support that withstands scrutiny from scholars, insurers, and future buyers.
How Our Concierge Works
Begin with a private consultation to define your target references, budget, timelines, and condition preferences, then receive curated options, expert verification, and white-glove logistics, culminating in a confident acquisition accompanied by documentation, service records, and transparent next steps for maintenance and insurance.
Discovery and Brief
We start by understanding your collecting goals, wrist size, lifestyle, and desired period or reference, translating preferences into an actionable brief. This includes acceptable patina thresholds, originality requirements, provenance ambitions, budget parameters, and time horizon, ensuring every subsequent step aligns with your taste and investment criteria.
Curated Shortlist
Within agreed timelines, we present a shortlist featuring high-resolution imagery, macro details, comparative market analysis, and condition notes. Each candidate is scored for originality, period-correct parts, service history, and value trajectory, enabling you to compare trade-offs confidently before proceeding to authentication or auction representation.
Acquisition and Handover
Once a target is confirmed, we negotiate discreetly, oversee secure payment, authenticate fully, and arrange insured transport. At handover, you receive a comprehensive dossier covering provenance research, technical findings, timing data, and restoration recommendations, simplifying registration, valuation for insurance, and future exit strategy planning.
Bespoke Sourcing
We search globally across trusted dealers, collectors, and auction rooms to uncover the correct reference, configuration, and condition, prioritizing originality, value alignment, and long-term collectability while navigating off-market channels that require discretion, credibility, and swift, informed decision-making.
Global Dealer Network
Our network spans established boutiques and respected independent dealers with verified track records and transparent stock histories. We leverage long-standing relationships to preview fresh consignments, verify details before public listing, and secure fair pricing, reducing competition exposure while maintaining strong alignment with your collecting brief.
Auction Representation
We evaluate catalog descriptions, request condition reports, and examine watches at previews with loupes and UV light. On your behalf, we set disciplined bidding strategies, incorporate buyer’s premiums and taxes, and avoid compromised examples, emphasizing originality, coherent patina, and period correctness to preserve value after the hammer falls.
Authentication Laboratory
Our authentication blends forensic visual analysis, archival checks, and precision measurements to confirm originality, part correctness, and period conformity, producing a clear, defensible report designed for insurance, resale, and long-term portfolio stewardship.
Forensic Dial Analysis
We inspect typography, minute track alignment, lume composition, and surface texture under macro photography, UV, and raking light. Comparative studies against known exemplars highlight redials, relumes, or repainted elements, while aging patterns and gloss levels are assessed to determine authenticity and plausible manufacturing periods.
Movement Inspection and Timing
Movements are evaluated for matching caliber, correct bridges, and period-consistent finishing. We check serial ranges, assess wear, and test timing across positions, documenting amplitude and beat error. Servicing evidence and non-original components are noted, with recommendations for conservation-minded interventions to preserve function without erasing history.
Case and Serial Verification
We measure case geometry, polish history, and lug symmetry with calipers and reference charts, verifying hallmarks and serials against known ranges. Laser-weld repairs, re-stamped numbers, and aftermarket parts are flagged, ensuring the watch’s physical integrity and identity align with brand records and scholarly consensus.
Restoration Atelier
Our restoration prioritizes conservation over cosmetic perfection, carefully stabilizing materials, preserving original finishes, and maintaining historical fidelity while returning dependable function and water resistance appropriate for age, reference, and collector expectations.
Learn MoreProvenance & Research
We investigate origin, ownership, and period documentation, compiling evidence that strengthens historical value, buyer confidence, and insurance positioning while clarifying any uncertainties with balanced, source-cited analysis.
Archive Extracts
Where available, we request brand archive extracts to confirm production dates, delivery markets, and original configurations. We contextualize findings against serial ranges and period catalogs, identifying inconsistencies or confirming coherence, then integrate documents into an accessible dossier for future appraisals and authoritative reference.
Ownership Chain Reconstruction
We cross-reference sales receipts, service invoices, photographs, and personal accounts to reconstruct prior ownership. When appropriate, we contact families or dealers for corroboration, recording statements responsibly. This narrative strengthens authenticity, supports marketability, and provides collectors with a richer connection to the watch’s lived history.
Scholarly Dossiers
For important references, we produce scholarly dossiers consolidating technical data, period advertisements, auction comparables, and expert opinions. This rigorous synthesis clarifies rarity, originality, and relative desirability, becoming a valuable tool for insurers, potential buyers, and long-term portfolio documentation.
Services
Choose focused support or comprehensive end-to-end guidance across sourcing, authentication, and restoration, with transparent deliverables, timelines, and documentation crafted for long-term confidence, insurability, and resale readiness without sacrificing originality or responsible conservation ethics.
Concierge Sourcing Programme
A complete acquisition service from discovery to handover, including curated shortlists, market analysis, negotiation, authentication oversight, logistics, and a final dossier. Ideal for collectors seeking off-market access, disciplined selectivity, and measured, data-backed decisions that compound value over time.
,950
Comprehensive Authentication Report
A lab-grade assessment covering dial, hands, case, movement, serials, performance, and period correctness, with macro imagery and risk commentary suitable for insurance and resale. Perfect before bidding, finalizing a deal, or revalidating a treasured piece’s originality claims.
,950
Conservation-Grade Restoration
A preservation-focused service that stabilizes movements, retains original finishes, and improves usability responsibly. Includes documentation, parts disclosure, and post-service timing data, ideal for safeguarding history while restoring dependable function and market confidence.
,950
Market Intelligence
We translate real-time sales data, dealer insights, and macro trends into strategic guidance on value, timing, and risk, equipping collectors to buy deliberately and hold confidently.
Contact usValuation and Appraisal
Our valuations blend comparable sales, condition-adjusted premiums, originality factors, and liquidity considerations. We tailor appraisals for insurance, estate planning, and resale, clearly explaining assumptions and ranges, and highlighting catalysts that could materially shift value over the next twelve to twenty-four months.
Trend Monitoring
We track micro-trends by reference, dial variant, and case material, mapping collector sentiment, supply constraints, and seasonal auction dynamics. These insights inform acquisition timing, identify underappreciated niches, and flag overheated segments, helping you act early while avoiding avoidable risks and speculative noise.
Exit Strategy Planning
When consolidating or reallocating capital, we design exit strategies aligned with liquidity windows, ideal venues, and confidentiality preferences. We prepare documentation, advise on reserve levels, and position narrative and condition effectively, maximizing realized value while maintaining your long-term collector reputation and relationships.
White-Glove Logistics
We coordinate insured transportation, customs compliance, and secure storage, ensuring delicate vintage pieces move safely, lawfully, and discreetly across borders without compromising timelines or privacy.
Insured Transport
We partner with specialized couriers and armoured services experienced in transporting high-value timepieces. Each shipment carries appropriate coverage with declared values, chain-of-custody tracking, and contingency planning, minimizing transit risk and preserving confidentiality from origin to final delivery destination.
Customs and Compliance
International movements are pre-cleared with precise classifications, documentation, and taxes calculated upfront. We manage temporary import bonds for restoration, handle CITES considerations where relevant, and avoid delays by aligning declarations with insurance paperwork and provenance records, eliminating costly surprises at the border.
Secure Storage
For interim holding, we offer vault-grade storage with environmental controls, tamper monitoring, and audited access logs. Storage integrates with your insurance program, keeps documentation synchronized, and ensures your watch remains stable, safe, and immediately ready for viewing, appraisal, or onward shipment.
Private Collectors
From first acquisitions to focused, scholarly collections, we provide structured guidance, continuous education, and portfolio roadmaps. You gain disciplined buying processes, transparent condition assessments, and ongoing care plans that support enjoyment, resilience, and long-term value realization without compromising provenance or originality.
Corporate Gifts and Commissions
We source meaningful vintage watches for leadership milestones, client gifting, and brand storytelling, ensuring period accuracy, tasteful presentation, and impeccable documentation. Engravings, custom presentation boxes, and provenance summaries transform a gift into an enduring, culturally resonant artifact with measurable prestige and sentimental value.
Estate Management
We catalogue collections, authenticate items, align documentation, and value each watch for probate or equitable distribution. Where sales are desired, we recommend optimal channels and timing, manage logistics, and ensure transparent reporting that balances speed, discretion, and fair market outcomes for all stakeholders.
Our Standards
We uphold ethical sourcing, rigorous transparency, and uncompromising quality control, ensuring every recommendation withstands scrutiny from insurers, scholars, and future buyers.
Ethical Sourcing
We refuse stolen, counterfeit, or misrepresented items, maintaining watchlists and conducting due diligence on sellers. Our transactions prioritize lawful provenance and fair dealing, preserving your reputation and contributing positively to the broader collecting ecosystem.
Transparency and Reporting
Every step is documented through photographs, measurements, correspondence, and invoices. We disclose uncertainties and provide clear risk assessments, enabling truly informed decisions. You receive permanent, organized records that de-risk future insurance claims, service events, and sales.
Quality Control Protocols
Before delivery, each watch undergoes final inspection: pressure tests where appropriate, timing verification, functional checks, and visual review under magnification. Findings are documented, outstanding issues are flagged, and maintenance intervals are recommended to safeguard reliability and value.
Digital Client Portal
Centralize updates, documents, and communications in a secure portal with encrypted messaging, permissions-based access, and exportable reports that simplify collaboration, decision-making, and archival continuity across the lifetime of your collection.
Testimonials & Case Studies
Explore detailed success stories showing how disciplined sourcing, uncompromising authentication, and conservation-grade restoration transformed uncertain opportunities into confident acquisitions and meaningful heirlooms.
Book Your Consultation
Schedule a confidential call to define goals, confirm feasibility, and map a clear plan covering sourcing strategy, authentication depth, restoration scope, budget realities, and timeline expectations, ensuring aligned momentum from first conversation to successful handover.
Scheduling Options
Choose a video consultation or voice call across time zones, with calendar availability updated weekly. We provide preparatory prompts and dedicated meeting links, ensuring efficient, focused sessions that respect your schedule while covering essential discovery topics thoroughly.
What to Prepare
Bring target references, inspirational images, budget ranges, and any existing watch documentation. For restoration projects, include movement photos and prior service notes. This context accelerates feasibility assessments, clarifies trade-offs, and yields better-curated recommendations from the very first shortlist.
After the Call
You receive a written summary with next steps, estimated timelines, and indicative fees. We open your portal workspace, assign tasks, and propose initial research or watch viewings, keeping momentum without pressure while ensuring complete transparency and alignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of vintage watches do you source?
We focus on historically significant pieces from established brands across tool, dress, and chronograph categories, prioritizing references with coherent originality and compelling provenance. Whether you seek an early diver, gilt chronograph, or elegant mid-century dress watch, our network supports disciplined, taste-aligned acquisitions.
How reliable is your authentication and what does it include?
Our authentication combines forensic dial analysis, movement inspection, case geometry measurements, and archival checks against known ranges and exemplars. Reports include macro imagery, timing data, risk grading, and provenance context, enabling defensible decisions, robust insurance coverage, and confident future resale conversations.
How long does bespoke sourcing usually take?
Timelines depend on rarity, condition targets, and budget. Common references in honest, original condition may take weeks, while scarce dial variants or unpolished examples can require months. We communicate milestones, present thoughtful trade-offs, and move decisively when the right watch appears.
Do you alter originality during restoration?
Our philosophy is conservation first. We stabilize, clean, and service movements while preserving period finishes and honest patina. Any replacement parts are disclosed and reversible where possible. Cosmetic refinishing is considered only when it preserves geometry and improves longevity without erasing history.
What are your fees and payment terms?
Fees vary by scope and complexity. Sourcing usually includes an engagement retainer and success fee; authentication and restoration are quoted after initial assessment. We accept bank transfer and major cards, provide detailed invoices, and clearly separate third-party costs, taxes, and shipping.
How do you handle shipping and insurance?
We arrange insured, trackable transport with specialized couriers, prepare customs documentation, and maintain discreet packaging. Coverage matches declared value end-to-end. For international movements, we manage compliance and advise on taxes or bonds, ensuring safe, timely delivery without administrative friction.