engraved or not?

Gb2cv · Mar 15, 2018

I see many gold watches on sale that have an engraving on the case - 25, 40 years service and so on with company name, labelled as a presentation watch.
My question is: Do you consider these a valuable point of interest in the history of the watch or more of an annoyance? Subquestion: If an annoyance would you consider getting engraving removed?

77deluxe · Mar 15, 2018

They don’t bother me as you can’t see them when wearing a watch. I don’t view them as an advantage or a problem. All things constant, I suppose I’d rather have a clean case back. But I would not remove one.

Mathlar · Mar 15, 2018

Removal would require some fairly intensive polishing, something which I assume most of us would dislike more than an engraving.

Tet · Mar 15, 2018

I certainly prefer to purchase without inscriptions, infact thinking about it I've not yet owned one with. However if I did purchase a watch with the case back engraved, I would not be bothered about removing it.

Larry S · Mar 15, 2018

I think they are interesting. It is a terrible idea to try to buff them out because that really destroys value. Some have led to great back stories and provenance that actually increase the value.

Stewart H · Mar 15, 2018

Depending on other case back markings, a skilled goldsmith would be able to fill the engraving and you would never know it had been there

Personally, unless it was significant, I wouldn’t buy one with an engraving.

Vitezi · Mar 15, 2018

@bubba48 has an wonderful story in this thread on engravings, here:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/post-your-caseback-inscriptions-tribute-to-previous-owners.72645/

And come the holiday season I think about the inscription on the back of one of @adam78's lovely Hamiltons, and wonder who Merl and Mary were.

Seaman · Jun 2, 2018

Don't bother me at all..I don't know if this increase or lower the value but I assume that the answer of this question is : Depends..who own it and who engraved it, history etc.