Why Does Ante Have So Few Vintage Watches?
“Why are there so few products available at Ante?”
We sometimes receive questions like this from our customers.
The reason is very simple.
We have decided to offer only watches that we are truly satisfied with.
We Examine Approximately 10,000 Vintage Watches Every Month
There are three main ways we source vintage watches:
- Sourcing from dealers in Japan and overseas
- Sourcing from watch-specialist markets
- Purchasing watches from customers
Many vintage watches circulate around the world every day.
At Ante, we examine watches from among them every day, reviewing approximately 10,000 watches each month.
However, we are able to purchase only a little over 10 of them.
Furthermore, each watch we purchase is inspected again in detail, and only some of them are ultimately introduced as products.
We Do Not Choose Vintage Watches Based Solely on How Few Scratches They Have
When examining a watch, what we value is not simply how clean it looks.
How much of its original appearance the watch has retained.
We examine this carefully.
Having few scratches.
Looking like new.
Neither of these qualities alone is enough for us to determine that a vintage watch is truly in good condition.
The silhouette of the case.
The originality of the dial.
Wear on the bracelet.
The condition of the movement and the inside of the case.
And whether the watch can continue to be used with confidence while being maintained in the years ahead.
We believe that evaluating all of these factors comprehensively is essential when selecting a vintage watch.
For more details on what we consider to be a “truly good vintage watch,” please see “What Does “Truly Good Condition” Mean for a Vintage Watch?.”
You Cannot Determine a Watch’s True Condition from Its Exterior Alone
We never judge a watch based solely on its exterior.
We also inspect the movement and the inside of the case.
The interior can reveal traces of how the watch was used and what kind of maintenance it received over the years.
For example, some watches may look as clean as new on the outside, but their internal condition does not match that impression.
Conversely, some watches show natural signs of aging on the exterior while conveying that they have been carefully treated internally as well.
A watch has a certain “consistency” that can be understood only by examining its exterior and internal condition together.
We assess the condition of each watch after confirming that consistency as well.
We Value Original Dials and Cases
With vintage Cartier watches, the originality of the dial and case is also an important consideration.
We do not determine that a watch is in good condition simply because it looks clean.
Has the dial retained its original condition from the period?
Has the case lost its original silhouette due to excessive polishing?
We examine how naturally each watch has retained its original form.
For more details on why Ante values original dials, please also see “What Is an Original Dial on a Vintage Cartier?.”
Even After Examining Approximately 10,000 Watches, Only a Very Small Number Can Become Products
Even though we examine approximately 10,000 watches every month, we purchase only a little over 10.
And not all of them become Ante products.
After purchasing them, we inspect each watch again, including:
The condition of the case and bracelet.
The originality of the dial and other components.
The condition of the movement.
And its suitability for future maintenance.
We evaluate all of these factors comprehensively. As a result, even if a watch is a rare or popular model, we will not offer it as a product if it does not meet Ante’s standards.
That is why the watches we can ultimately introduce to our customers are inevitably limited.
We Value the Quality of Each Watch More Than the Number of Products
There are, of course, ways to source and sell a larger number of products.
However, our goal is not to be a watch store with a large inventory.
Our goal is to introduce watches that our customers can continue to use with confidence five years from now, 10 years from now, and beyond.
That is why we do not source a watch simply because it is rare.
Nor do we source one simply because it is popular.
We introduce only watches that we are truly satisfied with and believe can be cherished and passed down well into the future.
That is why Ante has so few products.
For more details on the standards Ante uses when deciding whether to offer a watch as a product, please see “Thinking Beyond the Sale. That Is Ante’s Quality Standard..”
Ante's Philosophy
We look at more than simply where a watch came from.
What kind of journey has it taken through time, and in what condition has it been passed down to the present?
And is it a watch that can be cherished and passed down with confidence in the years ahead?
Facing the quality of each individual watch rather than focusing on quantity.
That is the standard Ante values when continuing to select vintage watches.
