Why Ante only commercializes about 10 vintage watches out of approximately 10,000 viewed each month
"Why does Ante have so few products?"
We sometimes receive this question from customers.
The reason is very simple.
We have decided to only offer watches that we are truly satisfied with.
We inspect approximately 10,000 watches every month.
There are three main methods for sourcing vintage watches:
- Sourcing from domestic and international dealers
- Sourcing at specialized watch markets
- Purchases from customers
Many vintage watches are circulated around the world every day.
We inspect watches from these sources daily, and we see approximately 10,000 watches every month.
However, only about 10-odd watches can actually be purchased from among them.
Furthermore, even after purchasing watches, each one is re-inspected, and only a fraction of them are ultimately presented as products.
What we look for is not "beauty."
When we look at a watch, what we value most is:
How well the watch has preserved its original condition.
That is to say.
Few scratches.
Looking like new.
That alone does not mean it is in truly good condition.
The silhouette of the case.
The dial.
The internal mechanism.
Each of these shows the history the watch has experienced.
What we consider a "truly good vintage watch" is explained in detail in "What is a "truly good condition" vintage watch?".
You cannot know the true value from the exterior alone.
I never judge a watch by its exterior alone.
I always check the movement and the inside of the case.
The interior shows how the watch was used and what kind of maintenance it received.
For example, some watches may have an exterior that looks brand new, but their internal condition does not match.
Conversely, there are watches that show signs of natural aging but clearly have been well cared for.
There is always a "consistency" to watches.
The condition of the exterior and interior should inherently match.
Only by confirming this consistency does the true condition of the watch become apparent.
The same applies to the dial.
It is important to check not only its aesthetic beauty but also its originality at the time and the history the watch has experienced.
The reason Ante values original dials is also explained in detail in "What is an original dial?".
Only a very small number of watches can be commercialized.
Even if we inspect about 10,000 watches every month, we purchase only about 10-odd.
And not all of them become products.
Even after purchase, we re-inspect them, considering:
Condition.
Originality.
Future maintainability.
As a result of this comprehensive check, many watches are not commercialized.
Ultimately, only a few watches that meet Ante's quality standards make it to the store.
We value the quality of each piece over quantity.
Perhaps selling more products would be more efficient from a business perspective.
However, what we aim for is not the number of products.
It is to introduce a watch that customers can continue to use with peace of mind for 10 or 20 years.
Therefore, no matter how rare or popular a model is, if we are not satisfied with it, we will not offer it as a product.
How Ante commercializes watches is explained in detail in "Considering beyond the sale. That is Ante's quality standard.".
Ante's Philosophy
What we look at is not "where the watch came from."
It's whether it's a watch that can be passed down with confidence in the future.
Based solely on that criterion, we approach each watch individually.
