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Engraving a watch is usually a very personal touch. Watches can be given as a gift for almost any landmark event such as a birthday, wedding, graduation or job promotion.
There are two ways to engrave a watch. These are laser engraving and hand engraving. Laser engraving can either be done manually or by a pre-programmed robot in a factory. Hand engraving on the other hand is always manual work but can either be done by tools or machine assistance.
Typically laser engraving will be used to show a brand’s logo, serial number, model number and any other useful information. However, it can also be used for personal messages. Hand engraving on the other hand is very time intensive and is performed 100% manually using carving tools. Many high end brands will use hand engraving for parts of their movements, specifically in skeleton watches.
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Can Any Watch Type Be Engraved?
Almost any watch can be engraved. Some brands will actually offer free engraving when you buy a watch from a specific authorized dealer.
Most brands however will not offer to engrave a watch, this is time-consuming and mostly only done in large quantities for corporate clients. It is fairly easy to find a local watch engraver who can do this for you though, it is not a particularly difficult skill.
Typically, if a watch is made from a material such as wood, stainless steel or any precious metal like gold or platinum, it can be engraved.
Watches that cannot be engraved are ceramic compound watches. These materials are fairly high end, but have been designed to be scratch proof and do not engrave well. If you tried to engrave on a ceramic material there is a good chance you would crack the surface.
Lastly, obviously you won’t be able to engrave a watch with a completely clear exhibition caseback. This kind of watch is fairly unusual, but would not be possible to engrave.
Does Engraving Devalue A Watch?
Yes. Engraving is a way of personalizing a watch, therefore if you wish to sell at a future date, it will be worthless money. If you think about this from a buyer’s perspective. If you were to be offered a Rolex Daytona with a plain stainless steel caseback, or would you prefer one which said “Happy 40th Birthday Kevin” on the back?
This example shows that engraving will not add value to a watch.
However, you should not be engraving a watch to gain value. Engraving should be something to personalize a timepiece for a special occasion such as a wedding or graduation.
It should also be noted that if the watch is a high end timepiece from a reputable brand. It will be reasonably easy to polish out the engraving, in fact it will have already faded somewhat due to time. Typically this will not cost more than $100.
Best Watches To Be Engraved
Budget Brands
Fossil
Fossil are a well known brand that produces a wide variety of fashion watches. Fossil is the #1 choice on this list because of their commitment to engraving. Whilst there certainly are better quality watches with higher specifications, Fossil allows you to get any watch engraved for free that you buy at an authorized dealer.
Check The Price Of Fossil Watches On Amazon
Bobo Bird
Bobo Bird are a Chinese brand that is well known for making wooden products. Even though the company is less than 20 years old, it is already a market leader of wooden watches. Although wooden watches are not to the taste of everyone, they do offer something a little different and are a solid hypoallergenic material at a cheap price.
You will have to pay $10 for a Bobo Bird watch to be engraved, however, this is not a lot of money and typically if you take your watch to any shop they will charge at least double this price.
Mid-Range Brands
Tissot
Tissot are a Swiss brand with a rich history. Of course, the brand is not as high end as many other Swiss watchmakers. It is however a brand that has been around for a very long time and will continue to do so in the future. Therefore it makes sense to get an engraving on a Tissot. The company has a good variety of both smart and casual timepieces which can be worn on almost any occasion. Not only this, but they also have a good variety between both quartz and automatic models.
Movado
The Movado Museum is one of the most iconic watches outside the luxury realm. The design was made in 1947 and hasn’t changed since. This specific model would be a very good option since it has already stood the test of time and is a well made Swiss watch.
Check The Price Of Movado Watches On Amazon
High End Brands
Omega
Omega are a brand that is synonymous with success. Typically these kinds of watches are given on special days such as retirement, graduation or marriage. Although Omega is not the absolute best watch brand in the world. It does have historical significance within the watch industry and truly is a luxury watch.
It’s relatively well known that Omega is the first watch brand to ever make it onto the surface of the moon. Therefore this is a brand that is already well known with milestone events and makes sense to get engraved.
Check The Price Of Omega Watches On Amazon
Rolex
Rolex watches are ideal for engraving. The first reason for this is that this special brand is a watch that will last a lifetime (or possibly generations). Of course, you will have to get your watch serviced, but there is no reason a Rolex shouldn’t last for decades.
Secondly, Rolex watches never have anything engraved on their caseback (not even the logo of the brand). Therefore there is a very large space that is perfect for engraving. You do not have to worry about damaging the value of the watch, as if you wanted to resell the piece later, you would only need to polish out the engraving.
