I was searching for a 422 for a couple of months and noticed the asking price was typically $6,500 and up (this watch sells retail for $10K so that was to be expected). Also, I wanted to buy it through eBay because I have used their watch authentication process in the past and really like it. It's free, quick and easy with zero hassles.
After spending a lot evenings burning the midnite oil (that really is the fun part of the hunt), I finally bought my 422 on eBay for $4,000. It went through the eBay authentication process and was shipped to my home with no issues. The reason why I was able to get the 422 at such a great price is because of the following:
-It did not come with the original box, screwdriver, papers or store bought receipt (none of that matters to me anyway - I just wanted a bargain).
-It was being sold by a seller who does a lot of estate sale stuff (he had over 12,000 items sold) so he did not want to hold on to it very long.
- It was the week after Christmas when I bought it. (Great time of the year to buy a luxury item)
- He was accepting offers (he wanted $6.5K and I offered $4K and he took it) even I was shocked by this!
-It's a hard sale due to the 47mm size. Most people won't consider buying a watch that big.
If you are on the fence about getting a 47mm 422 Panerai- take the plunge. t's a stunning piece of mechanical art.
