It is interesting to note that I was once like you, but I have somehow compartmentalized this. I separate my expectation for modern vs. vintage pieces.
By: cholack : January 26th, 2020-21:27
With modern watches, I do care about keeping my pieces as mint and perfect as possible, which is realistically impossible. However, with my vintage watches, the scratches to the case are all charm, and further scratches are fine. That said, I need to collect vintage pieces with mint dials, otherwise I find myself fussing at it.
This is where the fun of vintage watch collecting begins, and to be specific this is when you start to research about these models in detail. Part of the fun is the knowledge and the other is the hunt.
By: cholack : January 26th, 2020-21:36
Box and papers do not matter per se, but can complement the vintage purchase. Cheers
The only defense against a frankenwatch is knowing enough about the brand to check the details. But for me, a replaced this or that is no problem, as long as the replacement used correct, authorized parts