Faktor Zeit
The key thing about Faktor Zeit, in the Zurich old town, is that it was founded and is run by 2 watchmakers: Julian Kägi and Sean Fuchs. People come in as much to browse watches on sale as they do to bring in a timepiece for a service. This creates a unique atmosphere of "deep watchmaking", and adds a sense of trust, and authenticity, to the purchase experience.
While the Kägi and Fuchs are passionate about watches from the 1930s to the 1960s, the offering is much broader, and includes the usual suspects of high end pre-owned watches. Prices are reasonable, especially considering the location (Zurich is typically very expensive, anything from pizzas to watches). As you can tell on social media, customers have been raving about the quality of service.
What you will find: a balanced, even eclectic selection of brands (Rolex, Omega, JLC, Patek Philippe, Certina, Longines, Vacheron Constantin), with a great mix of truly vintage and more recent pre-owned pieces.
Price range: very broad, from 3 to 5 digits.
Open Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10 am - 6.30 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
SWE Rating: Excellent
Website: faktorzeit.ch
Where In Gassen 6 - 8001 Zurich (Google Maps)
SWE tips for any vintage / pre-owned purchase:
Confirm whether the watch is in working order, and if it is guaranteed.
Ask whether there is a known service history on the watch.
If the box has its original papers / warranty, that's always preferred, but it should not be a deal-breaker especially if it is truly vintage (30+ years).
If the watch has luminescent material on the dial and hands, ask the seller if it is radium (typically until the 1960s), tritium (usually until 1999), or luminova / superluminova (to date). Radium and tritium are radioactive substances. While tritium has very low radioactivity and is considered safe on a watch, the Swiss government advises against wearing a watch containing radium. That said, many vintage enthusiasts actually value radium due to its aesthetically pleasing patina and consider the risk to be low.