While watch-lovers might once have spent their time trawling jewellers, antique shops and flea markets to find vintage watches, shunning the internet and its unverifiable merchants, ecommerce has now become an important channel for collectors.

Confidence in buying vintage online has grown as reputable, web-based dealers have established themselves. Those who specialise in more modern pre-owned watches include Watchfinder.co.uk, which had revenues of ￡85m in 2016-17, and Berlin-based Watchmaster.com. Both have a vintage offering on their sites.

Auction houses now offer online bidding facilities for vintage watches and feature high-resolution catalogue images on their websites, which can be enlarged to many times actual size. This makes it possible to see the condition of a watch almost as accurately as if the real thing were being examined under a loupe. Prospective purchasers can then bid from anywhere in the world, pay electronically and have it delivered to their door by courier.