The two gentlemen agree: “Oh my God, it’s going to be nice now,” sighs Horst Lichter. And Sven Deutschmanek adds: “We have a beautiful vintage chronograph here.” This is a Heuer watch. It belongs to Norbert Lindner from Selfkant-Tüddern near Aachen. The 67-year-old worked for NATO as a manager in aircraft construction until he retired.

Lindner bought the watch he brought with him in the 1970s and gave it to his father. However, after a few years he gave it back to his son, he didn’t want to wear the good piece to work every day.

Then it’s the expert’s turn: the watch is a Heuer Autavia 11630, explains Deutschmanek. The model was presented in 1969, the present example was made around 1976. Lindner paid 500 marks for the watch back then. With his desired price, he is speculating on a decent increase in value: he would like to have around 2000 euros for it. Sven Deutschmanek goes over it easily. He estimates the watch at 4500 to 5500 euros. Can the price be realised?

At least you can see what it is in the dealer’s room: “It looks like a watch,” Roman Runkel astutely states. Wolfgang Pauritsch starts with 1500 euros, initially Fabian Kahl also bids. But at 1900 euros he gets out – with reference to the condition of the watch: “I see a lot of costs for a buyer so that it brings a lot of money again.”

“I love costs, so I’m offering you 2,000 euros,” the Austrian outbids himself. Since nobody is bidding anymore, Pauritsch now asks the seller about his ideas. He reacts to the high level of expertise and corrects his desired price from 2000 to 3500 euros. Pauritsch then increased his bid to 2,500 euros.

This is still a long way from the new desired price. And so Lindner suggests meeting in the middle. Pauritsch is ready – and so the watch changes hands for 3000 euros. “The negotiation went very well,” says Norbert Lindner afterwards. The man with his negotiating skills played a large part in this.

Source: “Bares for Rares” in the ZDF media library

also read