Watch Photography: Listing Photos for the Luxury Watch Trader
I recently started taking photos for a luxury watch trader. He loves collecting watches, and eventually hopes to make watch trading his main source of income, but found that trying to photograph them himself was more hassle than it was worth. I, on the other hand, very much enjoy the challenge. Each watch is different. Some watch cases have a brushed finished, while others have a mirror-like finish, which makes it much trickier to control reflections. Some have a flat crystal, while others are domed. And so on. This means the light has to be shaped differently for each watch. It's a fun exercise (or torture, depending on who you ask...).
My favorite of the watches I've photographed so far has to be the two-tone Omega Seamaster Diver 300 in steel and Sedna gold. Most watches need 10-11 images, and the most significant editing is obscuring the serial number. (When he sells them, he does a live video chat with the buyer to show them the details.)
Omega Speedmaster Diver 300 Luxury Watch Photo Face closeup Lume function Opposite crown side watch crown 45 degree angle left 45 degree angle right skeleton case back buckle and band back of watch and band Photo of box set for Omega Speedster Diver 300
Because these are used watches for the resale market, it's important to show all parts of the watch and any flaws, rather than editing them out, which means I spend as much time cleaning the watches and setting the lights JUST RIGHT as I do editing the photos. The watches will mostly be listed on https://www.chrono24.com or his own website (eventually), so I shoot to the specifications asked for there. This watch is a Tudor Black Bay Chrono 41 mm. Love the detail of the Tudor Rose on the crown.
Live in the Los Angeles area and need photos of your own watches for listing or insurance purposes? Reach out to me at contact@sarahainsworthart.com or via the contact form here (which goes to sarahainsworthphotography@gmail.com). My photography studio is in the south bay, convenient to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey, and Playa Del Rey.
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