Sell a watch in Ireland

Which watches do we buy?

Two kinds, and they take different routes. A branded watch from Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Tag Heuer or a similar house carries a value well above its metal, so it is bought by quote: you send the details and photos, we get a bid from the trade and we come back with a figure. A gold or silver watch without that brand premium, which covers most older dress watches, pocket watches and gold-cased watches from the mid-century makers, is paid on the metal in its case and bracelet at the published per-gram rate, the same as any other piece of jewellery. If you are not sure which yours is, send a photo of the dial and the case back through the form and we will tell you.

How a branded watch is priced

There is no published figure because no two are the same. The bid depends on the model and the reference number, the year, whether it is running and when it was last serviced, the condition of the case, dial and bracelet, whether the parts are original, and whether you have the box and papers. We put those details to the trade and pass the bid back to you as a quote, usually within two working days of your photos. The quote is honest and it is ours to stand over, but it is made from photographs, so it stays provisional until the watch has been seen and verified.

Every branded watch is verified before it is paid for

This is the part to know before you ask for a quote. Before any branded watch is paid for it has to come to us, in person in Dublin or by insured special delivery arranged with you, so that we can have it verified. We take it to an independent watch specialist to confirm it is genuine, which takes about one working day. The watch stays insured in our care, and the price is confirmed and paid by bank transfer once it passes.

The reason is simple. Counterfeit watches, and genuine cases fitted with replaced movements, dials or bracelets, are common and good enough to pass a glance, and we are metal dealers, not watchmakers. So we do not pay for a branded watch on the day it arrives. It goes to an independent watch specialist who opens the case and confirms that the movement, the reference and the serial number match the watch it is supposed to be, and that nothing has been swapped. That takes about one working day. You get a signed receipt when you hand the watch over, it is insured while it is with us and while it is with the specialist, and you can ask for it back at any point.

If the watch does not pass, or you decide not to sell, it is returned to you. A quote from photos is always provisional until the watch has been seen and checked.

How it works, step by step

1. Send the details and photos. Fill in the brand, model, reference number, whether you have the box and papers, and up to three photos: the dial, the case back and the clasp or the papers. Nothing is posted at this stage.
2. We come back with a quote. We check the details, get a bid from the trade and send you a figure by WhatsApp or email, usually within two working days. The quote is provisional until the watch has been verified.
3. Bring or send the watch to us. If you accept, we arrange a time for you to bring the watch to us in Dublin, or an insured special delivery, arranged with you. Bring photo ID and proof of where the watch came from; both are required on every branded watch.
4. The watch is verified. We take the watch to an independent watch specialist to confirm it is genuine and as described. Allow about one working day. It stays insured in our care the whole time.
5. Paid by bank transfer, or returned. Once the watch passes, the quote is confirmed and paid by bank transfer the same day. If it does not pass, or you change your mind, the watch is returned to you.

Photo ID and proof of ownership

Photo ID and proof of where the watch came from (a receipt, service record, insurance valuation or similar) are required on every branded watch, no exceptions. A receipt, the warranty card, a service invoice or an insurance valuation in your name all count. For a watch left to you in a will, the grant of probate or a letter from the solicitor handling the estate does the same job. We ask because a branded watch is exactly the kind of thing that is stolen and sold on quickly, and a buyer who does not ask is a buyer you should not sell to.

Gold and silver watches

Gold and silver watches without a brand premium are priced on the weight of the case and bracelet at the published rate. The movement and glass are not priced. A 9ct gold gents' watch case from the 1950s or 60s typically weighs 10 to 20 grams without the movement; an 18ct case more. Silver pocket watch cases run from 40 to 80 grams. Below are today's net rates for the grades a watch case usually tests as, and the calculator gives a figure for a known weight. Gold and silver watches travel in the free insured postal pack like any other jewellery; the quote-and-verify route above is for branded watches only.

The price per gram shown is our published price for that grade, guaranteed. The grade, and so the final price, is confirmed after XRF testing.

What we do not buy

Fashion and quartz watches with no resale market and no precious metal in them, stainless steel watches from brands outside the trade's interest, and anything we cannot verify. If the specialist cannot confirm a watch is genuine, we do not buy it and it is returned to you with a plain explanation; we do not knowingly buy or sell counterfeit goods. If you are unsure whether yours is worth sending through the form, send the photos anyway: there is no charge for a quote and no obligation at any point.