The honest answer, before you sell
How much is my watch worth?
It depends on four things, in order: the brand and reference, which set the market; condition and originality, which move it; box, papers and service history, which lift it; and the metal in the case, which sets a floor under gold watches. No page can price your watch, but a quote from your photos can, and it costs nothing.
Why this page has no calculator
Gold has a published price per gram, so our gold pages carry live figures and a calculator. Branded watches do not work that way: the same model can be worth modest money or serious money depending on the reference and the watch’s own history, and no form can read that. A per-model price list on a website is either out of date or a hook. What we publish instead is the process: photos, a trade bid, a quote usually within two working days, and verification before payment so the figure is for the watch it actually is.
The hierarchy, roughly
At the top, sports models from the big houses: Rolex Submariners and GMTs, Omega Speedmasters, and their kin, where the reference alone can move thousands. Then the recognised dress and ladies’ lines, Cartier Tanks, Datejusts, Seamasters, with a steady trade at sensible figures. Then gold-cased watches from respectable mid-century makers, where the case often outweighs the name: see selling a gold watch. At the bottom, plated and fashion watches, which we decline rather than pretend otherwise.
The gold floor
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. This floor is real money: gold is near historic highs, and a heavy 18ct case and bracelet can outbid a weak trade offer on the same watch. Whenever a watch could go either route we put a figure on both and tell you which is higher. The two routes are explained side by side on the watch guide.
What moves a bid down
Redials and swapped parts first: a repainted dial or a replacement bracelet can halve a collector bid. Heavy polishing that rounds the case edges. Moisture damage. Missing links on an integrated bracelet. None of these stop a sale, but they belong in the photos you send, because a quote built on the truth survives verification and a flattering one does not. Honest photos get honest figures.
Questions people ask
Why will nobody give me a price over the phone?
Because the name on the dial is the start of the answer, not the end. Two watches of the same model can differ several times over on reference, year, condition, originality and papers, and none of that can be read from a description. A buyer who quotes a firm figure unseen is planning to revise it when the watch arrives. Our quote comes from your photos and the trade, and it is provisional only until the watch is verified, not renegotiated on arrival.
Is my watch worth more as a watch or as gold?
If it has a strong brand and reference, as a watch. If it is a plain gold dress watch, often as gold: a 9ct gents' case from the 1960s holds 10 to 20 grams before the movement, and an 18ct case more. We put a figure on both routes and you take the higher, stated as such. Nothing is melted while it is worth more intact.
What is a quartz or fashion watch worth?
A branded quartz watch from a real house (a Cartier Tank, an Omega Constellation) has a genuine market. A fashion watch, the kind sold on the brand of a clothing label, has effectively no resale value however new it looks, and a plated case adds nothing. We say this plainly so nobody posts us a watch worth less than the stamp.
Do box and papers really matter?
Yes, more than most sellers expect. Original papers make verification quicker and lift the trade bid, sometimes substantially on sought-after references. No papers does not stop a sale; the watch is verified on its own merits. Never buy aftermarket boxes or papers to dress a watch up: the trade spots it and it reads as a red flag.
Does a service history add value?
A documented service from the maker or a known watchmaker helps, because the next owner is not pricing in an immediate service. But do not service a watch just to sell it: you rarely recover the cost, and the trade usually prefers to do its own. Sell it as it is and let the bid allow for it.
So how do I get an actual figure?
Send the brand, model, reference if you can find it, and three photos: the dial, the case back and the clasp or papers. A quote from the trade usually comes within two working days. For a branded watch it is confirmed after independent verification, about about one working day once the watch reaches us; for a gold or silver watch, when it is weighed and tested on camera.
Ready when you are
Send the brand, model, reference number, whether you have the box and papers, and three photos: the dial, the case back and the clasp or the papers. We come back with a quote, usually within two working days, and every branded watch is verified by an independent specialist before it is paid for.