Tips for Selling or Trading Your Watch

If you enjoy collecting watches, being comfortable selling or trading your less-used pieces will be valuable in creating space to keep your wardrobe fresh. Depending on the model, your watch can command good value on the secondary market. Let’s explore a few rules to maximize your resale value:

Bring All Original Materials

Box, papers, tags—they all create value! Original materials help authenticate your piece and add value by giving the next wearer a more complete experience. Receipts help establish the piece's provenance and will cement your time with it. Correctly documented and stored, a receipt trail tells the legacy of a piece. To maximize the value of your watch, be sure to bring everything!

Only Work with Trusted Watch Buyers

Experiences in the grey market can vary widely depending on who you deal with. A quick trip to Instagram or YouTube will reveal hundreds of videos of unscrupulous watch flippers buying watches from the unwary at obscenely low prices. If you trade regularly in the field, you likely know how to navigate these waters. If you are new on the scene, seller beware.  

For an experience that won't leave you feeling robbed, we recommend only dealing with known and trusted buyers, ideally someone you already have a relationship with or who is local. People or institutions with a reputation to protect will treat you honestly and provide a quick and seamless transaction process that won't leave you regretting your sale the next day.

Do Not Repair or Refinish

Although costly, repairing or refinishing your watch may actually cost money when you sell. While most watches on the grey market can be refinished without damaging their resale value, some models are worth more to collectors with minor wear. Further, repair work must be completed by a watchmaker with the correct industry connections as non-authorized repair technicians may use third-party parts, which will not only dent your watch's value but potentially cast its entire authenticity into question.  

Any grey market dealer worth their salt will have the tools and connections to conduct the repair work themselves. You can even negotiate the repair cost during the sale process, which is a much better outcome than paying full freight for the repair first!

Consider Consignment 

Consider consignment if you have a hard-to-sell model or can't bridge the valuation gap with your buyer. Consignment is an excellent option to get you more for your watch or even help you move a piece that no dealer will buy outright.  

However, here are some points of caution for consignment: Be sure to know your time horizon and what you expect to receive if your watch sells. Consignment watches can take a long time to move, and you should not pursue this option if you want to liquidate your watch quickly.

Consignment also requires a firm agreement between the consignor and consignee on the price the piece will be sold for and your portion of the proceeds. A typical consignment piece should receive around 60% of the proceeds, but this can vary if you have a piece that is especially rare or in demand.

Conclusion

Overall, selling or trading your watch should be a simple and seamless process that leaves you fully satisfied that you were treated fairly.  A quick online search will give you an idea of what your model is commanding in the secondary market but know that, unless you sell it directly to the next wearer, you will not get the full value.

Be sure to bring all original material and paperwork, as well as the watch in its current condition to a trusted buyer to get maximum value. It certainly doesn’t hurt if you have an idea of what your next piece is. You may be able to trade, which will give you the highest value!