The Definitive Guide to Selling Your Watch
Deciding to sell a watch can feel like a big step. Whether you've inherited a single timepiece, discovered an old collection, or are simply looking to part with a luxury item, you want to know you're dealing with experts who understand its true value.
This guide is your definitive resource for selling watches online. We'll cover what gives a watch its value, how our expert valuation process works, and how to understand your offer.
What makes a watch valuable?
When our experts appraise a watch, they look at a combination of factors…
Brand and Model - This is the most obvious factor. Premium brands like Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, and Cartier often retain or increase in value. However, many other brands, from Longines and Breitling to vintage Seikos, also have a strong collector's market.
Movement - The mechanism inside the watch is crucial. Is it a battery-powered "Quartz" movement or a "Mechanical" one (either manual-wind or automatic)? Mechanical movements are intricate machines and are often, though not always, more valuable to collectors.
Condition - This is critical. Our experts look for scratches on the case and crystal, damage to the dial, and water entry. Importantly, they also look for "patina", natural, gentle ageing that can actually increase the value of a vintage piece.
Provenance (box and papers): Having the original box, warranty card, and service receipts can significantly increase a watch's value, as it proves its authenticity and history.
Materials: Is the watch solid gold, sterling silver, or plated? Is the strap original? Are the diamonds (if any) original to the watch?
The Vintage Cash Cow process: simple, secure, and free
We built our service to be the easiest and safest way for you to sell your items.
- Get your free pack: Tell us about your items, and we’ll send you a free, insured, and tracked shipping pack.
- Send us your watch: Pop your watch (and any other items you're selling) into the secure pack and send it to us from any Post Office, completely free of charge.
- Get your expert offer: Once your pack arrives, our expert watch team will appraise each item. We'll contact you with a straightforward, no-obligation cash offer for everything.
- Get paid: Accept the offer, and we'll pay you the same day via bank transfer. If you're not 100% happy with the offer, we'll return your items to you, once again, completely free of charge.
Expert Insight:
When your watch arrives at Vintage Cash Cow, its journey begins in the appraisals department. Our initial assessment determines the general condition of the piece, and if it requires a more specialised evaluation, one of our appraisers will bring it directly to the watch department for a technical inspection.
Understanding your offer: The "valuation gap"
This is the most important part of selling wrist watches. It's very easy to see a watch for sale online for £5,000 and assume that's what you'll be offered. This difference is the 'valuation gap', and we believe in being transparent about it.
When you sell a wrist watch, there are several types of "value":
Retail price: What a shop sells it for new.
Insurance value: The (often inflated) cost to replace it new today.
Market/resale value: What a dealer or collector will pay for it used. This is based on current demand, condition, and service history.
Scrap value: The base worth of its materials (e.g., the gold in the case).
Our experts value items based on their current, real-world market demand, condition, and material content, not an insurance value. Our offers are based on what the item is worth to the market today. This transparency is our promise to you, ensuring you get a fair, expert-backed offer every time.
Ready to see what your watch is worth?
Andy Hepworth bio
Andy Hepworth is a Watch and Timepiece Specialist with over 20 years of experience in the industry. As an expert for Vintage Cash Cow, he specialises in the appraisal of both watches and clocks, ranging from everyday vintage items to high-end luxury brands.
Andy is passionate about the diversity of items he encounters, stating, “What I love about working with vintage watches is seeing all of the rare and unique pieces.” Professionally, he considers the classic, vintage Rolex to be an unbeatable standard in the field. He works as part of a wider team of specialists to ensure that every item sent in receives a fair and expert valuation.