Ever look down at your vintage timepiece and ask, “How much is my watch worth exactly?” This guide will help you figure that out.
I wasn’t always in the auction industry, but I’ve been in the art industry practically forever. That being the case, Google alerts regarding auction record breakers have been coming to my inbox for years.
Often, whenever some Rolex or Patek breaks a record, I’d look down at my watch and wonder how it would do on the block. How would any of my vintage pieces do?
Have you ever asked, “What’s my watch worth? If so, read on for guidance.
While this mostly applies to vintage timepieces, as they’re usually more of a mystery, you’d be surprised.
Perhaps that relatively modern Submariner has a quirk about it that ups its value. Maybe used watch values had a recent upswing, and that AP in your watch drawer is going full bull.
Even if you aren’t planning on selling your watch, it’s fun to know how it’s contributing to your estate.
Table of Contents
How Can I Check the Value of a Watch
Let’s start with a bit of self-assessment. If you’re the researching type, you’ll want to consider a few things about your watch. If you’re going to a professional, they’ll definitely want to know a few of these things anyway to value a watch.
Box and Paperwork
If you have the original box and official paperwork, you’re potentially halfway there. It likely has all the information you need.
From there, you can inquire with the brand itself, a professional evaluator, or even a few (to hundreds of) Google searches and forum posts to get a rough estimate.
Brand of the Watch
The brand itself isn’t going to tell you how much about used watch values. However, it’s a start. Sometimes, you can contact the brand directly.
Generally, you can make broad strokes of assumptions. Rolex and Patek watches that are in good condition may be valuable. Not always, of course. It also depends on what you consider to be high or low-priced.
Model of the Watch
More important than the brand is the watch’s model.
Even the Rolex Submariner, which is an auction house darling and usually a good investment, won’t always hold its value. Still, if you’re trying to find the price of a watch, you likely inherited it. Or you didn’t pay for it. Or it was so long ago that it’s a sunk cost.
That being the case, iconic models like Submariners will have pretty good returns if your initial cost is zero.
More specifically, you want to find the watch’s reference number. If that’s not available to you, look for any serial number or defined set of numbers on the watch itself.
I inherited an old Bulova and found out everything I needed to know thanks to a tiny number engraved on the case back and a few online searches.
Year of Production
Unless you do have the watch’s paperwork or reference number, finding the year of production isn’t always easy. The age of your watch, however, is a contributing factor to its worth.
So there you have it. The trifecta of important considerations when it comes to watch value: Model, brand, and age.
How To Get a Price Quote for a Watch
Now that you have all of the above information that you can find, it’s time to put it to use. Here are a few things you can do.
Contact the Brand
Regardless of how much info you have, if you know the watch’s brand, you can often contact them via email or simply walk into an official boutique.
Not every person behind the counter may be perfectly qualified to look at your watch and give you more info simply, but they can often pass you on to someone who does.
If you don’t have the paperwork, the brand can dig up something called an archive extract. This might come with a small processing fee.
This documentation can round out necessary information, such as its production date and model number, to help you find the watch’s value.
The Internet Is Your Friend
Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal standard for each watch’s value. You can’t just dig up a constantly updated omnibus. One reason it’s difficult to find the value of used watches is because the watch market is constantly in movement.
But you can find a general price range by searching for your watch value online. This is why auction houses give an estimated range of a watch’s value as opposed to a single dollar number.
See if you can find how much your watch is going for on websites like Chrono24 and eBay. You can also look up the sales results from big auction houses like Christie’s or Sotheby’s.
Those are all available to the public on their websites. You’ll be able to see the initial estimate of the watch, as well as what it actually sold for.
See if anyone on the watch forums has any information, too.
If you’re finding a wide range, analyze the outliers. Perhaps they’re from a specific production year. Or maybe they’re from a range of years when not many of that model was manufactured.
Maybe there are a small number of variants that had a different visual quirk or were outfitted with a special movement.
Consult a Dealer
And, of course, when all else fails (or to cinch your initial findings), you can always contact a professional. Keep in mind that most high-end auction houses won’t just evaluate your watch.
They’ll make an initial judgment regarding whether or not it’s worth selling, and if your intent isn’t to sell, they’ll likely send you elsewhere.
That’s not a bad thing, though. Elsewhere, it may mean another organization or professional in their networks that can help you with your specific valuation needs.
If you’re contacting an online dealer, do your diligence to ensure they’re legit. Look up reviews and see if the watches they’re selling are using actual photos of products as opposed to stock images or PR shots.
Can I Get a Watch Appraised Online
These days, yes, you can get a watch appraised online. A lot of watch sellers have online evaluation platforms that you can use.
You’d simply answer a few questions, usually related to the information mentioned in this article. Then, they’ll ask you to send images with plenty of close-ups.
I highly recommend using these as one of a few resources instead of as a single measure of your watch’s value. If it comes back with a dramatically different price estimate than you’re seeing elsewhere, you can always enquire as to why that’s the case.
Conclusion: Value vs. Cost
Regardless of the value, that doesn’t matter unless someone is willing to pay you that value. If you’re asking, “What is my watch worth?” It’s all about the classic tenet of supply and demand.
I’ve seen really valuable pieces of property fail to sell on the auction block because their “inherent value” isn’t worth it to the market at large.
All of that aside, inherent value is also a fun piece of information to keep in your collection portfolio.
Have you ever been surprised at what your watch is worth? Share your stories in the comments!
