What a valuation means with us
With us, a valuation does not come out of a form. This website does not calculate or show amounts, and a request is not yet a valuation in itself. The valuation is the personal assessment that follows. If your watch suits our collection, that assessment leads to a reasoned proposal: to buy it through an outright sale, to take it on consignment, or to count it as value in a trade-in.
A valuation report for an insurer or an estate is a different document, with a different purpose. This guide is about the assessment with a view to selling or trading in through us.
What we need from you
The more complete your request, the more careful the assessment. Give the brand, the model and the full reference, such as 126610LN or 15500ST; you will find it on the papers, on the invoice or, for many brands, between the lugs of the case. State the year of production or purchase, and describe the condition honestly: scratches and dents, any earlier polishing, replaced parts and the last service.
Also state what comes with the watch: box, guarantee card or certificate, the original invoice, extra links and service records. What those items do and do not prove is explained in our guide to full set, box and papers.
Photos make the difference. In daylight, photograph the dial straight on, both sides of the case, the caseback, the clasp and the papers; you may cover the serial number in the photo. The trade-in form lets you add up to six photos. For a sale or consignment request, keep them ready: the specialist assessing your request may ask for them.
What the assessment depends on
The starting point is the reference and the demand for it; for each brand you will find the best-known references on the brand pages, such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Tudor. After that the individual watch makes the difference: its condition, the originality of dial, hands, bezel and bracelet, the completeness of the set and the service history. A case polished by an unskilled hand or a replaced dial weighs more heavily than wear that suits the watch's age.
How the valuation works
You choose the route that suits you and submit your request. A specialist reads it by hand and asks a question if anything is missing. We usually respond within one working day. If the watch suits our collection, a reasoned proposal follows; if it does not, we say so honestly. If you accept the proposal, we see your watch in person before anything becomes final. Only then do the handover and payment follow, as described in how we work.
What you can expect
A request does not commit you to anything, and we can never guarantee a proposal in advance. We do not name an amount before we have assessed your watch, not even an approximate one: an estimate made without knowing the watch would give you an expectation we might not be able to meet. If you are weighing selling, consignment and trading in, first read our guide to selling a watch, or compare the routes on sell your watch.