Watch Talk: How to Sell or Trade a Luxury Watch

Spring is in full swing, which for many means some spring-cleaning tasks ahead. But aside from cleaning out the closets, garage, and the dark space under your bed, may we suggest clearing out the clutter from your watch box too. There may just be some luxury watches stashed away in there that haven’t seen the light of day in years (decades?) that you should probably deal with. The good news is, that while you may not want to wear your old luxury watches—perhaps they’re too small, too big, too outdated, or simply not your style—as the old saying goes, one’s man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Okay “trash” is way too harsh when speaking of fine timepieces, but you get our drift. Turn your clutter into cash or credit with these three steps on how to sell or trade a luxury watch.

1. Gather Your Used Watches and Do Some Research

  Like with most things in life, preparation is everything. So, first things first, go through your drawers, closets, your safe, and watch box and gather any luxury watches that you haven’t worn in a while. Bonus points if you can locate the watches’ original paperwork and packaging. Take a long hard look at what’s in front of you and be realistic—will you ever wear these again? Are you just holding on to them for nostalgic reasons or perhaps you feel bad getting rid of them? Think about it this way, watches that gather dust in a dark space does nobody any good! Let them go to a better home, where they will be appreciated and worn! Plus, it’s not like you’ll throwing out these valuable items—sell them or trade them in for watches you’ll actually enjoy wearing. Do some basic research on the pre-owned watches you have. There are plenty of resources out there from watch forums to watch blogs to online watch magazines to auction results to get a better picture of the history, current value, and existing demand of your used watches. Also, and this is very important, have realistic expectations. While in your mind these may be priceless items worth a bucket load of cash, the reality is often a much different story. Just because you found one example of a watch similar to yours that sold for five-figures, does not mean that yours will be valued the same. There are plenty of factors that play into the perceived value of a pre-owned luxury watch including provenance, condition, and most importantly, demand.

2. Take Clear Pictures and Prepare Detailed Descriptions

  Once you have your watches ready and have a ballpark figure or what you’re expecting to get in return for selling your watch, it’s time to take some pictures. Take clear higher resolution pictures so as many details of the watch can be seen in the photographs. Also, take pictures from all angles of the watch—front, back, sides, bracelet/strap, buckle/clasp, box/papers, and so on. The goal here is to give a clear and honest look at the watch in its current state. No use trying to hide any flaws and/or damage to the watch because these will eventually be uncovered. Once you’re happy with the pictures, head to the Phigora Sell Page to fill out the quotation request form. Similar to the pictures, be as detailed and honest in your accompanying descriptions as possible. Also indicate if you want to sell or trade a luxury watch and one of our team members will get back to you in less than 24 hours.

3. Find a Watch to Fall in Love With

Reward yourself for a job well done by browsing our collection of pre-owned watches to find one that you love. Consider your budget (taking into account the credit that your old watch will get you), lifestyle, and taste and pick a watch that you’ll be happy to wear often. Do you gravitate more towards dive watches, pilot watches, dress watches, or understated time-only watches? What about metals—do you wear stainless steel or gold more? It’s always a good idea to look at popular brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Omega, and Breitling. These types of luxury watches are better at retaining their values, which is something to think about if you’ll sell your watch again in the future. And for even more savings, don’t miss our Spring Sale happening right now for a limited time. Although “fun” isn’t the first thing you think of when it comes to spring cleaning, selling or trading your old watch for a new one certainly is. Out with the old and in with the new, we say!