Deciding where to sell pocket watches may be difficult if you don’t know all that much about the world of horology. There are many options to consider, from selling privately to going to auction, but it may not always be worth the trouble.
The true value of a pocket watch depends on a few factors. Age, rarity and brand will all affect the sale price. Chiefly, the brand name will represent most of the watch’s value – good pocket watch brands can sell for several thousand pounds. We’re here to help you get a better picture of pocket watch values.
I aquired a Buren pocket watch under the same circumstances and have found it easy to find information on the watches in general but hard to find my exact watch. I'm about to post mine in hopes of finding information but so far I could only guess early 1900s on yours and mine.
While pocket watches may not sell for as much as other antiques, in some cases you can really make a pretty penny. The best pocket watch brands are the old classics, such as: How to run a fortran program in command prompt.
Older pocket watches tend to be more valuable than their modern counterparts. When they were first introduced, they were often handmade with gold or silver, and inlaid with precious gemstones.
Later on, stainless steel became more readily available. Vb.net how to program by dietel and dietel. This led to pocket watches becoming more mainstream and affordable for the working classes. As such, many stainless steel pocket watches have a relatively low value today.
The most valuable pocket watches are Swiss brands, which hold their value well. For example, Ebel watches are rarely valued lower than £500, while a Waltham watch could be worth up to £1,000.
Pocket watches can be categorised by watch face, as well as type. It’s important to understand which category your watch falls into to get the best selling price.
Open-faced watches, otherwise known as Lepine, come without a cover to protect the crystal. After 1908, it became compulsory for railroad service watches to be open-faced.
These pocket watches feature a case with a spring-hinged circular metal cover. They were popular amongst fox hunters.
Broadly speaking, the four most popular types of pocket watch are:
Pocket watches can also be categorised by watch movements, for example key-wind and key-set, stem-wind and stem-set, or stem-wind and lever-set/pin-set.
By their nature, pocket watches do not fetch as much at auction as other vintage or antique items. As such, it’s unlikely you’ll make a lot of money selling privately on a site like eBay. The best way to make money privately is by selling a group of pocket watches instead.
Be wary that antique pocket watches – anything over 100 years old – are not necessarily valuable. If you’re selling at auction, the fees may not be worth the final sale price. However, if you’re confident your antique pocket watch is valuable, ask for a valuation first. You could even use this information to sell to a collector privately.
The best way to sell old pocket watches is through us at Vintage Cash Cow. We’ll buy old pocket watches at no cost to you, regardless of the condition. That’s no selling fees and no valuation fees!
We’ll even cover your postage. Simply request a welcome pack and use the enclosed Freepost stickers to post your items to us – fully insured.
Broken pocket watches are harder to sell, but not impossible. If yours is branded, a collector may be interested in buying it for parts. If it’s not branded, it may be more economical to sell a group of pocket watches to offset the fees.
Remember, we’ll buy your pocket watch whatever the condition. If it’s stopped and you don’t know why, missing pieces or has been damaged in some way, we still want to see it!
Sell your pocket watch with Vintage Cash Cow>
If you’re buying to sell, you should look for Swiss-made, branded watches. These may become more valuable over time, so make sure you have regular valuations when selling. Ensure you do your research on the watch itself by, for example, looking up the serial number.
If you’re researching where to buy antique pocket watches, it’s best to look for specialised auctions. For watches with lesser value, contact private sellers. Always check that they’re reputable by testing their knowledge on watches, and looking at their previous customer history.
A serial number is not only a mark of authenticity, it can also indicate how many of that particular watch were made. This may help you to value your watch, but don’t dismiss it if it doesn’t have one. The Pocket Watch Database is a great place to search for serial numbers, and lets you search by brand.
Selling a pocket watch has never been easier than with Vintage Cash Cow. We offer great prices, no fees -unlike auctions or some private sellers – and expert valuations. Contact the team today.
Our free to use service makes it easy to sell items any condition without haggling and without any hassle.
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