12 Best Places To Sell Your Watch Online

Most people get into watches with the intent to purchase only one or just a few pieces and create a small collection. However, as they get deeper into the hobby, they start lusting for more types and styles and amass extensive collections with the intent of keeping them forever.

In the end, though, we all have that one watch sitting in a drawer that we thought we would wear more. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to sell watches like these for several reasons, such as getting funds for a brand-new timepiece. 

But where should you sell your watch? How much should you expect to get for it? Is it better to sell it online or look for physical stores? 

My goal with this piece is to give you all the necessary information about why you would want to sell your watch, the benefits of opting for online vs. retail dealers, which are the best places to sell your watch online, as well as a few tips and tricks on how to make the most of it.

About Selling Watches Online

The number one question you probably have on your mind is why you would want to sell your watch in the first place. There are several reasons why someone would want to liquidate part of their watch collection.

A few of the most common ones include downsizing your collection or funding your next luxury watch purchase. Others come to the decision to sell their watch because their price has increased significantly since they bought it, or perhaps they need the money due to an emergency. 

At this point, I’d like to encourage you to only shop for watches you can truly afford and not compromise your living circumstances. All of us (or most of us anyway) started with affordable Seikos and Casios before moving on to “better” Swiss luxury watches. 

And, in my opinion, that’s the best way to appreciate the craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into these marvelous pieces.

So, with that out of the way, let’s get back to selling your watch. In this day and age, my go-to places for selling any watch would be online retailers, marketplaces, and forums, as they offer some tremendous benefits.

Some of the most important ones include accessibility from anywhere in the world, as well as scoring a better price most of the time. But, with the internet being a sea of options, which are the best places to sell your watch online?

Best Place To Sell Your Watch Online

There are countless outlets you can use to sell your luxury watch online, with some being more preferable to others. Here’s a list of the top and most reputable online retailers and marketplaces you can utilize to sell any watch you want:

Exquisite Timepieces

When it comes to online watch dealers, few can beat the years of experience that Exquisite Timepieces has in the watch industry. Ever since our establishment in 1999, Exquisite Timepieces has been the go-to stop for watch enthusiasts to buy their favorite watches from dozens of available brands.

Not only that, but Exquisite Timepieces also offers a watch-selling service, where we’ll buy your watch from you at a very competitive price. Plus, the process of selling your timepiece is straightforward. Just complete the online form with all the necessary info about your watch, including its model name and reference number, production year, and additional information, such as when it was last serviced. 

Then, one of our experts will evaluate your watch and provide a quote. If you agree, Exquisite Timepieces will arrange all the shipping details so that you can ship your watch to us. Just make sure to follow the shipping instructions so the watch doesn’t get damaged accidentally during shipping.

Finally, once the watch is inspected and looks as promised, Exquisite Timepieces will process your payment and complete the transaction!

Chrono24

If you don’t want to work with an online retailer and prefer to sell your watch to another person directly, your best bet is to list it on Chrono24. Chrono24 is arguably the number one online watch marketplace and provides watch enthusiasts with a safe and reliable way to sell their watches.

Chrono24 has been a leading watch marketplace for 18 years and currently features over 500,000 watch listings, which is a staggering number. Plus, the website enjoys approximately 300,000 daily visits from watch buyers, which means your watch listing will definitely attract attention.

Speaking of listing, you’ll need to create it yourself by filling in the special Chrono24 form with all the necessary information about your watch. Then, you’ll need to upload a few high-quality images of the timepiece, and you’re ready to go. Once your watch is sold, Chrono24 will charge you a 6.5% commission based on the final price.

WatchBox

WatchBox is an online watch dealer that also has several physical locations across the world. The platform specializes in high-end luxury watches from brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe, so it’s one of the best options if you’re looking to sell your luxury watch online.

WatchBox has a very simple and easy process to complete the sale of your watch. The first thing you need to do is fill in their online form, providing as much information and photos as possible about your watch, as this will allow them to make a better evaluation.

If you’re happy with your quote, WatchBox will arrange for free, insured delivery, or you may choose to do the collection face-to-face. After the watch is thoroughly examined by the WatchBox team of experts, if everything is as described, you’ll receive the full payment via wire transfer or check.

eBay

eBay is one of the largest online marketplaces in the world, where people sell anything you can imagine, including their precious timepieces. Whenever I want to check the price on a rare or vintage timepiece, eBay is usually one of the first places I’ll look at.

In my experience, putting your watch up for sale on eBay is much more straightforward compared to other watch marketplaces. That’s because you only need to fill in some basic details and use the same form as any other goods.

However, as always, the more info and photos you provide, the better your chances of selling your watch. Keep in mind that eBay used to be a paradise for scammers. I can’t even recall how many times I’ve seen people buying something from the platform and receiving an empty box.

While things are a lot better nowadays, you should always double-check if the person you’re selling the watch to is legit. And, don’t forget about your own ratings as well, as they’re an essential part of drawing more people to your listing.

WatchUSeek

WatchUSeek is arguably the most well-known watch forum, with over 500,000 members and 20,000,000 watch-related posts. As you can imagine, with tons of people visiting the website every day, WatchUSeek has a huge marketplace for trading, buying, and selling your watches.

Creating a listing on WatchUSeek is just like writing a simple forum post. However, you should always be aware of the different rules and formats each subforum has. If you don’t follow the exact format or don’t provide enough information, few people will click on your post, and it may even get deleted.

Since WatchUSeek is essentially a person-to-person marketplace, the platform’s selling corner has a few ground rules to avoid bots and scammers. If you want to sell your watch on the forum, you’ll need an active account for over 90 days and 100 posts, which can be replies or your own new posts.

Facebook Marketplace

When it comes to online marketplaces, few can beat the accessibility and variety of Facebook Marketplace. After all, most people nowadays have a Facebook account and utilize the platform to sell basically anything, including watches.

If you start browsing the Facebook Marketplace, you’ll find tons of users selling all types of watches, from new and popular models to older, vintage timepieces. All it takes to create a listing on the platform is a Facebook account. Then, you’ll need to provide some information about the watch, as well as a couple of pictures.

When someone’s interested in your watch listing, they’ll contact you directly, so you can provide any additional information. There might also be some price haggling, although it’s up to you if you want to be flexible or firm about your listing price. As always, try your best to avoid scams, and look for a face-to-face collection, so the buyer can inspect the watch in person.

Crown & Caliber 

Crown & Caliber is another great online watch dealer where you can find tons of luxury watches in excellent condition for competitive prices. Plus, their service team always ensures each watch functions properly and looks good. The platform will also buy your watch outright or trade it for another one.

Crown & Caliber will offer you a free quote so you can get an idea of how much your watch is worth. All you have to do is provide some basic details about it, such as the brand and model number. If it’s a popular watch model with tons of market data behind it, Crown & Caliber may be able to offer you an instant quote.

Alternatively, a full evaluation may take up to five business days. If you agree to the offered quote, Crown & Caliber will provide a prepaid shipping label with FedEx, so you can send your watch in for the final check. If all goes well, you’ll receive your payment in store credit or a check.

Reddit (r/WatchExchange)

Reddit is an online discussion platform where people can talk about anything imaginable. Among the sea of different subreddits, countless ones discuss and partake in watch sales; however, the most popular one is r/WatchExchange.

This subreddit currently features almost 300,000 members and is in the top 1% of the entire website. Naturally, with so many members, the platform is heavily moderated and has a specific form and rules you need to follow. On the bright side, anything you put up for sale will probably be sold very quickly.

Make sure to read carefully through the rules of posting a new watch listing, provide as much information as you can, and include a picture with your username, watch, and date for verification purposes.

Quick Tip: Ask for a fair price; otherwise, your post may get heavily downvoted and not seen by many users as a result.

Facebook Groups

Compared to the Marketplace, Facebook groups operate more like a dedicated forum rather than an online watch marketplace. However, since they are very easy to create, you can find groups for all niches. For example, there are dedicated forums about affordable watches, vintage watches, and even brand-specific ones.

Each Facebook group will come with its own rules for being accepted and posting, so you should familiarize yourself with them. Once you’re in, you’ll find tons of watch enthusiasts with similar interests to you, with who you can engage in conversations as well as watch transactions.

Sometimes, Facebook groups are the best place to find rare timepieces, as it’s more likely for a watch enthusiast to want to sell them to someone from their group rather than a stranger. Plus, if you want to sell your watch, you’ll find many potential buyers that you may be familiar with already.

Bob’s Watches

Bob’s Watches is a safe and trustworthy online watch dealer that’s been around for a very long time and has built a reputation as the go-to option for selling your Rolex watch. Apart from Rolex, you can also sell other reputable watch brands, like Omega, Tudor, and Cartier, and the selling process is very simple and quick.

Bob’s Watches offers a free quote, which you can get by calling them or filling in their online form with information and pictures of your watch. Plus, they have a catalog of current buy prices for some of the most reputable models, so you can get an idea about how much your watch is worth.

If you’re happy with the quote number, Bob’s Watches will provide you with a free shipping label, so you can send in your watch for the final appraisal. If everything goes according to plan, you’ll quickly receive your payment via transfer, check, or even in cash.

Rolex Forums

Rolex Forums is one of the oldest online watch forums and has been in operation since 2004. As the name suggests, the forum acts as a platform for discussing primarily Rolex watches. Additionally, you can buy and sell Rolex watches, as well as other high-end brands, to forum members.

While the platform specializes in Rolex, people also buy and sell Tudor watches very frequently, and there’s a dedicated subforum for selling non-Rolex watches. Make sure to read through all the relevant rules and terms of the forum and be as thorough as possible when describing your watch.

One of the newest rules is that you need a membership to post a specific number of listings. This helps avoid any scammers, and the membership fee is not exorbitant, especially if you’re going to sell multiple watches on the forum.

WatchPayer

WatchPayer advertises itself as the most secure platform to sell your watch online. The platform will buy almost any watch from you at very competitive prices, and the process of getting a quote and selling your watch is easy and engaging.

You start by providing some basic information about your watch, including the model number, condition, and availability of boxes and papers. Then you’ll get a free quote in your email. 

If you accept it, WatchPayer will actually pay you the money upfront using a third-party payment service. This way, you can be certain you’ll receive your money before sending in the watch.

WatchPayer will also provide you with a free shipping label to send your watch, and once it arrives, they’ll inspect it thoroughly. If the watch is as described, your full payment will be released and arrive in your account quickly and safely. If not, you’ll receive a corrected price based on the condition of the watch.

Tips & Tricks For Selling Your Watch Online

Selling your watch online can be tricky, which may be off-putting for several watch enthusiasts. But don’t worry. I’ve got some tips and tricks that will help you get started on your watch-selling journey, as well as save you a lot of time and, potentially, money.

Know Your Watch

For me, this is the number one tip I give to anyone looking to sell their watch. You won’t believe how many times I’ve been searching for a watch on an online marketplace, only to find short listings that contain little to no information about the watch or ask for an exorbitant amount of money.

Always do your research on the watch you’re selling, and get the key specs and information down correctly. Also, have a thorough look through the market to see how much others are selling the watch for.

I know you want to get as much money for your watch as possible, but you always need to be realistic about how much you’re asking for. A good listing with a competitive price will probably ensure your watch is sold within a few days (or even hours).

Provide All The Necessary Info

To expand upon the previous tip, you need to be as detailed as possible when constructing your listing, as it will save you time from having to answer basic questions. List all the relevant specifications for the watch. Describe its condition meticulously, and don’t try to hide any imperfections or faults; you’ll only end up ruining your seller’s reputation in the long run.

Another huge point is box, papers, and accessories. Ideally, you’ll want to have saved everything related to the watch, including its original box, paperwork, tags, spare straps or bracelet links, and any other potential accessories.

Don’t forget to mention them on your listing, as they will significantly increase the price you can ask for your watch. Also, if your watch is not on the factory bracelet or strap, make sure to state it clearly in your listing to avoid any misunderstandings.

Good Photos Can Make or Break a Listing

This is arguably the most important factor to consider if you want to sell your watch online. Since the potential buyer will likely not be able to inspect the watch before purchasing it, they will heavily rely on the photos you’ve included.

That’s why it’s crucial to take good photos of all angles of the watch and highlight any imperfections so the buyer acknowledges them. Nowadays, you don’t even need professional equipment to take good pictures, as your smartphone can usually take excellent photos. 

If you don’t have access to a modern smartphone with a good camera, just ask a friend to help you out. Whatever you do, always choose a well-lit environment, as it will help highlight all aspects of the watch and make the photos more appealing.

Conclusion

All in all, the availability of online watch dealers and marketplaces has made selling your watch online a breeze and far more accessible and profitable than going to a physical store.

If you’re looking to enjoy the hobby of watch collecting, you’ll inevitably have to sell one or a few of your watches at some point; new luxury timepieces come out almost daily, and you may want to downsize your collection to a more manageable number of pieces.

Just make sure to do proper research on the watch you want to sell, provide all the necessary information, and use good-quality photos for your listing.

Plus, putting your watch for sale on a safe and reputable online platform will ensure a smooth selling process without issues. If you want to sell your watch online through Exquisite Timepieces (that’s us!), click here to get started, and receive a free quote for your watch today!