Independent buying guides for pre-owned luxury watches
Start hereThe ultimate guide to buying a luxury watch in the UKEvery stage, from first search to the day it arrives · 12 min readRead the guide The ultimate guide to buying a luxury watch.
Where to buy, how to check what you are buying, what it costs delivered and what it costs to keep. Independent, sourced and written for UK buyers.
54 guides, and growingBuying, checking and owning, in plain English
UK VAT, duty and lawWritten for buyers in the UK
Sources named and datedWhere we cannot confirm something, we say so
Independent and free to readNo brand or dealer decides what we write
How it worksKnow it, choose it,
Know it, choose it,
buy with confidence.
Three stages, in the order you meet them. Each one has its own guides, and each guide ends with what to do next.
01
Know what you are buying
Condition grades, "full set", movements and the words sellers use. Learn the vocabulary before you look at listings, so you can tell a fair description from a hopeful one.
02
Choose where to buy
An authorised dealer, a grey-market dealer, a marketplace, a private seller or an auction house. Each sells the same watch with different protection, paperwork and price.
03
Check it, then pay safely
Is it genuine, is it clean, who stands behind it, and what will it cost delivered? Settle all four before money moves, and know your rights if it arrives wrong.
Start here
The four guides most buyers need before they look at a single listing.
How to spot a fake watch before you buy
6 min readRead the guide
Grey market vs authorised dealer: what it means for your watch
6 min readRead the guide
Watch import duty and VAT in the UK: what you pay on a watch from abroad
6 min readRead the guideBefore you pay
Five checks before money moves.
Every pre-owned purchase comes down to the same five questions. Work round the dial, and each one opens the guide that answers it.
- 01AuthenticityMovement, finishing and paperwork that match.Read the check
- 02ConditionWhat the grade means, and what it hides.Read the check
- 03ProvenanceNot reported stolen, and papers that fit.Read the check
- 04ProtectionWarranty, returns and who stands behind it.Read the check
- 05Delivered costImport VAT, duty and insured delivery.Read the check
Brands you will meet along the way
RolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetCartierTudorIWCBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreGrand SeikoTAG HeuerVacheron ConstantinPaneraiLonginesRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetCartierTudorIWCBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreGrand SeikoTAG HeuerVacheron ConstantinPaneraiLongines
Independent
No watch brand or dealer decides what we write. We are not affiliated with any of them.
Sourced
Figures carry a named source and a date. Where we cannot confirm something, we say so.
Written for UK buyers
UK law, UK tax and UK prices, from import VAT to your rights if a watch arrives wrong.
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