[ GUIDES ]
Everything you need to know before you buy.
Where to buy, how to check a watch, what it costs delivered and what it costs to keep. 54 guides, independent and written for UK buyers.
Results
- Watch basicsThe ultimate guide to buying a luxury watch in the UKWhere to buy, what to check, what the law gives you and what it doesn't, from first search to the day the watch arrives.12 min
- Watch basicsHow to spot a fake watch before you buyThe checks buyers can make themselves, the ones that need a watchmaker, and what to do if a watch turns out to be a copy.6 min
- Watch basicsWatch condition grades explained: what each label really meansWhy one seller's "excellent" is another's "good", and the questions that turn a vague grade into something you can compare.6 min
- Watch basicsWhat does "full set" mean when buying a watch?The trade term for a watch sold with its original box and papers, what it should include, and why you must ask the seller to list the contents.6 min
- Watch basicsMechanical vs quartz watch: which should you buy?How each type of movement works, what it costs to keep running, and the questions that decide which suits you.6 min
- Watch basicsHow to care for a mechanical watchWinding, water, magnets, storage and servicing: what a mechanical watch needs from you, and what to ask a seller about its history.6 min
- Watch basicsWatch terms glossary: 112 terms every buyer should knowPlain one-sentence definitions of the words you will meet in listings, grouped A to Z, with links to the guides that go deeper.7 min
- Watch basicsWatch sizing guide: how to measure your wrist and choose a case sizeMeasure your wrist in two minutes, then look past the diameter to lug-to-lug, thickness and bracelet length before you buy a watch you have not tried on.6 min
- Watch basicsWatch water resistance explained: what the ratings actually meanA 30 m rating is not a depth you can swim to. What each marking allows according to makers' own charts, and what to check on a pre-owned watch.6 min
- Watch basicsWhat is COSC chronometer certification?What the Swiss chronometer test checks, what it does not, how a chronometer differs from a chronograph, and what a certificate tells you on a pre-owned watch.6 min
- Watch basicsIn-house vs outsourced movements: does it matter when buying pre-owned?What the terms mean, what they change for servicing and parts on a pre-owned watch, and the questions to put to a seller before you buy.6 min
- Watch basicsHow to resize or adjust a watch bracelet at homeRemoving a link or two is often a small job, but the wrong tool can scratch a bracelet or affect a warranty. What to do at home, and what to hand over.7 min
- Buying guidesIs Chrono24 legit and safe for UK watch buyers?How Trusted Checkout escrow works, what protection you get from dealers and private sellers, and the checks worth making before you pay.8 min
- Buying guidesGrey market vs authorised dealer: what it means for your watchWhat a grey market watch is, what you give up and what you may gain, and the questions that show which kind of seller you are dealing with.6 min
- Buying guidesPrivate seller vs dealer: who should you buy a watch from?What the law gives you from a dealer and what it doesn't from an individual, and how to protect yourself in either case.6 min
- Buying guidesWatch import duty and VAT in the UK: what you pay on a watch from abroadHow import VAT and customs duty apply to a watch bought from overseas, how to work out the total, and the questions to ask before you pay.6 min
- Buying guidesStolen watch check: how to check a watch isn't stolen before you buyThe registers worth searching, what a clear result does and doesn't mean, and the steps to take if a watch comes back as stolen.6 min
- Buying guidesConsumer rights when buying a watch online in the UKWhat the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you, where they stop, and how to use them.7 min
- Buying guidesWatch warranty explained: what it covers and what it doesn'tHow to read a watch warranty: who gives it, what it covers, what voids it, and how it sits alongside your statutory rights.7 min
- Buying guidesHow watches are shipped and insured when sold onlineWho is responsible for a watch until it is in your hands, what carriers will and won't cover, and how to open the parcel safely.6 min
- Buying guidesWatch auctions: a buyer's guide to fees, risks and rightsHow the hammer price becomes the price you pay, what an auction house will and won't stand behind, and how to bid without surprises.7 min
- Buying guidesNegotiating the price of a watch: how to ask and what to protectHow to prepare, what to ask for besides a lower price, and which protections are never worth trading away.5 min
- Ownership costsWatch insurance: how to cover a valuable watch in the UKWhy home insurance often isn't enough for a valuable watch, the options for covering it, and the policy terms that decide whether a claim pays.7 min
- Buying guidesWhere is the best place to buy a pre-owned Rolex in the UK?Five ways to buy a second-hand Rolex in the UK, set side by side on who stands behind the watch, the guarantee, your return rights and the checks you still need to make.16 min
- Buying guidesWhat to check when buying a used Rolex: a checklistA practical checklist for a second-hand Rolex: the papers, the numbers, the case and bracelet, the service record, the movement and the stolen-watch search.15 min
- Buying guidesCertified pre-owned vs pre-owned Rolex: what the difference means for buyersRolex's own programme for second-hand watches against an ordinary pre-owned purchase: the checks, the guarantee, where each is sold and what it means for you.16 min
- Buying guidesShould you buy a Rolex without box and papers?What Rolex papers prove, what they don't, and the checks that stand in for them when a watch comes on its own.16 min
- Buying guidesWhich is the best first Rolex? How to choose your first oneA way to narrow the range down by wrist, wear, bracelet and functions, with what each current Rolex collection is.15 min
- Buying guidesWhat to check when buying a used Rolex SubmarinerThe Submariner-specific checks: which reference you are looking at, what its bezel and bracelet should be, and what the service and papers tell you.16 min
- Buying guidesWhat to check when buying a used Rolex GMT-Master IIHow the GMT-Master II shows a second time zone, which reference has which bezel, bracelet and movement, and the functions to test before you pay.14 min
- Buying guidesRolex Submariner alternatives: dive watches to compareSix dive watches often weighed against the Rolex Submariner, set side by side on case size, water resistance and movement, from the makers and the watch press.14 min
- Buying guidesWhere is the best place to buy a pre-owned Omega in the UK?The five routes to a second-hand Omega in the UK, what each gives you in warranty and legal rights, and the Omega checks that apply whichever you choose.16 min
- Buying guidesWhere is the best place to buy a Tudor in the UK: new, grey or pre-owned?New from an official retailer, new from an independent dealer, or second-hand: what each route means for the Tudor guarantee, your legal rights and servicing.14 min
- Buying guidesWhat to check when buying a used Audemars Piguet Royal OakThe Royal Oak-specific checks: which reference and movement you are looking at, how to judge the bracelet and the finishing, and what the papers and warranty give you.15 min
- Buying guidesWatchfinder vs Chrono24: how they differ for UK buyersOne sells its own stock, the other is a marketplace for thousands of sellers. A side-by-side look at ownership, warranty, returns, checks and payment protection.14 min
- Buying guidesRolex finance in the UK: how spreading the cost worksHow paying for a Rolex in instalments works at retailers and dealers, why an interest-free deal may not be on offer, and the protection and cancellation rights that come with credit.14 min
- Selling & valuationWhat's the best way to sell a Rolex in the UK?What is particular about selling a Rolex: the guarantee card and service papers buyers ask for, the checks they run, Official Rolex Retailer buying services and the tax question.14 min
- Selling & valuationPart-exchanging a Rolex in the UK: how it worksHow a Rolex part-exchange runs from estimate to final figure, what HMRC's margin scheme says about the allowance, and the one number to compare between dealers.14 min
- Watch basicsWatch serial and reference numbers explainedWhat each number on a watch identifies, where makers put them, and how to use them when you check papers, search a stolen register or compare listings.8 min
- Watch basicsWatch complications explained: chronograph, GMT, diver and moreWhat a complication is, what each common one does, the watches that made them famous, and what each one means when the watch goes in for a service.10 min
- Watch basicsWhat is a "homage" watch, and how is it different from a fake?The difference between a homage, a replica and a counterfeit, how UK trade mark and design law draws the lines, and what to check before buying one second-hand.8 min
- Watch basicsHow to check if a Rolex is real: a buyer's checklistThe checks a buyer can make on a pre-owned Rolex, the ones that need a watchmaker, and the routes that come with a written guarantee.10 min
- Watch basicsHow to tell if a Cartier watch is realWhat a genuine Cartier's paperwork looks like, the checks a buyer can make, Cartier's own warranty and theft-reporting routes, and when to get a watchmaker.9 min
- Watch basicsHow to tell if a watch has been polished, and why it mattersWhat polishing takes away from a case, how to spot it in photos and in the hand, and what to ask a seller about a watch's finish.8 min
- Buying guidesA beginner's guide to buying a vintage watchWhat makes a watch vintage, how to judge originality and service history, why old seals need care, and how your rights change with where you buy.8 min
- Buying guidesBuying a watch as a gift: what to know before you chooseSizing without spoiling the surprise, engraving and returns, why the legal rights stay with the buyer, warranty registration and getting the watch delivered safely.8 min
- Buying guidesTen questions to ask before buying a used watch from a dealerThe ten questions that tell you most about a pre-owned watch and the dealer selling it, why each matters, and what a good answer sounds like.9 min
- Buying guidesWatch finance in the UK: how buying a watch on credit worksHow the main kinds of credit for a watch work, which are regulated, what the lender must check, and the protection Section 75 can give.9 min
- Ownership costsHow much does a watch service cost in the UK?What a full service involves, how often the big brands say to do it, the prices brands publish themselves, and how to get a written quote for the rest.11 min
- Ownership costsHow to check a watch has genuinely been servicedService invoices and cards, what a timing machine and a pressure test can tell you, the questions that expose a vague answer, and the red flags.7 min
- Ownership costsWatch storage guide: boxes, winders and safes for a collectionBoxes, rolls and winders, the humidity, heat and magnets to keep away from, what insurers ask of a safe, and how to carry a watch when you travel.7 min
- Selling & valuationSell my watch: every way to sell a watch in the UK comparedSix ways to sell a watch in the UK, the fees some sellers publish, how each route protects you, and the scams aimed at people selling online.11 min
- Selling & valuationWatch valuation UK: how to find out what your watch is worthThe three kinds of valuation, who carries them out, what to bring, and how far an online estimate can take you.7 min
- Selling & valuationHow dealer trade-in and buy prices actually workWhat a dealer has to pay for between buying your watch and selling it on, how VAT works on second-hand stock, and how to set offers side by side.8 min
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Start here
The ultimate guide to buying a luxury watch in the UK
Where to buy, what to check, what the law gives you and what it doesn't, from first search to the day the watch arrives.
- 01Know what you are buying12 guides
- 02Decide where to buy6 guides
- 03Check the watch7 guides
- 04Buying by brand and model12 guides
- 05Agree the price and pay6 guides
- 06Look after it6 guides
- 07Sell or trade in5 guides
Watch basicsWhat to know before you spend a penny.18 guides
- The ultimate guide to buying a luxury watch in the UKWhere to buy, what to check, what the law gives you and what it doesn't, from first search to the day the watch arrives.12 min
- Watch condition grades explained: what each label really meansWhy one seller's "excellent" is another's "good", and the questions that turn a vague grade into something you can compare.6 min
- What does "full set" mean when buying a watch?The trade term for a watch sold with its original box and papers, what it should include, and why you must ask the seller to list the contents.6 min
- Mechanical vs quartz watch: which should you buy?How each type of movement works, what it costs to keep running, and the questions that decide which suits you.6 min
- How to care for a mechanical watchWinding, water, magnets, storage and servicing: what a mechanical watch needs from you, and what to ask a seller about its history.6 min
- Watch terms glossary: 112 terms every buyer should knowPlain one-sentence definitions of the words you will meet in listings, grouped A to Z, with links to the guides that go deeper.7 min
- Watch sizing guide: how to measure your wrist and choose a case sizeMeasure your wrist in two minutes, then look past the diameter to lug-to-lug, thickness and bracelet length before you buy a watch you have not tried on.6 min
- Watch water resistance explained: what the ratings actually meanA 30 m rating is not a depth you can swim to. What each marking allows according to makers' own charts, and what to check on a pre-owned watch.6 min
- What is COSC chronometer certification?What the Swiss chronometer test checks, what it does not, how a chronometer differs from a chronograph, and what a certificate tells you on a pre-owned watch.6 min
- In-house vs outsourced movements: does it matter when buying pre-owned?What the terms mean, what they change for servicing and parts on a pre-owned watch, and the questions to put to a seller before you buy.6 min
- How to resize or adjust a watch bracelet at homeRemoving a link or two is often a small job, but the wrong tool can scratch a bracelet or affect a warranty. What to do at home, and what to hand over.7 min
- Watch serial and reference numbers explainedWhat each number on a watch identifies, where makers put them, and how to use them when you check papers, search a stolen register or compare listings.8 min
- Watch complications explained: chronograph, GMT, diver and moreWhat a complication is, what each common one does, the watches that made them famous, and what each one means when the watch goes in for a service.10 min
- What is a "homage" watch, and how is it different from a fake?The difference between a homage, a replica and a counterfeit, how UK trade mark and design law draws the lines, and what to check before buying one second-hand.8 min
- How to check if a Rolex is real: a buyer's checklistThe checks a buyer can make on a pre-owned Rolex, the ones that need a watchmaker, and the routes that come with a written guarantee.10 min
- How to tell if a Cartier watch is realWhat a genuine Cartier's paperwork looks like, the checks a buyer can make, Cartier's own warranty and theft-reporting routes, and when to get a watchmaker.9 min
- How to tell if a watch has been polished, and why it mattersWhat polishing takes away from a case, how to spot it in photos and in the hand, and what to ask a seller about a watch's finish.8 min
Buying guidesRoutes, sellers and checks before you buy.27 guides
- Grey market vs authorised dealer: what it means for your watchWhat a grey market watch is, what you give up and what you may gain, and the questions that show which kind of seller you are dealing with.6 min
- Private seller vs dealer: who should you buy a watch from?What the law gives you from a dealer and what it doesn't from an individual, and how to protect yourself in either case.6 min
- Watch import duty and VAT in the UK: what you pay on a watch from abroadHow import VAT and customs duty apply to a watch bought from overseas, how to work out the total, and the questions to ask before you pay.6 min
- Stolen watch check: how to check a watch isn't stolen before you buyThe registers worth searching, what a clear result does and doesn't mean, and the steps to take if a watch comes back as stolen.6 min
- Consumer rights when buying a watch online in the UKWhat the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you, where they stop, and how to use them.7 min
- Watch warranty explained: what it covers and what it doesn'tHow to read a watch warranty: who gives it, what it covers, what voids it, and how it sits alongside your statutory rights.7 min
- How watches are shipped and insured when sold onlineWho is responsible for a watch until it is in your hands, what carriers will and won't cover, and how to open the parcel safely.6 min
- Watch auctions: a buyer's guide to fees, risks and rightsHow the hammer price becomes the price you pay, what an auction house will and won't stand behind, and how to bid without surprises.7 min
- Negotiating the price of a watch: how to ask and what to protectHow to prepare, what to ask for besides a lower price, and which protections are never worth trading away.5 min
- Where is the best place to buy a pre-owned Rolex in the UK?Five ways to buy a second-hand Rolex in the UK, set side by side on who stands behind the watch, the guarantee, your return rights and the checks you still need to make.16 min
- What to check when buying a used Rolex: a checklistA practical checklist for a second-hand Rolex: the papers, the numbers, the case and bracelet, the service record, the movement and the stolen-watch search.15 min
- Certified pre-owned vs pre-owned Rolex: what the difference means for buyersRolex's own programme for second-hand watches against an ordinary pre-owned purchase: the checks, the guarantee, where each is sold and what it means for you.16 min
- Should you buy a Rolex without box and papers?What Rolex papers prove, what they don't, and the checks that stand in for them when a watch comes on its own.16 min
- Which is the best first Rolex? How to choose your first oneA way to narrow the range down by wrist, wear, bracelet and functions, with what each current Rolex collection is.15 min
- What to check when buying a used Rolex SubmarinerThe Submariner-specific checks: which reference you are looking at, what its bezel and bracelet should be, and what the service and papers tell you.16 min
- What to check when buying a used Rolex GMT-Master IIHow the GMT-Master II shows a second time zone, which reference has which bezel, bracelet and movement, and the functions to test before you pay.14 min
- Rolex Submariner alternatives: dive watches to compareSix dive watches often weighed against the Rolex Submariner, set side by side on case size, water resistance and movement, from the makers and the watch press.14 min
- Where is the best place to buy a pre-owned Omega in the UK?The five routes to a second-hand Omega in the UK, what each gives you in warranty and legal rights, and the Omega checks that apply whichever you choose.16 min
- Where is the best place to buy a Tudor in the UK: new, grey or pre-owned?New from an official retailer, new from an independent dealer, or second-hand: what each route means for the Tudor guarantee, your legal rights and servicing.14 min
- What to check when buying a used Audemars Piguet Royal OakThe Royal Oak-specific checks: which reference and movement you are looking at, how to judge the bracelet and the finishing, and what the papers and warranty give you.15 min
- Watchfinder vs Chrono24: how they differ for UK buyersOne sells its own stock, the other is a marketplace for thousands of sellers. A side-by-side look at ownership, warranty, returns, checks and payment protection.14 min
- Rolex finance in the UK: how spreading the cost worksHow paying for a Rolex in instalments works at retailers and dealers, why an interest-free deal may not be on offer, and the protection and cancellation rights that come with credit.14 min
- A beginner's guide to buying a vintage watchWhat makes a watch vintage, how to judge originality and service history, why old seals need care, and how your rights change with where you buy.8 min
- Buying a watch as a gift: what to know before you chooseSizing without spoiling the surprise, engraving and returns, why the legal rights stay with the buyer, warranty registration and getting the watch delivered safely.8 min
- Ten questions to ask before buying a used watch from a dealerThe ten questions that tell you most about a pre-owned watch and the dealer selling it, why each matters, and what a good answer sounds like.9 min
- Watch finance in the UK: how buying a watch on credit worksHow the main kinds of credit for a watch work, which are regulated, what the lender must check, and the protection Section 75 can give.9 min
Ownership costsInsurance, servicing and what a watch costs to keep.4 guides
- How much does a watch service cost in the UK?What a full service involves, how often the big brands say to do it, the prices brands publish themselves, and how to get a written quote for the rest.11 min
- How to check a watch has genuinely been servicedService invoices and cards, what a timing machine and a pressure test can tell you, the questions that expose a vague answer, and the red flags.7 min
- Watch storage guide: boxes, winders and safes for a collectionBoxes, rolls and winders, the humidity, heat and magnets to keep away from, what insurers ask of a safe, and how to carry a watch when you travel.7 min
Selling & valuationDealer offers, part-exchange, auction and private sale.5 guides
- Part-exchanging a Rolex in the UK: how it worksHow a Rolex part-exchange runs from estimate to final figure, what HMRC's margin scheme says about the allowance, and the one number to compare between dealers.14 min
- Sell my watch: every way to sell a watch in the UK comparedSix ways to sell a watch in the UK, the fees some sellers publish, how each route protects you, and the scams aimed at people selling online.11 min
- Watch valuation UK: how to find out what your watch is worthThe three kinds of valuation, who carries them out, what to bring, and how far an online estimate can take you.7 min
- How dealer trade-in and buy prices actually workWhat a dealer has to pay for between buying your watch and selling it on, how VAT works on second-hand stock, and how to set offers side by side.8 min
All guides A–Z54 guides
- A beginner's guide to buying a vintage watch
- Buying a watch as a gift: what to know before you choose
- Certified pre-owned vs pre-owned Rolex: what the difference means for buyers
- Consumer rights when buying a watch online in the UK
- Grey market vs authorised dealer: what it means for your watch
- How dealer trade-in and buy prices actually work
- How much does a watch service cost in the UK?
- How to care for a mechanical watch
- How to check a watch has genuinely been serviced
- How to check if a Rolex is real: a buyer's checklist
- How to resize or adjust a watch bracelet at home
- How to spot a fake watch before you buy
- How to tell if a Cartier watch is real
- How to tell if a watch has been polished, and why it matters
- How watches are shipped and insured when sold online
- In-house vs outsourced movements: does it matter when buying pre-owned?
- Is Chrono24 legit and safe for UK watch buyers?
- Mechanical vs quartz watch: which should you buy?
- Negotiating the price of a watch: how to ask and what to protect
- Part-exchanging a Rolex in the UK: how it works
- Private seller vs dealer: who should you buy a watch from?
- Rolex finance in the UK: how spreading the cost works
- Rolex Submariner alternatives: dive watches to compare
- Sell my watch: every way to sell a watch in the UK compared
- Should you buy a Rolex without box and papers?
- Stolen watch check: how to check a watch isn't stolen before you buy
- Ten questions to ask before buying a used watch from a dealer
- The ultimate guide to buying a luxury watch in the UK
- Watch auctions: a buyer's guide to fees, risks and rights
- Watch complications explained: chronograph, GMT, diver and more
- Watch condition grades explained: what each label really means
- Watch finance in the UK: how buying a watch on credit works
- Watch import duty and VAT in the UK: what you pay on a watch from abroad
- Watch insurance: how to cover a valuable watch in the UK
- Watch serial and reference numbers explained
- Watch sizing guide: how to measure your wrist and choose a case size
- Watch storage guide: boxes, winders and safes for a collection
- Watch terms glossary: 112 terms every buyer should know
- Watch valuation UK: how to find out what your watch is worth
- Watch warranty explained: what it covers and what it doesn't
- Watch water resistance explained: what the ratings actually mean
- Watchfinder vs Chrono24: how they differ for UK buyers
- What does "full set" mean when buying a watch?
- What is a "homage" watch, and how is it different from a fake?
- What is COSC chronometer certification?
- What to check when buying a used Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
- What to check when buying a used Rolex GMT-Master II
- What to check when buying a used Rolex Submariner
- What to check when buying a used Rolex: a checklist
- What's the best way to sell a Rolex in the UK?
- Where is the best place to buy a pre-owned Omega in the UK?
- Where is the best place to buy a pre-owned Rolex in the UK?
- Where is the best place to buy a Tudor in the UK: new, grey or pre-owned?
- Which is the best first Rolex? How to choose your first one