How much is a vintage watch worth?

Value follows specific references, not brands in general. Two watches from the same house, made in the same year, can sit far apart because one reference is collected and the other is not.

Reference and serial numbers are also how a watch is dated. We record what is actually stamped on the case and movement and we do not date a watch from its style.

Does it run, does it keep reasonable time, and is the movement the correct caliber for that reference? A mismatched movement is a serious issue. Signs of past water ingress, rust on the movement plates and butchered screw heads all count against.

A mechanical watch that has not been serviced in years should be treated as needing a service, and that cost belongs in your thinking before you buy.

Original dials, even with age, are what collectors want. Refinished or redialed examples are worth markedly less, and a redial can usually be spotted by printing that is slightly wrong: font weight, spacing, the position of the minute track.

Cases lose metal every time they are polished. Sharp, defined lugs and crisp case edges indicate a case that has been left alone. Original crown, crystal and bracelet all add.

Small gold dress watches from the mid twentieth century, including many beautiful Swiss pieces, are often worth close to their gold weight, because collector demand for the type is thin. That is a market reality, not a judgment on the watch.

Watches set with diamonds are valued as jewelry as well as watches, which sometimes pulls the number in the other direction.

You will find websites that answer this question with a range. We do not, because a range with no piece attached is a guess dressed as information, and people make decisions on it.

Two pieces that look identical in a photograph can sit an order of magnitude apart in value once the metal is tested, the stones are graded and the maker is confirmed. The only honest number is one attached to a specific piece that someone has actually examined.

Book a video viewing and show us the piece. We will look at the hallmark, the construction and the stones with you on camera and tell you what we can see and what we cannot see remotely. It costs nothing and there is no obligation.

For a piece you buy from us above $5,000 we include a detailed valuation & authenticity report prepared by our gemologist. That document describes the piece and states a value for insurance purposes.