If you are a novice when it comes to understanding the value of luxury watches, you will need to find multiple quotes to sell your watch which will help you gauge the value of your watch but if you have a collection of watches to value then this can be more complex. Valuing a collection of watches with multiple watch dealers may get confusing and you may find that companies offer different prices for each luxury watch in your collection and they may ask you to sell your watches individually rather than as a collection. When valuing vintage watches such as Rolex’s, it can be even more confusing and locating a Rolex watch specialist with an understanding of vintage watches and other brands will be your best chance to sell your watch for a fair market price.
Valuing Modern Rolex's
Modern Rolex watches are valued by LBJ Watches in Hatton Garden every day and our experience and up to date knowledge allows us to prove fast valuations which help you sell your Rolex watch in London quickly. Vintage watches are much different from modern watches because you have far fewer in circulation and there can be extremely small, almost unnoticeable differences from one model to the next that can impact the value of your watch or watch collection significantly. You need to speak with a Rolex specialist or a vintage specialist when valuing a watch collection of vintage Rolex watches.
Valuing vintage Rolex's
The condition of a Vintage Rolex watch could impact the value of the watch by an incredible margin. A modern Rolex watch that is unworn with stickers will sell for a premium when compared to a like for like model that has been used and the difference in value is amplified when you’re valuing vintage Rolex watches or a valuing Rolex watch collection. For example, a 1980’s Rolex Day-Date with a stone dial that has been used and has no box or papers could be valued for around £30k in today's market but if that same watch was unused with the full factory stickers still in place and the box and papers present, the valuation of your watch could be much higher and close to £100,000.
Have you inherited a watch collection or been gifted a Rolex watch collection? Or does your watch collection consist of multiple watch brands? Usually a watch collection is built over time which means the watches in your collection will be from different periods. Your inherited watch collection needs to be valued to make sure you can insure the collection or sell your watch collection for fair market price. LBJ Watches is based in London and we can value your watch collection promptly, modern collections can be valued through video calls and the sharing of video and photographs but for an accurate vintage watch valuation or accurate vintage watch collection valuation then you would need to bring the watches in to our showroom in Hatton Garden, London so that we can properly access your watch collection to place a fair valuation on your watches.
Why choose LBJ Watches
LBJ Watches London has built a wealth of industry knowledge across multiple brands and models and our strong network and experience means that we are market leaders in vaulting watch collections and individual watches such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe. We value watches quickly and accurately, you can read some of our Trustpilot reviews to learn how we have helped value watch collections before. All of our clients have been happy with our valuations and the reviews they have left are testament to our transparent and professional approach to establishing the true value of a watch in London.
When LBJ Watches London values a watch we use real data. Data that we have collected over years of experience in buying and selling watches and we pull this data from multiple sources including our invoices, stock tracker history, website data, data from the trade, current market trends and data from multiple sales platforms. Once we have accessed the data, we balance the information with the rarity, popularity, sell-ability, and condition of the watch to determine a fair valuation for each watch. Our team is well trained to identify the value of luxury watches and to work with you when valuing your watches, we understand that if you have inherited a watch collection there could be sentimental value to you and we appreciate that selling watches with stories can be difficult so all of our valuations come with zero obligations. We value individual watches such as Rolex watches for free and we value watch collections for free even if your watch collection is made up from different brands such as Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe.
How can I tell if a watch collection is real?
The first thing most people think when they inherit a collection of watches is, “are these watches real?” Usually you will have a rough idea on the authenticity of your watch collection based on where it came from. Sometimes when you inherit a watch collection and need to value the collection or if you want to sell your watch collection then you will be looking for the credentials and accessories that those watches in your collection came with. If you have the original credentials for your watch collection this is a great sign, it means that your watches are likely genuine and that the collection has a higher value. Most watch collections consist of just watches, the paperwork for the watches are usually kept in a different location so the chances are that your inherited watch collection doesn’t have the paperwork present, this means that you need to contact a watch valuation specialist such as LBJ Watches. You can bring your collection into our showroom in Hatton Garden, London for inspection and valuation.
The importance of luxury watch documentation
The documentation of a luxury watch not only adds to the collector's experience which in turn adds value to your watch but they can also act as an additional layer of authenticity. Many collectors of modern and vintage watches prefer to purchase a watch with all of the original credentials, as they feel more comfortable buying a complete set, and complete sets are also often much easier to sell. When buying a vintage watch that comes as a complete set you’re buying a piece of history and the old paperwork can make ownership of the watch extra special. That being said, the condition of the watch is the most important thing when valuing vintage watches. Papers have greater value when valuing modern watches such as Rolex watches.
How do service parts affect the value of a Rolex watch?
When a watch is taken into service with Rolex, Rolex wants the watch to leave the service station looking as it did when it was originally sold; to achieve this result, the service station often replaces parts on the watch that may have aged or shown wear such as the bezel, glass, dial and the hands. These replacement parts can completely transform the look of a watch; not only that, but service dials and service parts can significantly impact value. While service parts can be hard to differentiate, the trained and experienced team at LBJ Watches London can accurately identify them and factor them into any valuation regardless of if you’re buying or selling a watch.
Movement authenticity.
Luxury watches such as Patek Philippe, Rolex and Audemars Piguet need replacement parts from time to time in order to keep their performance at an acceptable level, particularly vintage watches. Instead of taking the watch to the manufacturers to be properly serviced, some watch owners take them to a third-party watchmaker to have after-market parts fitted, as it's often cheaper and faster. These after-market parts are often just as good as the original; however, they are not the original, and this will be factored into the valuation of any luxury watch. We do offer servicing for all modern and vintage watches including Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe and our workshop only uses original parts approved by the manufacturer. We can service all movements from simple time and date movements to more complex, perpetual calendars and chronographs.
Rolex dial and configuration
As previously mentioned, the dial on a Rolex watch can dramatically impact the price. Some Rolex watches are equipped with incredibly rare and sought-after dials, such as stone dials. Dials crafted from materials such as onyx, rubellite, sodalite and even meteorite are often overlooked as just a standard dial when passed on, gifted or inherited; however, these dials are incredibly rare compared to the standard. The best way to tell if your watch has a rare dial is to send us a picture so that one of our trained professionals can help educate you about your watch. The next step is to authenticate the dial as being genuine.
How much is my vintage watch worth?
Vintage watches can be tricky to value, especially if the watches in the collection are niche, such as vintage Patek Philippe and rare Rolex watches. Similarly to valuing a normal watch collection, you should look for similar models online; however, if you can't find any similar models, one of our vintage experts would be happy to help you. We always recommend seeking advice from a trained professional when valuing vintage watches because you might think you have found a like for example for sale online but the watch you have found could be very slightly different and that could mean that the value of your watch is significantly more or less. Valuing a vintage watch collection is a specialist task that can only be achieved successfully with years of experience and a strong network of professionals.
How we can help you
If you want to value your watch collection, please contact LBJ Watches London; we have a trained team of experts waiting to help you. At LBJ Watches, we remove the headache of selling watches; we offer same-day quotes, fair market value, and instant payment for your luxury watches. Not only do we have a central London location, but we also offer home visits for particularly high value watch collections. LBJ Watches London can give your watches a thorough inspection and valuation and even buy your luxury watches. Our showroom is based in Hatton Garden, London.
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