Watches in an Estate

Watches hide in small places: a desk drawer, a nightstand, a safe, the cufflink box on a dresser, the glove box of a car. An estate with one good watch usually has a few, and the plain steel one is not always the least of them.

We identify each watch by brand, model, reference number, and serial, then look at the movement, the dial, and the bracelet. Two steel watches with the same name on the dial sit far apart in value because of one dial variation or one production year. Box and papers tighten the price further.

What we look at

• Brand, model, and the reference and serial numbers between the lugs or on the caseback
• Movement type, manual wind, automatic, or quartz, and whether it runs
• Dial, hands, and bezel, and whether they are original or replaced
• Case condition, including how much it has been polished over the years
• Bracelet, clasp, and spare links, which collectors want complete
• Box, warranty papers, receipts, and service records

Before we look

Do not have the watch polished, serviced, or fitted with a new battery first. A polished case loses the sharp edges collectors pay for, and a service replaces original parts. Do not open the caseback or force the crown on a watch that has sat for years. Look for the spare links, the box, and the papers in a separate drawer from the watch.

Stopped is not worthless

A mechanical watch that has sat for a decade needs service, and we account for that in the price. A stopped quartz watch needs a battery and nothing more. Neither is a reason to put a watch in the donation box.

Outright or auction

Everyday watches and gold-cased dress watches we buy outright. A Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, or a vintage chronograph with its papers is the sort of piece where private auction earns its fee, and we lay out that comparison before anyone decides.