If you’re looking to sell watches in Chicago that you have lying around the house not getting much use out of any longer, it may be a good idea to bring it in to the watch buyers in Chicago. With their years of watch-buying experience, they will be able to tell you what your watch is worth, and many times it can be more than you may think.
Manufacturer & Model
There are certain watch manufacturers like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Vacheron & Constantine, and Omega that are more valuable & desirable. Just like any other model, they have categories of value depending on the model. If your watch is made with high-quality, sought-out after materials, it will be worth much more. Specifically gold and platinum watches, no matter what the grade, are much more valuable.
The movement complication or a higher jewel count will make it worth more. Also, if the watch still has all of its original working parts from the manufacturer, the value will automatically be higher.
Condition
If a watch is working properly, it will be worth more than one that can no longer be used or that has to be repaired. Each watch has its own functionality; some watches are automatic, some are manual winding, and some are quartz. If a quartz watch is not moving and keeping time, in most cases it’s probably due to the battery.
An automatic watch must be worn to keep the movement going, so if it’s laying in a drawer or jewelry box, it will stop working. Manual wind watches may be overwound and need repair, so the best way to know is to bring them in to us for evaluation.
Age
Just because a watch is old doesn’t necessarily mean it is worth more than a new one. However, in many cases, vintage watches are worth considerably more, especially to collectors. The best way to know the age of your watch is to bring it in to our buying shop for evaluation. There are watches as new as the 1980’s and 1990’s that are now considered rare and valuable, so a watch does not have to be 50-100 years old to qualify for rare- it is based on market demand
Brand Name
As mentioned earlier, certain brands of watches and pocket watches are highly valuable simply because of their valued names, a few of these including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, Cartier, and IWC. If you have any vintage or antique watches from these collections, they’ll most likely get you the big bucks. Pocket watches are priced differently from wrist watches and do not always share the same demand.
There are many variables that determine pocket watch values, such as if the movement is high jewel 21 to 28 jewel, Moon Phase, or has repeater chimes.
Keep an Eye Out For Red Flags
In order to figure out if you have a luxury watch, we encourage you to bring it in to us to evaluate because there are many impressively done counterfeit watches being made with precision accuracy. A brand that isn’t well-known for making watches or that doesn’t have a solid reputation is another red flag to watch out for.
Contact Us Today
The best way to learn about your watch’s value is to consult with a professional. At Chicago Gold Gallery, our staff has more than 40 years buying experience and specializes in identifying timepieces of all values.If you want to know how to sell your watch while maximizing your profits, it’s best to seek out jewelry buyers who have the ability to recognize a valuable watch when they see one.
To learn more about how you can turn your watch, gold, or jewelry into cash, we encourage you to contact us today or stop in. We look forward to speaking with you!