Have you ever been curious about the value of your watch? Perhaps it's a gold pocket watch that has been passed down through your family for generations or a steel wristwatch that you bought from a second-hand market. It's not always precious metals that define the value of a watch, so what determines the value? Learn more about our watch expert and how Value My Stuff appraise watches below!
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Our experts understand the value of watches that have been passed down as family heirlooms and are familiar with the worth of brands such as Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Casio etc. However, if you are looking to appraise your Kermit the Frog watch, we have specialists who can appraise these as well. Most collectors of watches look to value their collection as a whole, but we would advise on securing individual values.
Although pocket watches aren't as popular as wristwatches, they could indeed be very valuable. Two key factors are the watchmaker and the condition of the piece. Another interesting factor is the material. Although it's an unknown watchmaker, and the condition is very poor, the pocket watch could still be valuable if it's in gold. Lastly, we have a special factor that only applies to a very limited amount of watches, and that is if the watch is a so-called piece unique, meaning that it's a one-of-a-kind. Sometimes, watchmakers make a one-of-a-kind watch for their clients. Those watches are often more expensive for customers to buy, but their value also tends to be more expensive than other models.
Although there's slight competition with Apple's electric watches, the mechanical wristwatches still stand high as there's a tremendous public interest in wearing such items. Like pocket watches, the key factors are the same: watchmaker, condition, material, and of course, the particular factor of a watch being unique.
Perhaps not surprisingly, looking at a list of the most expensive watches ever sold at auction, you'll find out that the list is dominated by Patek Philippe, with some Rolex watches too. Here are the three most expensive watches ever sold at auction.
1. Patek Philippe – Grandmaster Chime. Sold by Christie's in 2019 for $31 million. A truly incredible piece unique that sold at the Only Watch charity auction as the watch was donated by Patek Philippe.
2. Patek Philippe – Henry Graves Supercomplication. Sold by Sotehby's in 2014 for $24 million. An elegant two-faced pocket watch commissioned by New York banker Henry Graves, Jr. in 1933 by Patek Philippe.
3. Rolex – Daytona "Paul Newman". Sold by Phillips in 2017 for $17.7 million. The so-called "Paul Newman Daytona" watch has always been of interest to collectors. It's referred to as a Paul Newman, since the watch was favored by Paul Newman himself. This record-breaking watch was owned by Newman, making it "Paul Newman's Paul Newman". Get it?
The services offered by Value My Stuff are a quick and easy way to find out the value of a watch. We only work with the world's finest experts. Hence our valuations are always very reliable and up-to-date. If you'd like to get a watch valuation from our experts, simply follow the easy steps by clicking here.
Our Watch specialist graduated from Columbia with a degree in Fine Arts and has been a collector of watches for over 40 years. He is a distinguished writer and has published various horological articles in The Bulletin of The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors been a featured writer in various collections of books. Throughout the past twenty years he has practiced as an appraiser and a curator of horological exhibitions.
written by Patrick Morgan
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