If you have come here looking for the best place to sell a watch privately — a written valuation reaches you within twenty-four hours. Outright purchase or consignment to our collector network. Funds settled within forty-eight hours of authentication.
Confidential 24-hour valuation, no fee, no obligation. Maison Montres is not a dealer — we broker disposals on the seller's behalf to our private collector network or to the major auction houses, whichever delivers the higher net price for the reference. Twelve-point authentication on every piece. Funds settled within 48 hours of authentication on private brokerage. Two-tier review on vintage and complicated references.
Selling is harder than buying. The principals who sell well — including several of the Index of serious collectors we publish annually — share a discipline about disposal that the broader market has not internalised. For brand-specific guidance, see selling a Rolex, a Patek Philippe, or an Audemars Piguet.
Steel sport, integrated bracelet, complications — the references that move on the secondary market.
Pieces no longer in catalog. Boutique editions, anniversary references, retailer-exclusive runs.
Originality matters more than condition alone. We pay premiums for unpolished cases and unrestored dials.
Journe, Akrivia, and similar makers. Single-piece transactions or full-collection consignment.
Box, papers, original receipts where available. Watch-only is accepted, with valuation adjusted accordingly.
| Outright sale | Consignment | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 24–72 hours from authentication | Typically 30–90 days |
| Price | Wholesale to retail-adjacent | Retail, less commission |
| Risk | None to seller | Watch held at our facility, fully insured |
| Best for | Liquidity, certainty | Maximum return, time available |
The form below takes two minutes. Photographs help; if you do not have them, we will guide you.
A written figure, with the comparables that produced it, returned within twenty-four hours during European business days.
Outright sale or consignment, set out in a one-page agreement. No surprises.
The watch is inspected by an independent watchmaker. You receive the report.
Funds wired directly to your nominated account on completion. Sell-side commission flat at 10% per our published schedule; retainer-based engagements available from a starter collection upward. Where consigned, payment follows sale.
They are never shared, listed, or used for marketing. We do not publish what we sell, and we do not publish from whom.
Fair-value indication is complimentary. We will tell you honestly whether private treaty, auction consignment, or another channel is the right fit.
Valuations are reference-specific and reflect current secondary-market clearing prices, not retail. We return a confidential valuation within twenty-four hours of submission, with three to five recent auction comparables for context. There is no fee for a valuation and no obligation to proceed.
Outright purchase of liquid current-production references settles within forty-eight hours of authentication completion — typically a five-to-seven day total timeline from submission. Consignment sales typically close within thirty to ninety days, depending on reference and market timing. Auction consignment runs to the auction-house calendar, typically three to six months.
Outright purchase works best for liquid current-production references where speed matters — Daytona 116500LN, GMT-Master II 126710BLNR, Nautilus 5711 in full set. You receive funds within forty-eight hours of authentication. Consignment works best for less-liquid references, vintage pieces, and significant complications, where you typically achieve a higher net price at the cost of a longer timeline. We advise the path that maximises your return, in writing, before you decide.
A full set with papers and box improves valuation by 10 to 20 percent on modern sport references and materially more on vintage. However, watches without papers are saleable. We will quote on watches without papers, with the appropriate adjustment, and where possible we can request manufacturer extracts on the seller's behalf.
Watches that fail our twelve-point protocol are not purchased. The seller receives a written report identifying the specific protocol points that flagged. We do not charge for failed authentications. Where a watch fails on a recoverable issue (service required, document discrepancy), we may quote a revised offer reflecting the resolution path.
No. Valuation is confidential, free, and carries no obligation. We provide a documented valuation within twenty-four hours, with three to five recent auction comparables. The seller decides whether to proceed.
Yes. We accept watches on a confidential basis, with the seller's identity protected from the buyer. Where a watch is sold on consignment, the seller's name does not appear in the buyer's dossier unless the seller specifically authorises it.
Yes. We authenticate every watch we accept regardless of provenance. A watch with documented history (full set, papers, archive extract) is valued higher than one without, but absence of original retailer documentation does not disqualify a sale.
Maison Montres is the right seller's agent for a grail-tier, contemporary-independent, or significant vintage piece where you want a documented, confidential sale and the higher of a private-network price or a managed auction result — F.P. Journe, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak archive, vintage Patek Philippe, the independents, and complications above CHF 50,000. We broker on the seller's behalf, never take title, and settle within 48 hours of authentication on a private sale.
You may be better served elsewhere in three cases: a deeply liquid current-production Rolex sport model may move as fast through a specialist Rolex house (we will name one); a museum-grade piece that draws competitive global bidding may realise more at auction, which we can manage for you; and if you want the fastest cash today regardless of net, an outright dealer purchase is quicker than brokerage. Brand-specific guidance: sell a Rolex, a Patek Philippe, or an Audemars Piguet.