How to Tell How Much a Gold Watch Is Worth
The value of a gold watch is determined by two factors . . .
The collectible value of the watch, which is determined by the prestige of the company that made it.
The metallic value of the watch’s case.
In today’s post, we’ll look at each of these factors.
Collectible Value of A Gold Watch
Watch collectors will pay more for watches that were made by prestigious companies that include Breguet, Cartier, Omega, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Tag Heuer, and others. The value of these watches is greater than the value of the gold that is contained in them, and collectors will pay top dollar for them.
So if you have a gold watch, your first step is to determine whether it falls into this collectible category. Here are some ways to find out.
Take your watch to a local jeweler and ask how much it is worth. But don’t sell the watch to that company, take the following steps too.
Do an online search on eBay and on the websites of jewelers that deal in luxury watches. If you can find watches for sale that are like yours, or that were made by the same companies, you can use their selling prices as an approximate indicator of the value of your timepiece.
If the above steps indicate that your watch has collectible value, consider taking it to a jewelry appraiser. Remember that a professional appraiser will charge you a fee to estimate the value of your watch. Resist the temptation to sell your watch to an appraiser; if an appraiser is eager to buy it, chances are he or she is trying to buy it for less money than it is worth, and that is a conflict of interest on the appraiser’s part.
Take the watch to a reputable auction house and have an expert there tell you about your watch. One such auction house is Rago Arts in Lambertville NJ, which employs qualified jewelry appraiser experts who will give you an opinion about your watch’s value without charging you.
Metallic Value: The Value of the Gold Contained in the Watch’s Case
It is not uncommon to find a gold watch that does not have high collectible value. This happens when a non-luxury watch company made the watch and used a gold case.
Gold watch cases are typically made of 10K, 14K or 18K gold. (They are not made of pure 24K gold, which is too soft, and which will scratch too easily when it is worn by a user.)
Also, in many cases, the case will be gold-filled or gold-plated, not made of 100% Karat gold. So be sure to look for any stampings or markings on the watch that indicate what it is made of. Most watches have them.
Remember that the gold in a gold watch resides in its case, not in the internal components (the “movement”) that is found inside.
It takes expertise to determine the value of the gold in a watch. If it has a 10K gold case, for example, what metals other than gold are present? If the case is gold-filled rather than solid Karat gold, how much gold does the case contain? And what percentage of the total weight of the watch resides in the case and not in the movement?
In a phone consultation, our experts at Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners can give you a qualified opinion of what the gold in your watch is worth, so call us at 800-426-2344. Note that to obtain a report on the value of the gold in an old watch, you may have to send it to our labs for testing.
We love gold watches, and we believe that when you find out how much old gold watches can be worth, you will love them too.